Retired 3 months and Happy!
by Anonymous
I retired 3 months ago from my 23 year nursing job. I loved nursing for the most part and gave it all I had every single day. i have problems with auto immune diseases and stress only makes it worse.
One of my coworkers became my unit manager several years ago and life as I knew it went to hell in a hand basket. She hired only nurses who graduated from a local christian university and those who attended her church as she staffed the unit with her friends, she started to push out the experienced nurses. She lied to the senior nurses and told many of us how much we were hated by the staff and we were singled out and reported to upper management and accused of of things that we did not do and upper management was told how we brought the unit down and were hated by coworkers.
My performance evaluations went from Exceptional to meets standard when my work performance had not changed, she based her evaluation on her personal feelings. My health started to decline significantly.
I was so depressed that it greatly affected not only my work performance but my personal life. I have always lived a sensible life and saved money so we decided we would be fine if I retired at 62. My plan was to retire in January as soon as I turned 62.
When the Christmas schedule was completed I had been scheduled to work 12 hours shifts on DEC 23, 24 and 26. While people with less than 1 year of service were not scheduled to work any of Christmas either With that, I went home wrote my letter of resignation and handed it inexactly 28 days before my exit date which I decided would be Dec 11.
Keeping in mind 5 years ago, I was told I was hated and that maybe I should find another place to work and was threatened to be fired if I discussed any of the conversation with my coworker. Later I was told by 4 other coworkers they and been told the same things.
When I turned in my resignation my unit manager almost had a stroke and asked me to please stay and work through Christmas to which I simply replied "No".
Since I retired, I feel great, my friends and family say I look so much better, I don't let anything worry me. I have learned to shop smarter, I keep up with every receipt from my purchase and add up my savings from purchases and put that amount in my savings account each month.
I do receive my pension and I took social security early.
Am I happy? YES, Will I live longer? Probably.
My lab work has significantly improved, I enjoy having lunch with a select few from my previous job, and my friends outside of my nursing job. My house is always clean, my laundry is caught up, I go and do as I please and I love my life.
Am I depressed? Not anymore!
