RN Thread

[accolay]

Thinking I've seen quite a few nurses on here, and unsure if there is another Registered Nurse Thread, so thought I'd start my own. Wonder if there are enough to carry a good conversation, or if the topic will peter out. I'd like to chat about things that affect nurses financially, and whatever else, good/bad stories from work, perspectives from nurses from other countries besides the US, etc. See what we get.

I have concerns about the future of the profession. Everyone has heard about the nursing shortage in the US, but I also read another article that said nurses in the United States would be overstaffed by 2025 or thereabouts. Wondering how this will affect pay in the future.

Wondering about how long I can do this job, mentally and physically, and thus the quest for early retirement. The older nurses I work with, say in their 60s, are pretty beat down physically. Maybe it's different if you go into management, teaching or other non-bedside careers.

Many of the nurses I work with are in the same cycle of debt that everyone on this forum likes to avoid. Generally, I think RNs, especially with the BSN make pretty decent money, and many have the ability to work a lot for extra pay, but it saddens me that other people don't save money, and it's too bad when you hear about financial problems your coworkers are having.

I think retirement could be worse for this profession due to the majority female, besides general shitty savings rates because 1. Pay inequality in some areas. 2. Women take time off to raise kids more than their male counterparts. 3. Single parent households, I haven't looked up the stats, but it seems like there are more female single parents than males. 3. Women live longer than men.

I don't understand pay inequality as I work in a union facility and everyone will make the same pay on a regular raise schedule.

A couple of stories I have.
Newer nurse got overpaid one cycle, but somehow didn't notice that she got a lot more money in her paycheck. Next paycheck that extra was taken out. Was really worried about how she'd pay her bills. I'm just thinking 1. How did you not notice? 2. Where did the money go? 3. Don't you have any cash around?

I live in an area where some people commute over an hour from the country to work at my facility. Especially bad in winter weather.

It has just come about that a few nurses in our organization were overpaid for many years and now are looking at paying back thousands, if not tens of thousands.

I also feel there is a trend that when new nurses get out of school, there are a lot of forces that tell them that they should go out and spend on themselves, buy a new car, because you deserve it. I think it's bullshit.

Other nurse, friends/family of nurses that have some stories, pearls of wisdom gripes etc?

[marion10]

My sister and her husband are both second career nurses. My BIL did not get his RN until he was 50 and loves it. He got his LPN and then his employer paid for his BSN. He works in Radiology- basically 8-4:30 - Monday- Friday and loves it. He picks up and extra shift on the weekends sometimes- but as I understand it, he does not have heavy lifting and other stresses. He is 3 miles from the hospital. My sister has done a variety of nursing jobs- home health care, monitoring high medical risk children for the state, a long stint as manager of a cardiac rehab facility and has made the shift to informatics and is managing large IT programs for a big university hospital. From the outside, it looks like it can be a very versatile and fabulous career.

[accolay]

Versatile career indeed. It seems though, a lot of people I work with seem trapped into their current position. Some is due to stability of schedule, which is a big deal especially to those with kids, another part is it's hard to leave an organization after working there a while and gaining a lot of seniority- first vacation pick, pay is good etc.

I would like to look into travel nursing in the future.

[BCpuppy]

I've been a RN for 6 years. Started in the Cardiac surgery ICU at 22 and absolutely loved it. However, the job didn't love me back. I got a serious shoulder injury from a patient (it wasn't their fault, they weren't mentally with it) and I had to leave the bedside for a while.  I got really worried about long term ability to do the job, so I decide to pursues my masters. I work part time in a cards clinic while in school full time.

[accolay]

What's your plan with the Masters?

[BCpuppy]

I am doing FNP with a cardiology speciality. We live in a really rural area and are hurting for both primary and speciality practices.

[Kenbo]

Been at it for 5 years now with the past 2 in the ICU.  There's definitely some great aspects and occasionally some not so great moments.  It's versatile and an array of options if you decide to do something new.  I work at a 60 bed hospital which I love.  I think the smaller atmosphere helps a lot.
The pay for nurses isn't the greatest in Kansas but from what I hear I am at one of the better ones at least.  I know I could chase the money but I feel like I'd have to sacrifice my sanity to do it.
I happen to have one co-worker who is nearing 65 and has been talking about retirement for at least the past year.  He's been doing it for over 30 years making probably at least 70-80k at least a decade.  He's said his SS is gonna be like 2200 a month and yet he's still chasing the dollars.  He's super friendly and a fun guy to know but he's clearly burnt out when it comes to work.  He gets away with a lot that no one else would.
Great career but definitely don't want to still be doing it in 40 years.

