Dangerous

Have now been retired over 5 years and have mentioned my experience on another thread: "After the sudden death of a younger colleague and being subjected to mandatory doubling from nights to days (one time did the trick), I retired early (age 60) because I realized life was too short to put up with administration's BS." The first 9 months of retirement were spent deep cleaning and decluttering / reorganizing the house. Money was tight until Social Security kicked in. If you can work part-time, even limited part-time, it may not be a bad idea. Obviously, it's a big change if you are used to buying whatever you want to downsizing to a strict budget and downsizing from two cars to one car. I have intermediate computer and research skills. Since retirement, I have installed Linux distributions on an obsolete Windows XP computer and alongside Windows on a laptop. I have multiple interests, including language learning. It is fun to indulge my self after decades of nursing. You did not mention if you have a significant other. If you do, be prepared for adjustments. I never thought adjusting to the 24/7 of living with my sweetie would be the most stressful part of retirement--it's still a work in progress.

Am now retired, amen. However, several years ago, I rejoiced in the fact that I knew the younger nurses were raised and educated in an environment where they will not be subservient and will speak to authority. Good for you. And hit them in the public eye and also in the purse-strings if you can — that's the ONLY language they understand. P.S. After the sudden death of a younger colleague and being subjected to mandatory doubling from nights to days (one time did the trick), I retired early because I realized life was too short to put up with administration's BS.

Thank you Jolie. Thank you elkpark. My best, "Nancy Nurse, B.S.N. (former registered nurse)"

Do not know if this is a workable idea, just throwing it out there. Once you get your CNA, are there jobs available where you can work as CNA and get paid tuition assistance for going to school part time while working full time? Consider a possible move to another area of the country to do this? Good luck! Have you considered online courses, such as The University of Phoenix? Must agree with above commenter--getting an R.N. or R.N., B.S.N. is the way to go. Last time I visited my doctor, his partner (with whom I worked when he was a resident) stopped by to say hi. He jokingly said, "Looks like we're becoming the patients we used to take care of." Feel free to use this. My best, Retired East Coast Nurse

I'd appreciate some input. Am a retired nurse, who emails Congresspeople, writes letters to the editor, & posts comments to posts on websites. How do you handle "signing" your name after retirement? In situations where I comment re: health care or related issues, I sign as follows-- Nancy Nurse, R.N., B.S.N. (retired) or Nancy Nurse, R.N., B.S.N. (ret) I got the idea from a friend's husband's address-- Major G.I. Joseph, (ret) Thanks.

Dear Biff, Am feeling your pain. My best advice to you is do what you can live with. Obviously, the nursing job you are considering will have it's own drawbacks, but maybe it would be worth a try. 1) The job may be a perfect fit for you. Yea!! 2) The job may suck, but could lead to other opportunities. :-) 3) The job may suck so bad, you'll need to quit. In my opinion, there is no shame in that. I am not questioning why you want to return to bedside/ barbaric chamber side nursing, because I had my reasons why I remained at the bedside, & I'm sure you have yours. Am so glad you were able to get yourself put together physically & mentally. I give you SO much credit for that. One last thought, do you have a photography website? I recall reading somewhere in photography tips that having a website helped to pull in more business. If you have gone the Internet route, including reading all you can & following other photographers' tips, utlilizing Twitter photog lists and "Listorius" photog lists, etc., I apologize. Good luck and may God bless. Dangerous (originator of this thread)

God bless you dear practicing nurses. Retired early, at age 59--finally fed up w/ lack of administrative support. Miss the hands on care & miss the money, but not the time pressures--there was usually not enough help. I fervently hope the younger generation of nurses are asking "Why?" instead of "How high?" when administration says "Jump." I'd hope to be an involved, non-demanding family member when the time comes. Stress and also an ill loved one can be crazy-making. When I was young Mother, I remember asking the pediatrician the "stupidist" question. After it popped out of my mouth I thought--did that question come out of MY mouth? I was so worried about our child that the dumb question just came out. On another occasion, again when I was young, I know the nurses would appreciate my feeding our infant who was an observation pt. after aspirating formula, but I was SO scared to death about feeding the baby, that I did not go in to visit at feeding time. Irrational, perhaps, but I could not go in. (No, I was not asked to go in at feeding time, though I KNEW I should). Guess I'm trying to say, some reasons for exasperating or seemingly dumb patient or family behaviors are not overtly apparent or are unable to be voiced. That said, there is no excuse for rudeness or expecting nurses to be servants.

