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Question

59 Years Young - Give Up My Comfy Job And Travel?

Dear Nurse Beth,

Been working remote RN position for 6 years. Have history of working ER, OR, Home care, Hospice and of course ICU and med surg. Thinking about going back to acute care in OR and leaving this position. Pay is good, work from home, but so isolating? Advice? I'll be 59 soon and just me and my husband. Thought about travel nursing for adventure, but sometimes the thoughts in my head and reality are very different.

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    Dear Thoughts,

    I love "sometimes the thoughts in my head and reality are very different"! So true.

    You have a well-paid job where you can work remotely from home (many would die for that), but at the same time, you feel isolated and seek interaction and adventure.

    You sound restless, which can happen at the 6-year point, and maybe you miss patient contact. You are towards the end of your career, which can stir up thoughts of missed opportunities and last chances.

    I will share my thoughts, please accept or reject.

    Travel Nursing

    Travel nursing is for nurses who are coming straight from the trenches, not for nurses who are 6 years away from the bedside. It would be difficult to land a job, and then you'd be living contract to contract. Traveling is an adventure, and it's also a complete upheaval of your world. It could be for you- I have a close friend who is 60 and is thriving on traveling-but it's not for everyone.

    OR Nursing

    The reality of returning to the OR is being on call, getting up super early, and being on your feet for hours on end. There is plenty of interaction but you'd be trading in the autonomy and comfort you now have, and go back to punching a time clock.

    At the same time, you do have some important unmet needs.

    Can you find a new challenge in your current job? Are there opportunities within the organization? Are you certified in your speciality? Earning your certification is a wonderful way to renew your passion.

    Can you look for a clinical per diem arrangement? It's tricky to attend Orientation, etc., while tending to your main job, but it can be done. 

    Is it possible to meet those needs for connection and adventure outside of your job? Volunteering? Joining your local professional organization?

    I hope this helps and the very best of wishes in your decision.

    Nurse Beth

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    For nurses that want adventure and are just a few years away from retirement, I strongly encourage people to check out Indian Health Service. I spent 20 years living on the Navajo reservation and I had a wonderful nursing career. It's an adventure, staff, patients and families are appreciative and welcoming. Housing is provided if you live remotely and is on hospital grounds. And you can retire at age 62 with 5 years of service. You'll get a pension and you can keep your benefits for life. I also usually made about 30,000 more a year than my private hospital counterparts.  

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    Here I am an RN working 7 years in my current position on a MBU.  I have been trying to obtain a remote nursing position and here this nurse misses interaction. I guess as we work in different areas we can’t always see the pros and cons of a situation. I would give anything to work from home because I am tired of the up close patient interaction. It’s 7 years for me and I know I am at a point where I feel burnt out. My thought would be to see if you could do a PRN position to have some interaction and perhaps remember why you left bedside nursing in the first place. Nothing would bring me more joy than to work when my family is working and in school…home at night, weekends and holidays. This is what I dream for!

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