[accolay]

I happen to have one co-worker who is nearing 65 and has been talking about retirement for at least the past year.  He's been doing it for over 30 years making probably at least 70-80k at least a decade.  He's said his SS is gonna be like 2200 a month and yet he's still chasing the dollars.  He's super friendly and a fun guy to know but he's clearly burnt out when it comes to work.  He gets away with a lot that no one else would.
Great career but definitely don't want to still be doing it in 40 years.

This is exactly the reason I was glad to find this idea about early retirement and a reason why I didn't totally believe the article I read about there being an over abundance of nurses in the coming years. I'm not sure a lot of people want to do it for ever, and I feel people will move on to other related jobs in the field rather than bedside nursing.

[Gretamom]

I've been a Registered Nurse for 11 years now. My husband is also a nurse. We work a ton of hours and it's not always easy with 3 kids ages 14, 10 & 9. Nursing is one of those careers that one can easily burnout on. My husband and I save about 60% of what we make. We are very close to retiring, which is great because I can tell that both my husband and I are getting to the point where we want a major change. We are hoping that by next summer we can quit our jobs. We absolutely love to travel and hope to do that even more often when we quit our jobs. It's not that I don't want to work anymore, it's just that I would like to do something where I have absolutely no real responsibility and my decisions are not life and death issues (like literally!)

Thanks for letting me vent!

[accolay]

I hear you on that. There are actually a number of nurses I know who have mentioned they sometimes want to take a job cashiering at Home Depot or something. No responsibility. Clock in and clock out on time. No charting!

You also mention the high burnout rate, a really significant issue which also goes hand in hand with the number of licensed RNs who don't use it anymore. I don't think I know any nurse who hasn't thought about leaving, but yet there are so many who aren't saving, or if they are, are saving very little. It bothers me. I think there are a fair number of nurses on this site, and I think the dream of FIRE really speaks to the burnout.

[BCpuppy]

I think that is also why so many nurses (including myself) complete more advanced degrees.  The burnout is real.  I took 6 months off last year, and only towards the last 6 month did I have any desire to return to healthcare.
It doesn't help that I didn't get an worker's comp for my shoulder injury.  It occured on a travel assignment, and my recruiter scared me that no one would ever hire me again for a travel nurse contract.  I was so naive.......

[dieselburps]

I am a travel nurse living out of an RV, currently boondocking in the desert about 12 miles from current assignment, it helps with my savings rate. I see the burnout aspect of the job, travel nursing is a great way for me to avoid that or atleast put it off farther down the road since I can take nice long breaks in between assignments.

[Driko]

Male RN here. I think the profession has a fairly high rate of burnout. My unit has had at least 100 nurses come and go in the last two years. The job seems to get worse as time goes on. My girlfriend wants to go to nursing school and I have been trying to get her to do something else like RT or sonographer; pretty much anything but nursing. My aunt who was a career RN of 30 years tried to talk me out of becoming a nurse as well. I think a lot of people are going to school and not realizing what the job is and where it is going (customer service). I am not sure what I will do for the majority of my career, but I know for sure it wont be bedside. 

I have known many women who get pregnant or married and either go part time or no assigned hours or they just become stay at home moms. For that reason and the burnout rate, I doubt we will be overstaffed anytime soon. Also not sure that it would affect pay rates because I know at least me personally I wouldn't work for much less than I am making now lol.

[ltt]

I am not a nurse, but our daughter has a medical condition which has required surgery on a fairly regular schedule over the past 6 years.  One huge thing that I have noticed over the course of the years is that there are rarely "older" nurses in the hospital/s.  There was one travelling nurse that we met who was maybe in her mid to late 30s.  And I have met a couple of nurses who had a college-age children.  That's pretty much it.  The rest have been young.  Some of the "older" nurses we've encountered haved worked in doctor's offices and they seem to stay around longer---maybe better hours.  When I had one of my children, well over a decade ago, I was quite surprised when the nurse was taking out the garbage in the trash can.  I just assumed the janitor did that.  I hear that the good nursing jobs are working for corporations, not necessarily direct patient care in a hospital.   

[accolay]

I don't think I mind the customer service aspect of the job, but there is a point when it conflicts with what we should be doing vs what the patient wants. For me I think it's the repetitive charting and working night kinda sucks sometimes. And it seems like most nurses aren't working for the patient, but for the hospital, the CEOs policies and the Joint Commission.

