Retirement and License Question

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Specializes in ED, ICU, PSYCH, PP, CEN.

I have hit the magic SS age and left my job.  I don't intend to take another nursing job ever.  I have PTSD pretty bad from working Covid ICU.

I don't know what to do with my license.  I tried to put it on inactive status with Texas BON but it said I had to sign up with Nursyx first and it looks like they want 30$ for each state I was licensed in over the years.  I started in Illinois, did travel nursing to Texas and Arizona and then moved to Texas and put the other licenses on inactive status years ago.  I don't want to pay 90$ just to be able to put it on inactive status.

What happens if I just wait till it expires and don't renew it.  I really wanted to have it placed as "retired", but maybe that's not possible.

I graduated in 2003 and nursing has had its highs and lows for me, like everyone else, but overall it was a wonderful, enriching, rewarding career.  I have nothing bad to say about it, although perhaps I wouldn't recommend it to others anymore.  

I quit in January of 22 and have slowly been feeling better, but I still have quite a way to go.  There was so much death and destruction during Covid and so many mad, angry, aggressive patients/family that I am still having trouble processing interacting with the public in general so I avoid the public as much as possible.  I have started playing Pickleball and joined a quilting group that my favorite neighbor is involved with.  I also was doing Tele Mental health counseling for a while.

I appreciate any and all help with deciding what to do with my license.  I thank the Allnurses family for being an incredible support group and education since 2003.  I couldn't have done it without you all.

 

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Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.

If you're done, just let it expire. Best wishes to you.

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Specializes in Clinical Research, Outpt Women's Health.

Just be sure you know that you will never need to use it again. Very happy for you!

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Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

I don't know if the process is different in your state, but where I live we can choose to put our license in either Inactive or Retired status when it's time to renew. I preferred to put mine in Retired status because a) I am indeed retired—I'm never going to work as a nurse again—and b) I can still use the initials RN as long as I  use the designation "retired' behind them. As in Anna Filaxis, RN Ret. (I still have to make this change on my tattoo or it's technically incorrect.)

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