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?
Just a quick update, my bully mgr is gone, has left the building, Yeah! I'm sure she will be a thorn in the side at her new job. Several more nurses have quit in less than a month since I did. I still keep in touch with my former coworkers but it is bittersweet, because I know they are having a rough time due to Wrongway Hospital.
While I'm glad my mgr is gone, I have no regrets and no desire to return. I'm enjoying the peace of mind and total lack of stress. To go from 100% work stress to none is so amazing! I highly recommend early retirement!
Now that I've been retired for over a month, I've had time to relax, refresh and enjoy my life. Spending time walking the dog, hanging with friends and family in small groups, of course. Also I enjoy watching a lot of you tube videos and Ted talks on everything from health, psychology to dog behavior and training. I love the internet, it is a virtual encyclopedia at your fingertips, almost a library in fact!
I've had time to reflect on my nursing career and feel proud of all I've accomplished as a nurse and the lives of people I've touched. I cherish memories of all the special patients and families I've cared for over the years.
I'm having less dreams about work and especially less nightmares, yeah! Before I was having constant nightmares, dread 24 hours before work, needed tranquilizers just to sleep and function, and was filled with anger due to managements mistreatment of us. It was like being in an abusive relationship. I'm so glad I broke the ties and left that horrible company behind! The anger has faded and my mental health has improved dramatically.
I just got my first hyacinth this week and its heavenly scent fills my house! My house is like a jungle full of plants, jasmine, lemon, lime and orange tree and bushes, Christmas cactus and african violets, as well as a Jade plant and pothos. I have a fluorescent light garden in the basement where I house my plants when the Christmas tree is up in the window. I can't wait till Spring when the tulips, daffodils, creeping phlox, bleeding heart and peonies bloom.
I’ll miss the patients ...yes, really...especially the really messed up patients....the drunks, the addicts, the psych patients..the overweight patients that are bed bound.....the patients that everyone tries to avoid...because when you help them...they appreciate it....❤️
I miss a lot! But I also did not get to go out on my terms and I think that has a lot to do with it. I was 52 and in July 2020 contracted Covid at work. Wasn't significantly surprised I got it-I had taken care of a patient who tested negative on admission and because of supply shortages and N95s being allotted only to nurses caring for Covid patients, I had cared for the patient using just a standard precautions (surgical mask & gloves). The patient spiked a fever later that night and retested as positive. Two days later, I had Covid. Five days later I was in the ER and in short order in the ICU in respiratory failure fighting for my life. I have never had any breathing issues prior to this but it did a number on my lungs. I required home oxygen for 13 months and periodically thereafter (mostly for exercise and for frequent bouts of pneumonia). I was relatively healthy prior to Covid. I do have CRPS which is well managed and I did have preexisting autoimmune issues (Palindromic Rheumatism, which often a precursor to RA) that we falsely thought was in remission. Thankfully, I survived but the end result has been a significant impact to my health: uncontrolled Rheumatoid Arthritis (even on biologics) with Interstitial Lung Disease & mild Pulmonary Hypertension, POTS/SVT, PACS/Long Covid, Secondary Adrensl Insufficiency, ME/CFS, PEM, Chronic migraines, essential tremors, chronic gastritis/gastric ulcers, and cognitive dysfunction. All of which has meant, I am now medically retired (disabled) much sooner than I had intended to be.
What I miss most about nursing though are the things that I continuously hear exist less and less in nursing from former colleagues and on forums such as this-so maybe I got out just in time where I still have a very fond memory of it.