It is the janitor's job technically to take out the trash, but if it gets too full or perhaps too smelly, I'll take it out to get it out of the room. A nurse could be busting their ass all day for a patient, but a family will come in and since you missed picking up a piece of trash on the floor you're not taking care of them. It's the lack of control that makes people assholes sometimes.

[kamille]

I doubt the nursing profession will lose job security anytime soon. It can't be outsourced, it can't be replaced by a robot, the turnover is high, and Americans are only getting older and unhealthier. It saddens me too that some of my fellow coworkers not only live paycheck to paycheck, but also rely on overtime to make ends meet. I have a feeling that the overcaring nature of nurses make them susceptable to financially enabling their family members. The stess of nursing may also trigger retail therapy as well. I'm motivated to be FI by my 40s because of fear of losing my stamina to do my job. I actually really love what I do and enjoy my coworkers and the patients I work with.

[Morning Glory]

I am proud to be a nurse, as you can see from my name here. I think nursing is a good career, especially in the US where the pay is good: it is possible to support a family on one income if you work full-time, and there is flexibility of hours, schedules, etc. Also very easy to get a job if you maintain your license in at least one state.

The burnout is real, but at least in my experience it is possible to make lateral transfers in order to do something different/ lower stress.  There is no wage penalty for going part time then back to full time. My employer also does the "everyone gets the same raise " so there is no negotiation, no gender penalty. Pay is based on years of service, degree level, and shift rotation.

The service aspect of the job is self imposed most of the time, and HCAHPS scores are not correlated with outcomes. Hospitals with higher patient satisfaction actually have higher mortality rates (can't remember the source here). It is fine to politely set limits with your patient in order to get higher priority work done.  I have seen nurses take out the trash to "help", but it is not an expectation.

Some nurses are mustachian and some are spendypants. There are a lot of complainypants too. I think this is the same in any profession. 

Going back to school for a higher degree can be mustachian or not. My employer has a tuition reimbursement program up to a certain amount. I got my masters degree for almost free by going to the lowest price state school and spreading out my credits just right. I have a colleague with the same level degree and 80k in student loans. She went to a for-profit online school.

[serious_pete]

I live and work in the UK as a mental health nurse (RMN). I have always worked with mentally ill offenders, with patients at their most difficult and dangerous. I love the work and wouldn't want to do anything else but it is a young man's game. I am 40 this month and am the oldest qualified nurse by a fair few years. The burn out rate is high and people inevitably go into something less taxing and at some point I'll no doubt have to do the same. The retirement age used to be set at 55 but is now 67. What jobs all these nurses in their 60s will do is anyone's guess.

However, the plusses are pretty clear. The money isn't bad - I make over the UK average. The NHS pension is excellent - mine is at 9% with I think 14% match. There are lots of options for part time working or extra hours if that's your thing.

I know no one else in nursing who has made plans for this but mine is broadly as follows: work shifts on the ward for another 3 years. Find a 9-5 job once my daughter is in full time school, probably management. Do that til the mortgage is paid off and we have a year's living expenses - about 8-10 years from now. Work part time for a nursing agency and work ~ 1000 hrs a year do that for maybe 10 years. Retire at 60.

[accolay]

I'm really enjoying you guys chiming in here. I hope there'll be more to come.

I really like the plus sides of the job, it's one of the reasons I decided to become a nurse- they pay is pretty good, I can pick up almost whenever, I can work anywhere in the US, opportunities to work overseas, in a number of different job types and roles, my day is almost always variable. I can't imagine what people do in a cubicle. I also wonder how people do errands during the week with a set schedule. Weird...

I enjoy caring for people when at their worst, and I enjoy doing a good job and being detail oriented.

The downside lately is that there are proposed layoffs in our organization. Horrible job by upper management/CEO by announcing a few weeks before Christmas that oh yeah, by the way, we're going to fire 250 people, but we don't know who or when. Two months later, we still don't know.

[MrsPete]

My daughter's a nurse; she's been out of college and working only about a year.  She says it's really hard, but she isn't complaining about her paycheck:  She is making more money than her non-nurse friends who graduated with her a year ago.  She's also being smart about money:  She says she'll drive the car we bought her for nursing school 'til it won't go any more ('cause she knows this is the cheapest vehicle she'll ever have).  Her "splurges" since beginning her job have been scrubs /shoes to wear to work and a new bed (which she did need).  She fully understands that money stashed away at 23 will add up over the years, so she's doing it.  On the subject of money, she says that most of her co-workers are hard workers, but they're also hard-spenders; she says the general feeling seems to be be that they work very hard /12 hour shifts, and they "deserve" to live well during their time off. 

