Jobs For Retired Nurses
Everyone dreads being bored.
And one thing you would have in abundance when you retire is spare time. So, what do you do with it?
Well, maybe you have plans. But, what if I told you there’s still so much you could do as a nurse even when retired?
People naturally look forward to retirement. Except you’re a nurse! Great Nurses love their job, and taking care of patients soon becomes a lifestyle.
But sooner or later, all nurses would have to retire. The average retirement age of nurses is 62, and while you may think that should do, most retired nurses have proved that they still have a lot to offer.
There is so much a retired nurse can still do with the spare time they’ve got. Apart from trying out your hands on hobbies and fantasies, some jobs suit you and your years of experience as a retired nurse.
Some nurses want to relax and enjoy the pleasures of retirement. Others believe they still have lots of years in them and are willing to put in the work. If that’s you, then there’s so much you can still do with your qualifications and experience.
Let’s face it; money is also an essential factor. You stand to also earn lots of money by still working. And what’s more? You also get to work on your terms.
If you still desire to give your best as a nurse, you shouldn’t let retirement rob you of such an experience. More importantly, your work would be part-time, giving you the best of both worlds; some free time on your hands, while also having the sense of fulfillment in rendering service.
Let’s look at some of the jobs you can do as a retired nurse.
Swap the Hospital for the Classroom
After spending as much as thirty-five years around patients’ beds, you may want to reconsider putting your knowledge to use in another form: teaching!
Well, as a retired nurse, it would be best to stay on your lane. As lifelong nurses, you naturally want to remain in your field. If you want to remain relevant in the profession while not necessarily practicing at the bedside, the best compromise would be to serve as a nursing instructor.
As an instructor, your years of experience are a treasure pool from which nursing students can draw.
Many nursing colleges have tutors who prefer teaching to actual practice. This robs nursing students of valuable experience that practicing nurses have. You’ll undoubtedly find fulfillment in instructing student nurses.
You may need to learn how to draw lesson plans and some basics about the details of teaching, but as a retired nurse, you are a valuable asset. More importantly, there are so many things you know that cannot be found in any textbooks.
Also, you could work as an instructor in significant hospitals where nurses are trained periodically on best practices.
How much can be made?
The average salary of nursing instructors is about $90,000 per year. The actual amount depends on several factors, including the state of residence.
Pros
As an instructor, you have the opportunity to put your knowledge and years of experience to practical use. Also, you get to remain in your field while still impacting positively on the next generation of nurses.
Cons
The demands of long hours of teaching may be a bit cumbersome for retired personnel.
Work at Vaccination or General Clinics
As professionals in the medical field, retired nurses are eminently qualified to start, or run, clinics. At a time of a pandemic, the experiences of retired nurses are of great value.
With the RN (Registered Nurse) certificate, nurses are permitted to run vaccination clinics and administer vaccines to make the vaccination procedure more accessible. The Covid-19 pandemic has even made the need for nurses direr.
Before the Covid-19 pandemic, vaccination clinics always employed retired nurses to run their services part-time. However, retired nurses can also establish and run clinics.
How much can be made?
Many vaccination clinics employ retired nurses on a part-time basis during flu seasons, offering an average of $20/ hr. However, the need for personnel to administer Covid-19 vaccines has increased the demand.
Pros
For retired nurses, vaccination clinics offer a more relaxed environment to render service without the pressures associated with bedside duties. The jobs are part-time and still give the nurse enough time to spend on other things.
Cons
It is a seasonal job and does not pay as much as retired nurses may desire. However, vaccinations are becoming a critical part of our healthcare delivery system, and vaccination clinics are becoming more critical.
Write, Write, Write
Your experiences as a nurse are so valuable that many publishers would be willing to pay to have them documented. You can write books on your experiences, either for adults or children or, more preferably, run a blog.
As a retired nurse, you can conveniently start a writing career that can significantly enrich your readers and make money for you. You can blog about health-related issues or personal experiences.
If you wish to write academic literature, you can also write books useful for students and even teachers, although that may be a bit more demanding. As a freelance medical writer, you can contribute articles to medical journals, newspapers, and magazines.
If you have a flair for creative writing, you can write fictional books with a touch of medical issues. As an authority in the field, your work would be respected.
Writing is a very profitable venture which has earned lots of retired nurses the opportunity to impact an even broader category of people outside the boundaries of the hospital.
How much can be made?
There’s no limit to how much a writer can make. However, the average amount a freelance medical writer in the mould of a retired nurse makes is about $21/ hour.
Pros
Writing is very fulfilling and allows the author to reach a vast audience. It is also done at the writer’s convenience and can be done from the comfort of the writer’s home.
