Retiring from Current Position - Still want to work...

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Specializes in Tele, ICU, Staff Development.

Dear Nurse Beth,

I will be turning 60 in March 2016. I have been a Nurse since 1998. Would have graduated soon but was in a serious MVA and had a lot of recovery time. I have worked 11 years in the Emergency Room, 2-3 years in a Long Term care facility and am now a school Nurse. I will be retiring in about 2-4 years and would still like to continue doing some type of Nursing. I have an ADN degree. I have never wanted to be in a management position but am beginning to worry will I be able to find something as a Nurse when I retire. Any ideas?

Dear Retiring But Wants to Work,

Some ideas:

Is there an option for you to retire as a school nurse but then continue to work as a sub school nurse afterwards?

Start reading job boards now to get an idea of the opportunities in your area.

If you could somehow get into Home Health before you retire, then you could work part-time as a Home Health nurse, taking just a couple of cases. I know they prefer you to have recent acute care experience, but you never know.

If you are entrepreneurial and like to write, there are writing gigs. Is there an LVN or LPN training school in your area? Or adult school for nursing assistants? You could be an instructor.

How about administering flu shots during flu season? Check with local hospitals to see if there's a need, and enlist a recruiter when the time comes.

A friend of mine administers infusion therapy (some kind of immunoglobulin therapy) in the home, on an as needed basis. It's very easy, and pays well. Once I participated in a clinical trial where I monitored patients on a Duragesic patch in a hotel room after surgery.

The point is to get connected, and start looking. You just never know what you'll find. It's better to find something now, while you're still working, than to start looking when you're unemployed.

Have you considered getting your BSN? Having your BSN would qualify your for more roles, and make you more competitive. You would have to weigh all the pros and cons, including expenses, and how long you plan to keep working.

Best of luck to you ,

Nurse Beth

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Thank you so much for the advice. I am a College Health Nurse and administer medications, change dressings and monitor students who have Picc Lines and other implanted ports. I will start looking into Nursing positions in home health where I may be able to continue to use my skills. Once again, Thank you!

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Specializes in L&D; GI; Fam Med; Home H; Case mgmt.

Can you elaborate on "writing gigs"? What sort of writing jobs can a nurse have?

Thanks in advance.

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Specializes in Peds, Med-Surg, Disaster Nsg, Parish Nsg.
Can you elaborate on "writing gigs"? What sort of writing jobs can a nurse have?

Thanks in advance.

You can write articles about your nursing knowledge and experiences and post them on allnurses.com. Members submit articles here for the article contest. This is a great way to test out your writing skills and build up a following.

You can start a nursing blog. If you want information and tips on how to start a nursing blog, go to the Nurse Innovators Hub on allnurses. There are successful bloggers there to help answer your questions and offer advice on how to get started and to mentor you along the way.

I'm sure Nurse Beth can give you more advice.

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Specializes in Tele, ICU, Staff Development.
Can you elaborate on "writing gigs"? What sort of writing jobs can a nurse have?

Thanks in advance.

You can submit articles to nursing magazines and journals; submit articles here on All Nurses; blog for staffing agency web sites and online university web sites; start a blog as tnbutterfly says below. There's also content development, writing nursing competencies and material for companies such as Versant and HealthStream.

My path was to start a blog, and job offers came from the exposure gained on my blog as well as here on AN.

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My only experience prior to ICU in a hospital was 3 months in ltc., I think if you sell yourself well, are honest about your skills and your willingness to learn new ones, you can land any job. Just be honest, you don't want to get into a situation you cannot handle. I am 2 years out of graduating and almost 55. In my previous life I held many types of jobs that although not health care related, had relatable experience somehow, be it customer service skills, administrative or just a can do attitude. Maybe on some vacation time you can shadow somewhere or a couple of places to see what you might like.

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