However, yes, she's already saying that she can see burnout on the horizon.  I think that's very typical for hospital nurses, who work like dogs.  She says she cannot do this for 40 years /says she couldn't hold up emotionally and physically.  She's already looking at options:  Management is very much her style, and she would shine -- but she doesn't yet have the experience to step into that world.  I'm encouraging her to make decisions and complete any education she wants BEFORE she has children. 

I do agree with the poster above who says that the younger nurse are working in direct care in the hospital, while the older nurses are working in doctor's offices.  This fits what I see personally, and I do think the doctor's offices have hours that are more compatible with children's schedules /easier physical work. 

[Classical_Liberal]

Male, second (or third) career RN here.  I'm currently traveling, the pay and per diems create amazing situations for savings. 

I agree with what's been posted, will reiterate some of my favorite points.  Lot's of burnout, for hospital nurses in particular.  Horrible & irregular hours, it's stressful, and physically demanding.  OTOH, I feel I can act ethically (something which was NOT the norm in previous fields) and I can usually walk away from a week of nursing knowing that I have made a real difference in a life or two.  After only four years though, I'm seeing brownout in the near future. I've also had many conversations with new nurses, trying to make them realize how such a high starting salary, if used wisely at 23, can have a huge positive impact on their life down the road.  None listen, I probably wouldn't have either.

One thing not really mentioned is the most practical benefit of nursing for folks with our mentality.  The ability to work very part time and still demand a decent wage and, in many cases, halftime or less with benefits.  There aren't too many careers where one can move to nearly any part of the country, easily obtain a position working as little as we want, and still demand a relatively high hourly wage.  In true mustachian form, I could probably live off of my wages on a PRN, 4-12's a month,  or an entire year off of a 3 month travel contract.  We have the ability to save maybe 10X expenses to grow for old age, then downshift to life of part time luxury in a few short years.  A soon to be truly exciting reality for me!

[Classical_Liberal]

The service aspect of the job is self imposed most of the time, and HCAHPS scores are not correlated with outcomes. Hospitals with higher patient satisfaction actually have higher mortality rates (can't remember the source here). It is fine to politely set limits with your patient in order to get higher priority work done.  I have seen nurses take out the trash to "help", but it is not an expectation.

Very curious about this, if you can find the source or point me in the right direction I'd love to see the studies to this point.

The little old pneumonia lady wants cream for her coffee, but I hear my vent alarming in the next room... humm...

[accolay]

Her "splurges" since beginning her job have been scrubs /shoes to wear to work

Good that she's not much for splurges. Comfortable shoes are definitely a necessity on those hard concrete floors.

Anybody else wearing compression stockings/socks? I've tried a pair of the running calf compression sleeves, and they really reduce the fatigue on the lower legs.

[katscratch]

I'm a tech, not a nurse, but coming from 15+ years in veterinary medicine, the lifestyle inflation and expectations of some of my RN coworkers absolutely blew my mind when I first started my current job. They make less than the doctors I worked with previously but on average spend at least 20 times what my veterinarian friends do on non-necessary things (new cars, vacations, season tickets, tvs etc). A lot of my coworkers also have spouses who have taken jobs in their field requiring travel just to keep their standard of living once they have children. In my job in particular there seems to be a push to keep up with the stories of the surgeons we work with - yet most of my surgeons are in reality fairly frugal, driving used cars and sending their kids to state schools, spending far below their projected salaries. It creates an odd culture for our nurses, for sure. I'm considered a super weird hippie because I bring my food and chose to purchase a 2008 vehicle last year.

That said, even though it was a culture change for me, I LOVE my nurses and most of them have the hugest hearts and just want to help make things better for our patients. One of the biggest reasons I went into my field instead of nursing is because I wanted to do direct patient care and not be stuck sitting at a computer - the pressure on all of you, in a lot of jobs, to continue to provide excellent care while doing more and more paperwork -- when most of you are drawn to the field for the purpose of wanting to help people --  is remarkable.

edited to add: my observations are based solely on my workplace and my city - some of the area hospitals I've been in have very different internal cultures.

[katscratch]

Anybody else wearing compression stockings/socks? I've tried a pair of the running calf compression sleeves, and they really reduce the fatigue on the lower legs.

I wish I would've started wearing them five years ago!  I finally made the switch to thigh highs and even though they are HOT, my legs are soooooo much happier at the end of a 10-12 hour day!

