The State of Washington requires 96 practice hours per year to maintain an RN license, a very low bar but one I am unlikely to get over this year. Fortunately (for a small, and ongoing fee, of course) I can put my license on “Inactive status” instead of just letting it expire. The reason for doing this is to avoid several layers of hoop-jumping should I be inclined to reactivate my license at some point in the future. If I reactivate it within three years, I wouldn’t even have to take a refresher course. Which I find frightening.
This will be the first time in 30 years that I haven’t had an active health care credential of some kind. I’m not sure how I feel about that.
I’m not well-versed in either psychology or the business of health care, but I think you might be justified in feeling about it like you would if you had somehow lost, say, your left foot, and were putting your carrer on hold whilst you work on growing it back. I realize that this metaphor puts you in the position of being part gecko or starfish or something, but remember, you are the guy who can move his eyes independently….
Your license isn’t all that you are. You are, understandably and deservedly, damn proud of it. But being “inactive” doesn’t remove your education, your experience, or your drive. If you weren’t interested in getting back into the field you’d just let it expire. But you haven’t which means that you are. Your license is just on hiatus while your mind is on strike. That’s all.
Not quite the same but I am encountering something similar with my customs brokers license. It used to be that in order to maintain it I just had to send some money to Customs and Boarder Protection every three years. Starting next year I have to show that I have taken a certain amount of updated educational classes. Probably a good change to the process but I am having an internal debate on if I should go through with it. I don’t need the license but I am proud of it. I am trying to figure out the happiness balance of the work effort to maintain vs. letting it go and spending the time in a different way.