The Admission Nurse Program at The MetroHealth System has great appeal for registered nurses who choose to retire but miss patient contact and are not quite ready to give up their connection to the nursing community.  In this program retired nurses are able to use their clinical skills but still maintain the independence retirement gives them in order to pursue other interests and spend more time with their families.  Admission Nurses can work as little as four hour in a day or as much as eight hours.  They may work once a week or more depending on their personal preference and lifestyle demands.  One of the intangible rewards that the Admission Nurse receives is the ability to focus on one individual patient, assessing his or her needs, without having to divert their attention to anyone else.  Being an Admission Nurse allows a retired nurse at the end of his/her career to feel like they are still contributing to the nursing profession by caring for one patient at a time.

In addition to the above rewards, additional benefits include free parking, the option of working only nine months out of the year, and the flexibility of four, six, and eight hour shifts.

This position is greatly appreciated by the nursing staff of the medical and surgical floors as evidenced by statements such as “We love the discharge nurses,” or “I am always relieved to hear there is an admission nurse scheduled.”