[BCpuppy]

The service aspect of the job is self imposed most of the time, and HCAHPS scores are not correlated with outcomes. Hospitals with higher patient satisfaction actually have higher mortality rates (can't remember the source here). It is fine to politely set limits with your patient in order to get higher priority work done.  I have seen nurses take out the trash to "help", but it is not an expectation.

Very curious about this, if you can find the source or point me in the right direction I'd love to see the studies to this point.

The little old pneumonia lady wants cream for her coffee, but I hear my vent alarming in the next room... humm...

2nd this!  I received an actual complaint from the daughter waiting an update on her dad (5th time that day).  I called her back 3 hours later and she wanted to know why i had not called her.  My other patient the one with the balloon pump, heart transplant work-up coded multiple times and I was just a little busy you know.  I had to have a meeting with my manager and the director because the daughter was a major donor to the hospital.......

[Morning Glory]

Here it is.

http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/1108766?resultClick=3

[Classical_Liberal]

Here it is.

http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/1108766?resultClick=3

Thx!

[Morning Glory]

Look, we are fueling the opiate epidemic too!!!

http://www.hhnmag.com/articles/7164-doctors-urge-cms-joint-commission-to-rethink-pain-treatment-to-help-stem-opioid-epidemic

[Bracken_Joy]

RN here as well (BSN, graduated 2 years ago). Posting to follow, mainly. Might contribute later on.

ETA: PRN pediatric home health nurse, here.

[SpareChange]

I'm a radiographer in a ~150 bed hospital. There is quite a bit of turnover among nurses here. Burnout can be a problem in frontline hospital careers in general....certainly noticeable in the other experienced xray and ct peeps I work with. The patients keep getting older, sicker, and larger. The weight limits on our newish xray tables vary from 650-800 lbs. Can't imagine working FT for 30-40 years. Thankfully, as mentioned above, there is a lot of flexibility in reducing hours and getting paid well at the same time. Excellent job security too.



   

[lavagirl]

I got out of hospital nursing after three years to become a Fed.   Now after doing office type work for a while, I'm not sure I could get a bedside nursing job.  Pros ans cons to everything, I guess. 

[Classical_Liberal]

I got out of hospital nursing after three years to become a Fed.   Now after doing office type work for a while, I'm not sure I could get a bedside nursing job.  Pros ans cons to everything, I guess.

Can't get because you personally couldn't do it, or you think you are unhirable?  The latter is likely untrue.  It may be a bit more difficult, but you are way better than a new grad and there are plenty of new grad jobs through most of the country.

[lavagirl]

I got out of hospital nursing after three years to become a Fed.   Now after doing office type work for a while, I'm not sure I could get a bedside nursing job.  Pros ans cons to everything, I guess.

Can't get because you personally couldn't do it, or you think you are unhirable?  The latter is likely untrue.  It may be a bit more difficult, but you are way better than a new grad and there are plenty of new grad jobs through most of the country.

I feel unhirable. So much has changed in almost 10 years.  I interviewed not long ago to volunteer at the VA and didn't get a call back.  Thanks for your optimism, though!

[Well Respected Man]

My wife is a third career school nurse, inspired to go to nursing school by the nurses who cared for her during a hospital stay. She will face punch anyone who says school nursing is easy :-) Her pearl of wisdom: school nursing is a good tradeoff of money for work/life balance -- summers and school vacations (and snow days -- three in a row and counting) off, good hours, good benefits, pension.

A few career/financial notes:

• She started volunteering in a hospital while taking prerequisite courses for nursing school, and this later led to part time work at the hospital during nursing school.
• She worked a variety of part-time jobs drawing blood, doing vaccination clinics, etc. for a couple of different companies, and subbing as a school nurse for two or three towns. The sub jobs led to the full-time position via a recommendation from her supervisor in one town to the manager of the other town.
• She got a pay bump when she completed her BSN (not paid for by the town, unfortunately)
• She got another pay bump (~$5k/year) for passing the Certified School Nursing exam. I believe this is a national credential, so gives her that flexibility to move anywhere in the country.
• As an "older" school nurse, she has already had kids the same age as the ones she deals with every day, and that maturity is valued by the school administration.
• Her second career was a money-losing venture, so we are saving essentially her entire salary. This is good for her, because she is now maxing out her retirement plan, which she could not do in her second career.
• Her work will allow me to retire earlier. She wants to keep working after I retire, and that will provide us a nice cushion against a stock market downturn early in my retirement, as well as provide us health insurance to bridge the gap till Medicare kicks in. She will also get to enjoy the benefits of a motivated stay-at-home husband.
• The possibility of her being a travel nurse is great for our flexibility in selecting (a) retirement spot(s).