I miss a lot! But I also did not get to go out on my terms and I think that has a lot to do with it. I was 52 and in July 2020 contracted Covid at work. Wasn't significantly surprised I got it-I had taken care of a patient who tested negative on admission and because of supply shortages and N95s being allotted only to nurses caring for Covid patients, I had cared for the patient using just a standard precautions (surgical mask & gloves). The patient spiked a fever later that night and retested as positive. Two days later, I had Covid. Five days later I was in the ER and in short order in the ICU in respiratory failure fighting for my life. I have never had any breathing issues prior to this but it did a number on my lungs. I required home oxygen for 13 months and periodically thereafter (mostly for exercise and for frequent bouts of pneumonia). I was relatively healthy prior to Covid. I do have CRPS which is well managed and I did have preexisting autoimmune issues (Palindromic Rheumatism, which often a precursor to RA) that we falsely thought was in remission. Thankfully, I survived but the end result has been a significant impact to my health: uncontrolled Rheumatoid Arthritis (even on biologics) with Interstitial Lung Disease & mild Pulmonary Hypertension, POTS/SVT, PACS/Long Covid, Secondary Adrensl Insufficiency, ME/CFS, PEM, Chronic migraines, essential tremors, chronic gastritis/gastric ulcers, and cognitive dysfunction. All of which has meant, I am now medically retired (disabled) much sooner than I had intended to be.
What I miss most about nursing though are the things that I continuously hear exist less and less in nursing from former colleagues and on forums such as this-so maybe I got out just in time where I still have a very fond memory of it.
Hope you are doing OK and feeling better. Were you able to get Social Security Disability? I've heard that it is very hard to get, and most people are denied the first time and can literally take years to finally get your backpay once you are approved. Hope that wasn't the case in your situation. Then after two years you get Medicare but some states you only can get a MA plan and sometimes, they even charge you as if you are 90 or 100 years old when you take it before 65. Anyway, that's what I've heard. I read you can switch to original Medicare once you are 65 even if you have a MA plan now.
Nursing is not the same anymore, so I do think you got out in the nick of time! I retired end of 2020, and they weren't even testing everyone for covid and like you if they weren't tested as Covid + on admit you were caring for them with a simple mask. At the end, when I gave my notice there had been a code and a patient turned out to be covid+ who was never tested and a dozen people had to be on leave and get tested. Obviously before the CDC said it was OK to work with covid. SMH
There solution is we were to wear a TB mask with all codes and do CPR that way and I was glad I gave my notice as someone with asthma I felt like I was breathing thru a straw and there was no way I could do CPR in a TB mask anyway!
It's been four years now since I took early retirement, and I have no regrets! I'm enjoying my life. Finally able to have weekends and more important holidays off to be with family and friends. Able to put myself and my health first as the job was so stressful I felt it was killing me and I would die of a stroke if I didn't quit! I had uncontrolled HTN on 4 meds and went from 100% stress to virtually none. I've lost over 40 pounds since I quit probably from no longer being stressed and my BP is OK now!
Hope you are doing OK and feeling better. Were you able to get Social Security Disability? I've heard that it is very hard to get, and most people are denied the first time and can literally take years to finally get your backpay once you are approved. Hope that wasn't the case in your situation. Then after two years you get Medicare but some states you only can get a MA plan and sometimes, they even charge you as if you are 90 or 100 years old when you take it before 65. Anyway, that's what I've heard. I read you can switch to original Medicare once you are 65 even if you have a MA plan now.
Nursing is not the same anymore, so I do think you got out in the nick of time! I retired end of 2020, and they weren't even testing everyone for covid and like you if they weren't tested as Covid + on admit you were caring for them with a simple mask. At the end, when I gave my notice there had been a code and a patient turned out to be covid+ who was never tested and a dozen people had to be on leave and get tested. Obviously before the CDC said it was OK to work with covid. SMH
There solution is we were to wear a TB mask with all codes and do CPR that way and I was glad I gave my notice as someone with asthma I felt like I was breathing thru a straw and there was no way I could do CPR in a TB mask anyway!
It's been four years now since I took early retirement, and I have no regrets! I'm enjoying my life. Finally able to have weekends and more important holidays off to be with family and friends. Able to put myself and my health first as the job was so stressful I felt it was killing me and I would die of a stroke if I didn't quit! I had uncontrolled HTN on 4 meds and went from 100% stress to virtually none. I've lost over 40 pounds since I quit probably from no longer being stressed and my BP is OK now!
