Can I Afford to Cut Back to Part-Time as an NP?

Most CRNAs and NPs who want to cut back to part-time have already decided it's impossible, because they're running the wrong number. In this episode of MoneyRx for CRNAs, Brett Fellows, CFP, walks through the framework for figuring out whether cutting back is actually financially viable, using the story of a hypothetical NP named Sarah who was $130,000 away from her real number, not $920,000 away from it.Brett Covers:Why the 2026 Nurse.org State of Nursing Survey points to a math problem, not a career problemWhy modeling full retirement for a part-time decision always makes the numbers look impossibleHow to find your real healthcare cost after ACA subsidies instead of assuming the sticker priceWhy the 4% rule is the wrong tool for someone who's cutting back rather than stopping entirelyHow Roth conversion timing and account sequencing change the picture over timeIf you're 50 or older with at least $750,000 saved and you've been telling yourself you can't afford to slow down, this episode is worth your full attention.Key Timestamps:(0:18) Survey data on nursing burnout and financial necessity(1:25) Realities of dropping job satisfaction and growing career fear(2:58) Distinguishing full retirement from cutting back to part-time hours(4:34) Financial profile and baseline savings of case study subject Sarah(6:33) Accessing meaningful ACA marketplace subsidies with lower clinical income(8:38) Health insurance premium deductions within a 1099 independent contract model(9:58) Misapplying traditional investment drawdown metrics to partial retirement scenarios(11:13) Calculating the real net portfolio gap required to cover downshifted schedules(13:13) Optimal multi-bucket asset sequencing guidelines for tactical cash flow(14:28) Leveraging transitional low-tax windows for strategic Roth conversions(16:13) Chronological timeline walkthrough of Sarah's dynamic downshift plan(18:18) Navigating the professional identity shift when reducing clinical commitmentsFor more information and resources related to this episode, please visit the show notes.