[MrsPete]

Good that she's not much for splurges. Comfortable shoes are definitely a necessity on those hard concrete floors.

Anybody else wearing compression stockings/socks? I've tried a pair of the running calf compression sleeves, and they really reduce the fatigue on the lower legs.

Oh, I forgot compression stockings.  Yes, along with spending on a solid week's worth of scrubs, she also bought compression stockings.  I bought her two pair for student nursing, and she said she hated the days she didn't have clean ones to wear. 

[midwifemustache]

I started wondering about job security after reading the OPs post. I had always taken for granted that it would be easy(ish) to get a job. I did a little research. It doesn't look like there is an end to the nursing shortage anytime soon. http://www.aacn.nche.edu/media-relations/fact-sheets/nursing-shortage   

At my current position I certainly feel the nursing shortage. It actually makes me a little depressed thinking that poor staffing will be part of my job indefinitely of my job.

[JimLahey]

I'm a Medic that works in the ER alongside nurses. I'm currently in a bridge program to get my RN. There's quite a bit of turnover in our ER. Nurses here are paid pretty well. I work with quite a few spendthrifts. Young nurses pissing away money on multiple trips a year, new cars, gadgets, etc. Not to mention ordering delivery or eating cafeteria food everyday. Most aren't taking advantage of their nice starting salaries. I hope to get my RN and build up my nest egg and then go part time if I can afford it. I've gotten grief from coworkers for being "cheap." Sorry that I don't want to still be hobbling around later in life while still working full time.

[DesireeD]

O.R. RN here. Love hearing from so many frugal nurses. About 3 years ago I jumped on the MMM bandwagon and have not been able to control myself in regards to spreading the good news that there are other ways to live and save. Everyone in my department teases me about my non spending, but now we have great conversations about frugality in the break room. I'm 45 now, house is paid off this year, savings are locked in. I don't know what retirement will look like for me, but it feels good to know I won't be an 60+ year old struggling through my shift.

[accolay]

I started wondering about job security after reading the OPs post. I had always taken for granted that it would be easy(ish) to get a job. I did a little research. It doesn't look like there is an end to the nursing shortage anytime soon. http://www.aacn.nche.edu/media-relations/fact-sheets/nursing-shortage   

That makes me feel a little better. I wish I could find the article that I read that said we'd be overstaffed in 2025...it kinda freaked me out a little.

Look, we are fueling the opiate epidemic too!!!
http://www.hhnmag.com/articles/7164-doctors-urge-cms-joint-commission-to-rethink-pain-treatment-to-help-stem-opioid-epidemic

I always felt like I was a drug dealer when I worked Med-Surg. And seemed like it was either waaay too much pain meds, or not enough.

I've gotten grief from coworkers for being "cheap." Sorry that I don't want to still be hobbling around later in life while still working full time.

I get that sometimes, but I take it as a badge of honor. I tell them it's better to be cheap than broke. There's occasionally ordering of food and I bring my food, so I have an excuse to decline the invitation.

O.R. RN here. Love hearing from so many frugal nurses. About 3 years ago I jumped on the MMM bandwagon and have not been able to control myself in regards to spreading the good news that there are other ways to live and save. Everyone in my department teases me about my non spending, but now we have great conversations about frugality in the break room. I'm 45 now, house is paid off this year, savings are locked in. I don't know what retirement will look like for me, but it feels good to know I won't be an 60+ year old struggling through my shift.

I know at least one coworker that reads MMM. A couple other's I've turned onto the site, but I try to feel it out. I started a conversation with one coworker after she told me she hated money. She thought it was a cool, but I'm not sure it's sunk in.

Another thing I think I forgot to include in the original post was about the possibility of retiring early due to some irreparable damage to joints/spine and having a rainy day plan if that were to happen. All it takes is one wrong lift, turn, or abuse from a patient. Anybody else worried about this?

[Bracken_Joy]

Another thing I think I forgot to include in the original post was about the possibility of retiring early due to some irreparable damage to joints/spine and having a rainy day plan if that were to happen. All it takes is one wrong lift, turn, or abuse from a patient. Anybody else worried about this?

Yep. I have two aunts who both had careers ended early (one in early 40s, one early 50s) because of back injuries from patient encounters (one bad lift, one had the pt fall on her).

