Too old for ICU?

[eyeball]

1 year telemetry/med surg experience (still there) and am 53. I've been reasonably successful at my job and am ready to move on. I have an interview for ICU at another hospital. Am I too old for them to even consider me? I am healthy, in good physical shape, but suddenly worried that they'll laugh at me as soon as I walk into the interview. Am I being paranoid or should I steel myself for likely being turned down?

[Rob72, ASN, RN]

Geez, I'd be more concerned with being "too old" to be a floor 'ho, oops "nurse", on the typical med-surge floor. No offense, anyone, you know you're overworked & underpaid.

I'm not far behind you, & I'm too old for that crap.

[OCNRN63, RN]

You're never too old. Unless you can't physically stand for a shift, you're never too old. The great thing with nursing is that the physical aspect is rough but you have other nurses and aides who can help you. You're brain and knowledge is what's needed most and until Alzheimer's sets in you're good. Good luck on the interview and knock 'em dead....well not the patient of course

Not every older person gets Alzheimers.

[OCNRN63, RN]

Of course you're not too old, and pay no mind to the few ageists who may decide to post here. Knock 'em dead!

[Guest717236]

I am 55, soon to be 56. Heavens, you're just a kid:jester:

Good luck with the interview!!!!!!!

And please keep us posted...

[PapaPhil]

We have 29 healthcare clients; one of them has over 100 facilities. I have had HR types tell me some amazing things in confidence; things that could result, if known publically, in massive litigation. But I have never heard of age being a cut off to icu employment. Many times I hear just the opposite. They want the mature nurses that has seen it and done it all and stays cool under fire.

However, one HR director in a Southern hospital did not want me to send him any more "nurses with brown skin." That meant Hispanic, Filipino, AA etc. I asked him ''did that include white men and women with really good tans?"

The idiot was fired about a month later and went off to that land where fired HR directors go and you never hear from them again. An associate thinks that he might be fixing rock pitted windshields in supermarket parking lots.

[MissBrahmsRN]

The manager who hired me told me if she had a choice she'd hire all post-menopausal women because we don't go out on maternity leave and we don't call in sick because we can't find a babysitter.

i would NEVER accept a job from a manager that said something like that unless i was desperate. he/she has told you two things right there:

1- they do not like employees who take a day off, even if you are sick

2- they do not want their employees to have an appropriate work/life balance (ie: they dont seem to approve of leaves or vacations)

could never be a good thing working for someone like that. i worked for someone like that many years ago, they said something similar in the interview but i was naive and brushed it off. turns out she became angry when: i took a week off many months later(doctor-ordered btw) due to severe pregnancy N/V. (she was informed about the pregnancy during the job interview and i had plenty of PTO in my bank to cover the time off also my doc sent her a letter.) she also became upset when i had a family emergency with my husband being very very ill several weeks later & took some time off (again had plenty of PTO to cover it) and said to me, "isnt there someone else who could help take care of him??" she seemed to have no problems with single employees who took two weeks off with one days notice "cause i got a cheap ticket to Paris on expedia..." and called in 2 hrs late "cause i just dont feel like working today, ya know??" she seemed to want only single childless employees for some strange reason, i ran out of that job PQD...

[MomRN0913]

The manager who hired me told me if she had a choice she'd hire all post-menopausal women because we don't go out on maternity leave and we don't call in sick because we can't find a babysitter.

My nurse manager couldn't take the influx of pregnancy anymore. Atleast 3 at a time! (I was one of 6 at the time I was pregnant!!!)

Who were the constants? The late 40's early 50's. They gave a lot of OT too.

You sound young, willing and able. Age is a number.

[Biffbradford]

Well, that's good to hear that you've got the interview. Keep us posted. I'm 51, ton of ICU experience and can't get in anywhere here in WI. It was passed along to me that someone knew of two ICU jobs advertised in Calif. and they got 100 applicants.

[Rodoon, BSN, MSN, RN]

Eyeball,

Your main problem will be all the new staff and visitors mistaking you for the one with all the experience!

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

i would never accept a job from a manager that said something like that unless i was desperate. he/she has told you two things right there:

1- they do not like employees who take a day off, even if you are sick

2- they do not want their employees to have an appropriate work/life balance (ie: they dont seem to approve of leaves or vacations)

perhaps you are right, but when fully 10% of the staff (or more) is pregnant at any one time and staffing is already an issue, i could certainly understand my manager expressing similar sentiments. and we also have someone out on workman's comp for a back injury -- who keeps posting about the marathons she's training for on her facebook page. i've had a back injury, and i certainly wasn't up to training for a marathon! as i recall, i couldn't even walk.

[eagle78]

Eyeball,

Your main problem will be all the new staff and visitors mistaking you for the one with all the experience!

I'll say, remember we just get better with time. Take that from a wanna be in the same age group. Good luck to you!!!

[1JerseyCCRN]

There are a lot of us old birds in my unit :)