Thanks to all who have replied to this thread. In about 2 months, I will start the app. for Social Security. Paying $$$ for health insurance bites, but I have not gone back to work since retiring. Knowing now that I would have had much more $$$ in the pot if I did not pay out ridiculous amounts of money, 1st for COBRA and then for private insurance, might have made me think twice about leaving my work situation just a couple years ago, but then again, I just HAD to leave, could not stand it any more. All in all, it was a good decision.

1. You can always put more in (e.g. prn medication). You can't easily take too much of a larger dose out of the patient. 2. Assess the situation. 3. You are not in nursing school, you can hold charting till later. (Worked fine for me--I carried a covered clipboard, w/ a sticky note for each patient--jotted times, along w/ pertinent info). 4. For RN to BSN students--some of your courses and hassles may seem like B.S. Just hang in there, it will be worth it. 5. Get a Masters degree. 6. Or, don't go into nursing, until there is enough ancillary help and/or staffing is done by patient acuity and not solely by "numbers." 7. Get a cardiology background. It will be invaluable. 8. Work at a teaching hospital, even if only for a few years. One year there is equivalent to working many years at a community hospital. 9. Get the doctor gloved in sterile gloves. Then he or she will be at your mercy. 10. If a patient tells you something is amiss, check into what they are saying! For example, if they say, "That's not the pill I take" and even if you think you are right, ALWAYS go and check again. P.S. Credit to former colleagues and friends for 2, 3, 4, and 9.

After reading http://www.chitowndailynews.org/Chicago_news/Need_a_nurse_Chicago_may_need_11000_nurses_in_years_to_come,31560 and http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/08/24/city-short-9000-nurses-nu_n_267042.html I am interested as to why Chicago nurses are not commenting on either of above postings. I already gave my

Could not make it past page 2 of posts on this topic, as I started getting chest tightness and anxiety from flashbacks. God bless you women and men who are in the trenches on the front lines. Recently took an early retirement from bedside nursing, am financially poorer, but so much more mentally and physically better off. Am not sorry I left. If hospitals want to keep bedside nurses, some things have to change. Is anyone listening? In spite of input from myself and my colleagues into hospital "surveys" and other avenues as to what nurses needed to improve working conditions, no one listened. After that, I voted with my feet. Bye, bye.

Just wanted to say thanks for your reply, Oramar. :thankya: I read several other of your posts on this site, so I have a hunch we both worked in the same geographic area of the Keystone State. Did you ever work at the Mecca (the Mothership)? Hope you have a beautiful retirement. We deserve it!!

:scrying: :scrying:

Thanks for your reply, Cindy. Hope you find a great job! Take care and good luck.

I retired from bedside nursing within the past year. I was very dedicated and was the type of nurse that you would want for yourself or for a family member. I left because the increasing unrealistic expectations demanded of staff nurses, which were aggravated by nurse understaffing, had become too much for me. I am financially poorer now, but so much better off in so many other ways--both physically and mentally. Since the cost of health insurance is high and with a few years till Medicare, I may go back to some type of part-time employment. But not nursing, including home health or any type of nursing. So, has anyone out there returned to work in any area removed from nursing? AND this could be most anything, from waitressing, security guard, retail clerk, etc. My husband has cautioned me, saying he has worked in the retail area and that I would not like it(as compared to nursing), that I would get little respect, be hounded to stay busy, and that I would not be permitted to sit down while on the job. I'd like to hear your thoughts. Thanks.