Heck, I mainly work with babies/toddlers, and I've been fighting a recurring knee issue because cribs are the worst thing ever. The repetitive use injuries especially just feel inevitable. Even when you do everything right and don't have accidents, bedside nursing is hard on your body.

[HappyMargo]

Started off with a Business Degree, worked in a cubicle tethered to a computer & phone for 13 years. Now I've got my RN degree & could never go back to desk-duty! 

I'm an O.R. RN & do not see any end in sight for job demand.  We rely heavily on Agency & Travel nurses to meet staffing (get the same report from friends at other hospitals & surgery centers nearby.)  Simply not enough Surgical nurses to go around.  Bodes well for staying employed as long as I care to be. 

I'm grateful for the decent pay, flexibility in shifts & multiple options available to RNs.  Absolutely *hate* being on-call though.

However, I really cannot explain enough to my DH how truly physically demanding my job is. Wearing a pedometer, I walk anywhere from 6 to 13 miles per day, all while pushing beds, carrying & moving heavy equipment & moving unconscious patients (who, let's face it, are not getting any lighter!) 

I have friends/ co-workers well into their 60's still working as RNs.  They half-jokingly say, "I'm gonna work till I die."  NO WAY!  That looks so painful. 

I have been reading MMM for several years & implementing everything I can.  Wish I'd known all this FIRE stuff earlier, but am grateful for it now! 
This week I am going down to part-time, 3 days per week (shifts will be 10-12 hours, but No Call.  Thank goodness!)  If I want to jack up my savings rate again, I can easily pick up per diem shifts.  But part-time will be easier on my body & will allow me to avoid burn-out. 

Once mortgage is paid off & DH FIREs in 4 years, I'll have the freedom to Travel nurse or pick up as many Agency shifts as I'd like.  Just one or 2 assignments each year will cover all expenses.  The rest of the year, we can travel in our RV or hang out comfortably at home.  Whatever we want!  So I am very grateful for my 2nd career indeed!!

[accolay]

My wife is also a nurse, married for almost two years. Plan to FIRE in 6-10 years at this rate, depending on the market, or at least go way down on hours/very part time or roster when kids come along. Love the flexibility of the job.

[OvertheRainbow]

RN here. There is no nursing shortage. Anyone who thinks that clearly hasn't been paying attention thr last ten years. I have a BSN and work FT as a neonatal ICU nurse. I work PRN in adult med-surg.  It took me and many of my classmates several months to land jobs as there is a glut of people going into nursing. Many of them are second-career nurses who couldn't succeed in their first choice of work so they went into nursing mistakenly thinking that there is a shortage and nurses make big bucks.

I have been a nurse almost two years and my base is 46-47k per year. Since starting I am only making 58 cents more than my very first nursing job. I have been working nights and every other weekend and holidays which have boosted my pay. Now I am switching to days and every third weekend and I'm looking forward to it.

I am not most Mustachian person on the board. I eat out and take fancy international trips. But I have managed to max out a Roth for three years, contribute 30 percent to my 403b and I contribute to a pension and 457b with my PRN job. I also drive a Honda that is going into its eighth year and have no student loans or debt.

I hope to be able to retire at 50 ( I'm in my mid twenties) because I can't see myself being a nurse in my fifties and beyond.

Nope

[accolay]

RN here. There is no nursing shortage. Anyone who thinks that clearly hasn't been paying attention thr last ten years. I have a BSN and work FT as a neonatal ICU nurse. I work PRN in adult med-surg.  It took me and many of my classmates several months to land jobs as there is a glut of people going into nursing. Many of them are second-career nurses who couldn't succeed in their first choice of work so they went into nursing mistakenly thinking that there is a shortage and nurses make big bucks.

There are definitely regional differences. Wondering about your approximate location?

[dieselburps]

I have a BSN and work FT as a neonatal ICU nurse. I work PRN in adult med-surg.  It took me and many of my classmates several months to land jobs as there is a glut of people going into nursing. Many of them are second-career nurses who couldn't succeed in their first choice of work so they went into nursing mistakenly thinking that there is a shortage and nurses make big bucks.