There is also no limit to the amount that could be earned from the job as multiple opportunities abound.
Depending on how successful one is as a writer, a retired nurse could make even more from writing than from years of practising as a nurse. The greatest advantage is that writing can be done as a leisurely activity, which helps improve the health of the writer.
Cons
The opportunities abound, but switching to a career in writing may be too much to ask for so late on.
Lack of initial success in writing, which is normal, may be discouraging for a retired nurse. Although there’s so much money to make, the pay at the initial stage may also be inadequate.
Serve part-time
Once a soldier, always a soldier goes the saying. The same is true of a nurse.
Maybe more true. As a nurse, you may leave the profession, but the profession never leaves you. If you find yourself struggling with a retirement that keeps you longing for the patient’s bedside, well, why not simply go back to the patient’s bedside?
Incidentally, there are current shortages of nurses in Europe and America and the world over. Your services are always in need, especially while still dealing with a global pandemic.
If you’re a retired nurse, you have the experience and requisite knowledge that would make you an ideal candidate for job openings.
You only need to select a job preference that suits your need and pays grade.
Part-time nurses help fill the gap for full-time nurses who are unavoidably absent either due to emergencies or other reasons. They are also employed when the need arises for additional staff, for an extended period, but not permanently.
How much can be made?
Part-time nurses are employed to fill in the gap for full-time nurses and, as such, are not paid in the same way or entitled to the same benefits as full-time nurses. However, on average, part-time nurses earn an average of $32/hour. Not bad!
Pros
Part-time nurses are exposed to the same experiences and exposures as full-time nurses.
Retired nurses who still desire to remain in the thick of the action are a rewarding experience. It also allows the nurse to put years of experience into practice. As a retired nurse, you also can mentor and tutor junior nurses who work with you.
Cons
Since it entails the same workload as a fully employed nurse with lesser pay, the retired nurse may find the conditions too hectic. Most part-time openings are for few months, which may not be enough to get the best out of the nurse.
Become a School Nurse
If you love being around children, why not work as a school nurse?
Just like the name implies, a school nurse works in a school environment. School nurses primarily work in elementary, middle and high schools. Although most colleges have standard clinics, some also have school nurses.
For a retired nurse who wishes to take it slow while having enough time to interact with children, a role as a school nurse is an ideal position to consider.
The job mainly involves taking care of mildly ill students, treating minor injuries, and offering health counseling. As a school nurse, you are also responsible for treating any serious medical issue before referring to a standard hospital.
The school nurse is also in charge of the mini-clinic where students who suddenly develop illnesses are admitted and treated. She also is in charge of the drugs that could be recommended for relief.
The job of a school nurse is a favorite pastime of female retired nurses who cherish the time spent interacting with the students.
How much can be made?
The role of a school nurse is not a part-time job and, on average, fetches about $50,000 per year.
Pros
The job is not as hectic as the hospital experience. It also affords the nurse enough time to socialize with children and even their parents. The school nurse also serves as a counselor which is one area where retired nurses are great at. It is also a delightful experience.
Cons
Students may be too much of a burden when the number is much. The job also requires the nurse to be practically available every time the school is in session, giving the retiree little time to themselves.
Home Nursing
Home Nursing involves rendering nursing services to patients who are being treated at home. There are different categories of patients that may require home care, from terminally ill patients to those recuperating from serious infirmities or those convalescing from surgeries.
Some other patients may be completely disabled and could only be best treated at home, while others are quite aged and cared for by the nurse.
Home care nursing is very delicate and involves a nurse providing all the necessary care for a patient at home.
So many full-time nurses are into homecare services; however, it perfectly suits the retired nurse. Retired nurses have had experiences with virtually every medical condition, and they stand a better chance of offering services to patients that need them at home.
When there are greater restrictions in movement and even greater risks at hospitals, the need for home care nurses has never been greater.
How much can be made?
Averaging $17/hr, home care nurses stand to make money from multiple clients at a time.
Pros
Home care nursing is not cumbersome, since the patient is in a familiar environment makes the job of health care delivery much easier for the nurse. A nurse can also have multiple clients, except on rare occasions when a patient requires the nurse’s undivided attention. It is also less stressful.
Cons
The nurse is often away from home most of the time, and the job could be time-consuming, mainly if the client stays far away from the nurse.
Conclusion
As a retired nurse, opportunities abound for those who wish to return to work.
While the work may not be as hectic as a regular job, and the pay may also not be as much, there are several opportunities with lots of fulfilling experiences in the healthcare industry for retired nurses who don’t want to remain idle.
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