I am on SSDI. It's a bit unusual/complicated. I had previously been on it & approved for CRPS and had returned to work under their trial work period in 2019 as I had begun a new treatment and my condition was very well managed. I was 8 months in to the 9 month trial work period with plans to go full time as of Sept 1, 2020. I had been working PRN (although putting in more than full time hours due to the pandemic). I got Covid July 2020. SSDI had already set it to conduct a full review since I had returned to work and I completed that in September 2020. Given everything they determined me to still be disabled and continued my benefits so I never lost my Medicare benefits and my payments resumed seamlessly. I had another full review about a year later and again, they determined based on all my previous and new diagnosis, that I'm fully disabled and put me on a 7 yr review cycle. Every once in awhile I get a crazy notion that I could do a WFH position-care management, utilization review, etc. and then I end up in a bad flare or with pneumonia and hospitalized and I'm reminded that I would not make a good employee. It's a hard reality to accept. I am exploring the idea of something like free lance writing. Something where others aren't necessarily dependent on me and my ability to be available-if that makes sense.
I am on SSDI. It's a bit unusual/complicated. I had previously been on it & approved for CRPS and had returned to work under their trial work period in 2019 as I had begun a new treatment and my condition was very well managed. I was 8 months in to the 9 month trial work period with plans to go full time as of Sept 1, 2020. I had been working PRN (although putting in more than full time hours due to the pandemic). I got Covid July 2020. SSDI had already set it to conduct a full review since I had returned to work and I completed that in September 2020. Given everything they determined me to still be disabled and continued my benefits so I never lost my Medicare benefits and my payments resumed seamlessly. I had another full review about a year later and again, they determined based on all my previous and new diagnosis, that I'm fully disabled and put me on a 7 yr review cycle. Every once in awhile I get a crazy notion that I could do a WFH position-care management, utilization review, etc. and then I end up in a bad flare or with pneumonia and hospitalized and I'm reminded that I would not make a good employee. It's a hard reality to accept. I am exploring the idea of something like free lance writing. Something where others aren't necessarily dependent on me and my ability to be available-if that makes sense.
That's good that the SSDI and Medicare are approved. With SSDI you are getting the maximum social security payment as if you retired at 67 so I would think twice about going back to work and losing that benefit. Most people can't make it to 67 to get the max benefit, especially in nursing!
My mom was fired from her job when she was 59 after she had a knee surgery and couldn't kneel for her job at a nursing home as a housekeeper. Her Dr helped her get disability, but that was many years ago and now the disability process is very difficult as most are denied on the first try.
I briefly considered it as I was told I had spinal stenosis from my job as a nurse of almost 30 years, but didn't pursue it as I learned the deck is stacked against a person. I'm living on a small pension that pays my mortgage and my savings and using Obamacare but can't wait till I turn 62 to start my social security and 65 for real Medicare. Two more years to go for SS but taking at 62 they cut it by 30% which sucks! Also am so tired of dealing with insurance hassles and denials and I can't get Medicare till 65 where if you keep original Medicare then what the Dr says goes and the insurance isn't playing God and Dr without a license! I've been denied Tens treatments and lumbar traction and they even tried to deny my colonoscopy 100% free per federal law! Had to fight for months to get them just to pay the $6K colonoscopy it was a nightmare!
I finally got an MRI this year after I injured my back gardening and was told I don't actually have spinal stenosis but have foraminal stenosis and spondylolisthesis where my vertebra is slipping on each other and pinching the nerves from arthritis. I've had a few facet injections and just had an ablation that they say will help with the back pain I've had standing and walking. I hope it helps!
Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
Wow, I did not realize it's been years since I checked out this thread and thank you all for sharing your comments, stories, joys, and concerns.
Happy New Year to you all, and as we are incognito now that we give support as "somebody", know that I am at least one of those somebodies
. My wife Belinda retired as a medical nurse last October and we now can now consensually enjoy our retirement. We have grown closer, our relationship is great, and we can enjoy pursuing our arts & crafts. Belinda is into knitting and other material arts. We did not attend any church services while working since we both worked 12-hour MN weekend option shifts, but now are heavily into it, attending Sunday services and a multitude of other church functions. Life is good!
Davey Do
10,666 Posts
From a extremely good resource, Daisy, Wrongway has multiple thorns in its side and is paying for them, also!
I attempt to not gloat over such information as The Fates have smiled upon me, but Wrongway is making its own bed.