20 + years left until retirement......

[Otessa]

I am in my early 40's. At least 20 years until I retire.

Asking:

Will you be in the same position/place of employment 20 years from now?

I hope to stay where I am-changing jobs is NO fun ( will continue to update my resume every 6 months though).

How do you keep yourself from burning out over the years?

[GHGoonette, BSN, RN]

My old hospital changed hands in 2004, and the new owners decided to build a spanking new place nearby. We moved in last year.

I joined the old place in 1990, and it didn't take long for me to decide that I wanted to retire from there-with its cranky lifts, old-fashioned setup et al....it also had the most wonderful atmosphere, kind of like one of those homes you sometimes walk in and you can feel the love and happiness.

Twenty years down the line, and I'm wondering if I can hold on for another five years (retirement age is 60), because that atmosphere, the morale, it's gone! There's still a strong cadre of old-timers like me, and we cling to each other and do the best job we can under the circumstances, but it's very, very wearying. Next year there's likely to be a mass exodus of top-notch staff; if that happens I'll probably push off as well. Either apply to one of the larger health care groups, or join an agency.

[SharonH, RN]

I am in my early 40's. At least 20 years until I retire.

Asking:

Will you be in the same position/place of employment 20 years from now?

I hope to stay where I am-changing jobs is NO fun ( will continue to update my resume every 6 months though).

How do you keep yourself from burning out over the years?

I doubt that I will be in the same position although I have never worked anywhere for more than 5 consective years. I would like some longevity in this position for a lot of reasons not the least of which is gaining some traction on my retirement accounts. Also I am now at a time in my life when I am sick of changing jobs and being the newbie. However with current economic conditions, I don't have faith that things will stay the same. So I just try to take it one day at a time.

[VivaLasViejas, ASN, RN]

I've never stayed anywhere longer than 3 consecutive years, but I think I've finally landed the job I will retire from in 15 years or so. This is the position I've been looking for all my life: it contains the right blend of desk work and bedside nursing, the right amount of responsibility, the right kind of upper management with the right philosophy of care, the right people with the right attitudes.......and the right amount of compensation.

It doesn't GET any better than this, folks, and I feel like I'm the luckiest nurse on the planet these days.

[Otessa, BSN, RN]

I live in a smaller area so changing jobs every 3-5 years would a be a bit out of the question-unless I want to be completely un-employed prior to 20+ years....