RN with 25+ years burnout. What next?

[Biff]

My wife has been an RN for 25+ years, but conditions since the pandemic have really taken its toll at work. She works in a top national union teaching hospital in a PACU. She was a volunteer in the ICU during the first COVID surge and it certainly left some scars. She's got another 10 years before retirement. She likes working with the patients in the PACU, but it's a big unit with lots of drama between nurses that creates a hostile work environment that she just can't deal with anymore. Where to go to get away from this? Any services where a senior RN can go and quietly finish her career?

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

If she likes PACU, surely another facility would hire her.

I finished out my career working from home for an insurance company.

[Biff]

Been there,done that said:

If she likes PACU, surely another facility would hire her.

I finished out my career working from home for an insurance company.

Given the benefits of the union hospital, she is stuck with this facility. Given up funding her pension especially would be tough.

[JBMmom, MSN, NP]

Biff said:

Given the benefits of the union hospital, she is stuck with this facility. Given up funding her pension especially would be tough

Well, many of the suggestions that would be likely from here would include seeking out other facilities, so the options are limited. She's probably got a good amount of unit seniority as well, so any move is going to have both benefits and drawbacks. But 10 years is a long time to stay somewhere that's miserable just for a pension. I'm sure that giving that up would be tough, but would be a devastating financial move? I can see that you have a concern for her health and wellness, sometimes giving up one thing can have unexpected benefits. If she absolutely has to stay within the organization, perhaps an administrative role is more what she's looking for. Less of the drama of a floor position, but definitely a trade for different stressors. If she still really likes being at the bedside, it may be a challenge to find a better environment. Good luck!

[seaofclouds21, BSN, RN]

Biff said:

Given the benefits of the union hospital, she is stuck with this facility. Given up funding her pension especially would be tough.

Ahh, the golden handcuffs. I would recommend really looking at the benefit she may be losing and comparing it to the benefits she could be gaining. Does she also pay into a 401k or 403b? I know some companies starting transitioning even their pension employees to those as they phased out pension plans. Perhaps you could meet with a financial advisor to see if the pension alone is reason enough to stay where she is no longer happy. 

If it is determined that staying in the facility is the preferred option, she could look for all kinds of positions as a nurse. Does her company have more than one facility or any outpatient surgery centers? If not, she could look at roles in education, quality, risk, infection control, employee health, and more. It really depends on what she is interested in doing for the next 10 years. 

[brandy1017, ASN, RN]

Can she transfer to IR?  Her PACU and ICU experience would qualify her for IR and that is usually a well liked job from what I've heard of colleagues that work in that area.  Other ideas are cath lab, GI/colonoscopy, day surgery, cardiac rehab, preop, or preadmitting if there are any openings.  Preadmitting is an easy job to retire with if you can get it!  A coworker took a PT job at an anticoagulant clinic helping teach and administer blood thinners for patients.  That is a real sweet gig. 

Don't know if her union extends to any clinic facilities.  The union by me had a neuro clinic under it and that was an easy job and they kept their union benefits, but the union is weak, not like what you are describing.   Hope she can find a way to keep her pension and union benefits while having a satisfactory job.  Sounds like her issue is politics and toxic coworkers which can be an issue anyplace.  I wish her the best!

[FullGlass, BSN, MSN, NP]

She might just need a break.  She can go out on temporary disability for 3 months, or whatever seems needed.  Her primary care provider can process the paperwork for this request.  Or she may want to see a mental health care provider due to work-related stress.  Taking a break can allow her to clear her head, get some rest, and decide on her next career steps.

If this option is chosen, DO NOT tell anyone at work she is going out on leave.  She is to just leave work as normal.  Then she can call in, or have provider call employer, to indicate patient is out sick on temporary disability and the appropriate paperwork is in process.

An employee can't be fired for calling in sick or taking temp disability.  But if they telegraph ahead of time they are going to do this, they can be fired.

Another option might be to work part-time for awhile.

She definitely should also look at other jobs within the facility.

Good luck.

[brandy1017, ASN, RN]

seaofclouds21 said:

Ahh, the golden handcuffs. I would recommend really looking at the benefit she may be losing and comparing it to the benefits she could be gaining. Does she also pay into a 401k or 403b? I know some companies starting transitioning even their pension employees to those as they phased out pension plans. Perhaps you could meet with a financial advisor to see if the pension alone is reason enough to stay where she is no longer happy. 

If it is determined that staying in the facility is the preferred option, she could look for all kinds of positions as a nurse. Does her company have more than one facility or any outpatient surgery centers? If not, she could look at roles in education, quality, risk, infection control, employee health, and more. It really depends on what she is interested in doing for the next 10 years. 

Also don't count on the pension alone.  Even if they don't freeze it, they could decrease it as mine did twice before freezing it so it is worth 1/4 of what it would have been otherwise.  Many didn't even realize what they lost if they hadn't done the calculations before the cuts as I had done, but unless you could retire before the cut or fell into the Rule of 80 there was nothing we could do. 

The other issue is many of these pensions are "church" pensions and therefore don't even pay into the federal government insurance program, PBGC, so if they ran out of money or went bankrupt people could literally lose their pension outright or see their pension cut.  Hospitals are not churches, but many are "Christian" and Congress, being corrupt, of course, gave these corporations that loophole to save money on insurance premiums plus no regulations or oversight to know if they are actually maintaining adequate reserves for their pensions.   So these church pensions are literally only worth the paper they are written on.  Sadly, the Supreme Court sided with the corporations re the church pensions leaving the workers high and dry!  While it has been rare, so far, for them to collapse, there have been one or two that have done so.  Another reason not to count entirely on a pension!

Someone sued my hospital system's church pension regarding under-funding which Ascension had taken over and they simply settled with a 7 year guarantee of I don't remember I think $21 million stop gap if need be, but that time has passed.  So who knows what the future will hold.

So you need to have additional retirement savings besides counting on a pension.   I recommend a Roth IRA as it can function as an ER savings.  It also can be used to keep income low if you need to retire early to help qualify for Obamacare health insurance subsidies, otherwise the insurance is very unaffordable and there is already a marriage  penalty which makes it harder for couples.  Also look into an HSA for medical/dental/vision if you have a high deductible insurance plan and sometimes the employer will supplement it.  That money can be used now or later in retirement.  Also a 403b or 401k up to the match or 6-10% minimum that will give you more options.

I was able to retire early using these options to offset my pathetic church pension with the loophole Rule of 55 that allows one to use their 401k/403b without the 10% tax penalty if you quit your job the year you turn 55 or later but before 59 1/2.  It only applies to your present employer's 401k/403b if they allow it, not traditional IRA's you have to wait till 59 1/2, but you can check if you can roll them into your 401k/403b, mine did.  Downside you are stuck with the 401K/403b till 59 1/2, they tend to not have the best stock/bond options, tend to have higher fees and also you must withhold 20% for federal tax until 59 1/2 even if you aren't in that tax bracket, but you will get it back at the end of the year.

[maroonbelle]

You need to get out and take that needed time off 

I did not do it

ended up in performance management and at my age 68 and 42 years in nursing you do NOT want to be in a category 5 hurricane 

please gather all your stuff off the beach before the tsunami hits

[workinmomRN2012, BSN]

Virtual nursing could be an option.

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

Biff said:

Given the benefits of the union hospital, she is stuck with this facility. Given up funding her pension especially would be tough.

Why would she be stuck?  She is vested.