What Do You Miss About Nursing?

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Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).

I've kept in contact, through texts and emails, with a some of my Ex Coworkers/Friends from Wrongway Regional Medical Center. I worked there for 17 years, was honored for being an "Extraordinary Nurse" in February, and fired in March of this year.

Rooty Payne, psych tech texted me once and said, "Dave, you got out just in time... it's horrible..." Jason Hiney RN texted me and said, "It's not the same around here Dave. I did something excellently, and nobody worthy was here to offer me external validation".

I respected, liked, and could go as far as admitting that I loved, many of my old Coworkers. I felt a connection with both them and many of the patients I serverd. I truly enjoyed working as a Nurse for over 36 years and have no regrets in my decision to enter my this profession.

But... do I miss anything about working as a Nurse?

No. Nothing. Not one teeny tiny bit.

I do not miss the drives to and from work, the schedule, my Coworkers, the Patients, duties, responsibilities, charting, or even the great pay.

I currently have a schedule where I go to bed between 9:00 and 10pm, get up between 6 and 7:00, work around my place (mainly doing art) from 9:00 to 6pm, wind down, watch a movie, and drink a couple glasses of wine. I also work out and bicycle every day.

On the days my wife Belinda is off, Monday through Thursday, we do whatever she wishes. On the days she scheduled to work (as an IMU Nurse), I keep house and make her work transitions as comfortable as possible.

I am enjoying my retirement to the Nth degree and miss absolutely nothing about working as a Nurse!

Okay- for you other retired Nurses: Do you miss anything about working as  a Nurse?

 

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Will be retiring, retiring around the corner and anticipate missing that nagging, forever present sense of being insulted and used every time I look at my paycheck.  

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

There are a few things I miss, like using my IV skills to get a line in a “hard stick” or an IVDU. I also enjoyed most of my assisted living residents and solving problems. But I do not miss the long hours, the impossible expectations, the meetings, the cliques, the backbreaking physical labor, and worst of all, managers who would issue cryptic remarks like “we have some concerns”. I always knew I was in for a skewering when they used that term. 

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Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
On 9/25/2020 at 1:58 PM, caliotter3 said:

Will be retiring, retiring around the corner and anticipate missing that nagging, forever present sense of being insulted and used every time I look at my paycheck.  

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Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
11 hours ago, VivaLasViejas said:

 I do not miss the long hours, the impossible expectations, the meetings, the cliques, the backbreaking physical labor, and worst of all, managers who would issue cryptic remarks like “we have some concerns”. 

Marla, you say, "long hours, impossible expectations, meetings, cliques,  backbreaking physical labor, and managers who issue cryptic remarks" as though they were a bad thing.

What gives?

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5 minutes ago, Davey Do said:

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Well, they are using me and they insult me with the wages they offer me while paying more to those they really value.

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Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
9 minutes ago, caliotter3 said:

Well, they are using me and they insult me with the wages they offer me while paying more to those they really value.

With all due love & respect, caliotter, your point is...?

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That I will miss being disrespected when I stop nursing, that is all.

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Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
3 minutes ago, caliotter3 said:

That I will miss being disrespected when I stop nursing, that is all.

Okay, thanks, caliotter.

Excuse me. I need to go poke myself in the eye with a sharp stick.

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Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.

Well, I miss the, uh...  Okay, I do miss the...  Well, in any case, I sure miss the...

Nope.  Nothing.

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Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
11 hours ago, TriciaJ said:

Well, I miss the, uh...  Okay, I do miss the...  Well, in any case, I sure miss the...

Nope.  Nothing.

Aha! A Like Soul! 

Good to hear from you, TriciaJ! I have my thoughts on the reason why we don't miss nursing.

Dare I say that I have reason to believe we were professionals of a relatively high caliber, yet we do not miss doing a job that, at one time, was very important to us. Why is that?

I will await your response with bated breath.

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Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.

Well, it was mostly important for the paycheque.  Now that I'm getting a paycheque to stay home, why would I schlepp out?

Yes, I enjoyed nursing.  Probably since I had to do something anyway, might as well find something I would enjoy.  But the enjoyment was tempered with all the day-to-day little mini crapburgers.  I don't miss those. 

And my days are filled with things I do enjoy with nothing being at stake.  Yes, I think I was pretty good at nursing.  But it's such a relief not to have to be good at anything.  Miscount my knitting stitches?  Annoying, but I don't have to monitor anyone and fill out an incident report.

Also, I'm getting older and feeling it.  I can't quite move and think with lightening speed any more.  And I don't want to be the doddering one in the workplace.  It was best to get out while I was still near the top of my game.

And on those cold rainy or snowy mornings:  just roll over and go back to sleep.

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