The Exit Strategy: A Plan for Burned Out Nurses

In 2020, I was in my 11th year as an ER nurse. COVID was rampant and burnout had fully set in. On my days off, I wasn’t relaxing. I was dreading my next shift. It was stealing my ability to be present with friends and family. By the time my alarm rang, I had already spent the night tossing and turning. Sitting in my car before a shift, I asked myself, Can I really do this until my 60s?

The answer was becoming painfully clear. I had hit a ceiling. The work no longer felt purposeful or fulfilling. It was taking a toll on me both physically and mentally. Looking at the older nurses around me, the future didn’t seem promising either. They were exhausted and worn down. Add in staff shortages, a toxic work environment, unapproachable doctors, unappreciative and sometimes hostile patients. This was not a sustainable career path.

Like most nurses, I had gone to school, sacrificed years of my life, passed my boards, and entered a profession that I assumed I would be in for decades. But for what? To burn out and feel stuck?

That was my aha moment.

One day, I stumbled across a blog by Mr. Money Mustache, which introduced me to the concept of FIRE, Financial Independence, Retire Early. That led me down a rabbit hole where I found an entire community of people designing lives that didn’t revolve around working until traditional retirement age. I learned about different variations of FIRE, and that’s when I discovered Coast FIRE. The idea that if you invest enough early on, you can let compound interest do the heavy lifting while you scale back and coast into retirement without needing to save aggressively later on.

Thankfully, even though I had only been investing the bare minimum in my retirement accounts, I had a decent start. But I realized I had been doing what so many nurses do, parking my extra money in a regular savings account, not even a high yield one. This was during the time when GameStop stock was exploding, and everyone seemed to be jumping into crypto, hoping to strike it rich overnight. I was right there with them, thinking maybe I could buy the next cryptocurrency to take off. But then it hit me, there was actually a strategic way to build wealth using the job I already had. Instead of chasing the next big thing, I could have been consistently investing in assets that had a proven track record of growth. That single realization was a game changer. Not only did it unlock a new way of thinking about my money, but it also helped me determine that in just a few years, I could actually go part time.

One of the biggest mistakes we make as nurses is throwing away the instruction manual for our careers. That manual includes the investment accounts our hospitals offer, but because financial literacy isn’t part of our training, we don’t realize the power of investing early. The truth is, the more and sooner we invest, the faster we can become work optional.

And here’s the thing. Nursing is actually the perfect career to fast track financial independence. Flexible schedules. Steady income. Overtime when you want it. There is no reason nurses should be living paycheck to paycheck.

So if you’re reading this and feeling burned out, let this be your wake up call. It’s time to assess your financial situation, determine your freedom number, and start investing. You don’t have to do this forever. You can build a way out and in the process, create generational wealth for your future.

Disclaimer: This content is for informational and educational purposes only and reflects my personal experiences and opinions. It is not financial, investment, or professional advice. Please do your own research and consult with a licensed financial professional before making any financial decisions.