This hasn't been my experience. Many of the "second career nurses" in my class were single moms looking for job security and pay to provide for their family, wasn't really about them not succeeding in their original career, but that they were looking for something better, likewise for the rest of the 'second career nurses'. Some states and specialities pay better than others, and I have never had a problem finding a job both staff and currently traveling. Currently,  I make double what I made as a staff nurse and have a ton of flexibility, sometimes taking a month off here and there for longer trips, even 3 months last fall in Mexico. It's really not even hard for me to pull in 70K a year doing this, it could be more, potentially more, but I like where I am at. I agree that new grads have a tougher time finding that first job and a hospital willing to hire and train them. The last facility I was at though, they were desperate,  offering all sorts of sign on bonuses for new grads. The problem they would have though as has been discussed in this thread is the burn out factor, and dissatisfaction with the job. An example, they hired a new grad, only to have her put in her two weeks on the day she was finished with her 6 months of training/orientation, because of this, management explained that it was actually cheaper for them to hire and have travelers like me than to make that investment in an unknown only to have them quit after 6 months.

One issue I have seen in nursing is the bullying that takes place.  It's a real problem in this field, and very discouraging, I feel bad for all the nurses that have to put up with that shit. I don't know if it is because I am a male or just lucky so far, but I have never really had to deal with it personally except for one time as a new grad.  Nurses can be brutal to each other.

[RNwastash]

I've been a pediatric nurse for 20 years now.  It is my second degree.  I have a Nutrition and Clinical Dietetics degree as well.  Becoming a nurse was the best life investment.  Although we do work our butts off, my co-workers are very supportive of each other and we have strong "family" ties.  There is autonomy in which we have great working relationships with our docs (surgeons/ NP's/PA's).  While there is a strong possibility of burnout, my husband and I are very frugal and we have significant savings, and lower spending compared to a majority of my co-workers.  I also wear my frugality badge as a badge of honor.  My co-workers look to me for basic financial advise. 
Because of a family tragedy, I have recently went part-time- work 2 12hr days one week , and three days the next.  I give myself breaks in between so that I feel refreshed when I go back to work again.  I don't mind working holidays and weekends because I am so used to it by now.  Plans are to pay off the house, making extra payments and then drop down to 4 days every two weeks.  To me that is semi-retirement.  I still have 7 years, but I do love my job and feel like I am making a difference. 

[accolay]

One issue I have seen in nursing is the bullying that takes place.  It's a real problem in this field, and very discouraging, I feel bad for all the nurses that have to put up with that shit. I don't know if it is because I am a male or just lucky so far, but I have never really had to deal with it personally except for one time as a new grad.  Nurses can be brutal to each other.

I feel that as a male, I get a lot less of that BS too. I don't understand being a dick to your coworkers. Unsure if it's because of the stressful job or what.

[dieselburps]

Quote
One issue I have seen in nursing is the bullying that takes place.  It's a real problem in this field, and very discouraging, I feel bad for all the nurses that have to put up with that shit. I don't know if it is because I am a male or just lucky so far, but I have never really had to deal with it personally except for one time as a new grad.  Nurses can be brutal to each other.

I feel that as a male, I get a lot less of that BS too. I don't understand being a dick to your coworkers. Unsure if it's because of the stressful job or what.

Yes, I have often wondered all the reasons for the lateral violence and bullying in the profession. The assumption often is that it's Doctor to nurse or someone from a position of higher authority to the nurse, but most often its lateral, occurring nurse to nurse. I decided to do a quick google search and came up with a few hits on the topic.

[url=http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAMarketplace/ANAPeriodicals/OJIN/TableofContents/Vol-21-2016/No3-Sept-2016/Articles-Previous-Topics/Psychological-Distress-and-Workplace-Bullying.html]http://www.americansentinel.edu/blog/2015/11/06/why-is-bullying-so-prevalent-in-the-nursing-profession//url]
[url]http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAMarketplace/ANAPeriodicals/OJIN/TableofContents/Vol-21-2016/No3-Sept-2016/Articles-Previous-Topics/Psychological-Distress-and-Workplace-Bullying.html]http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAMarketplace/ANAPeriodicals/OJIN/TableofContents/Vol-21-2016/No3-Sept-2016/Articles-Previous-Topics/Psychological-Distress-and-Workplace-Bullying.html]http://www.americansentinel.edu/blog/2015/11/06/why-is-bullying-so-prevalent-in-the-nursing-profession//url]
[url]http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAMarketplace/ANAPeriodicals/OJIN/TableofContents/Vol-21-2016/No3-Sept-2016/Articles-Previous-Topics/Psychological-Distress-and-Workplace-Bullying.html

There is actually quite a bit that has been written on the topic. 

[kamille]

The nursing shortage is for experienced nurses, not new grads. Hospitals have to invest so much time and money to train new nurses and new nurses have a very high turnover rate. Once a nurse has 2+ years experience in their chosen field, they are definitely in demand.