Finding Balance as a Semi-Retired Nurse

• After spending nearly a quarter-century in nursing full-time, the transition to semi-retired roles helped one nurse find true balance. 
• She chose to retire and step away from my full-time nursing career, with the weight of the responsibilities at work and home taking a toll on her physical and mental health.  
• After a year of full retirement, she decided a per-diem role within nursing was the perfect way to maintain work-life balance. 

After 24 years of giving my all to nursing, I found myself exhausted and unfulfilled. I couldn’t help but wonder: Is this what the rest of my career will look like? That’s when I made the difficult choice to step back, and it turned out to be one of the best decisions of my life. 

My nursing journey began later in life — at age 34. I left a secure, well-paying job on Wall Street to chase my passion for healthcare — a choice some might call risky, especially with two young children at home. But as someone who’s always been curious about science and how things work, my heart kept pulling me toward a career where I truly felt I could make a difference in people’s lives. 

With my husband’s support, I left the corporate world, returned to school, and started a whole new chapter as a registered nurse. My first job at a local hospital was part-time, just two days a week. It was the perfect balance for our family. With my husband working long hours, those 12-hour shifts were manageable and allowed us to avoid major childcare costs. Juggling work, home life, and raising children wasn’t easy. There was a lot of stress, exhaustion, and learning in a new industry. But those early years laid the foundation for a career I’m so proud of and never regretted entering. 

Building My Career

As our children grew older and more independent, I found myself ready for a new challenge while continuing in my role at the hospital. That’s when an opportunity arose to work two additional, albeit shorter, days at homecare — a change I was eager to embrace. 

Stepping into patients’ homes offered a refreshing change of pace. I had more time to truly connect with them, educating and guiding them in a more relaxed, personal setting. It was a rewarding experience that deepened my understanding of patient care beyond the hospital walls. 

After a few years, I stepped away from the hospital setting and accepted a full-time nursing supervisor role at homecare. This allowed me to mentor field staff who were making a difference in patients’ lives every day. I thrived on helping them grow and succeed, and I gained invaluable insight into the “business side” of healthcare — a side I’d never fully seen before. 

But as fulfilling as the work was, the long hours, on-call weekends, and the mental load of navigating administrative challenges began to take their toll. The physical and emotional strain made it clear that something needed to change. 

Choices in Healthcare for Nurses 

Truly, one of the greatest aspects of a career in nursing is the opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives during their most vulnerable moments. It allows nurses to listen to their patients’ deepest fears, hold their hand during a difficult diagnosis or procedure, or simply be a steady presence in a time of uncertainty. 

Along with creating a sense of comfort and hope, a career in nursing offers a wide range of options to create a balance between your personal and professional life. You can choose to work in different settings and pick certain hours — per-diem, part-time, or full-time. And, of course, there’s always overtime to get you through those periods when additional cash is needed. 

Many nurses require a flexible schedule to care for young children, aging parents, or to address other personal responsibilities. Fortunately, nursing offers a variety of settings where flexibility is possible. Whether working in a hospital, school, doctor’s office, or in the home setting, each environment provides unique advantages that meet different lifestyle needs.  

Finding Balance in Semi-Retirement

After a lot of self-reflection and many conversations with my husband, I chose to retire and step away from my full-time nursing career. The weight of the responsibilities at work and at home were taking a toll on my physical and mental health.  

Although we enjoy traveling, watching our two young grandchildren, and helping with aging parents, I quickly realized that I wasn’t entirely fulfilled. 

I missed the connection with patients and the sense of purpose that my career in nursing gave me. After a year of full retirement, I decided that finding a per-diem role within nursing was the perfect way to maintain my work-life balance. I’m able to care for residents in a senior living community in a way that truly gives me a sense of meaning and continue traveling, caring for our grandchildren and aging parents, and pursuing other passion projects. 

The Bottom Line

This new chapter in my career enables me to stay connected to the healthcare community while also giving me the freedom to explore other interests in my life. Something I’m truly grateful for! 

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