Too old for ICU? - Page 3

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  1. Sep 22, '11 by
    Eyeball,

    Your main problem will be all the new staff and visitors mistaking you for the one with all the experience!
  2. Sep 22, '11 by
    Quote from missbrahmsrn
    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 likes this.
  3. Sep 22, '11 by
    Quote from Rodoon
    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!!!
  4. Sep 22, '11 by
    There are a lot of us old birds in my unit
  5. Sep 22, '11 by
    I often work as an aide in ICU and I the "older" (hey you're not that old) nurses are by far my favorite to work with. So much more calm, rational, and patient oriented.

    Us younger people sometimes are too busy looking at our iphones and forget why we're there.

    Also I think older nurses are better at answering family questions and inspiring confidence.

    Just my two cents.
    eagle78 likes this.
  6. Sep 23, '11 by
    Well, I didn't get the job but in an interesting way....I interviewed today and the interview went well. It was the most thorough and thoughtful interview I've ever had. I got a tour of the unit and fell in love with it. The hospital is new, and the unit was really well organized, supplies at one's fingertips, quiet friendly vibe. I was told I'd hear within the week about the job. I came home excited and thought "I can really see myself there and loving it." I got a call a few hours after I arrived home from the clinical supervisor who interviewed me. She began with "I've been thinking...." which led to a very reasonable explananation that while I had interviewed very well, she had a multitude of candidates more experienced than me. When push came to shove, she admitted that my experience was limited and it held her back from choosing me over more experienced candidates. It would take more time and money to get me trained in. She then added that she thought it would be good for me to work in their intermediate care unit to get more experience with drips and vents and then I would be a stronger candidate and said she would be forwarding my application to the intermediate care manager.
    I feel kind of strange about it all. Truthfully, I think her position is more than fair but I can't say I didn't start bawling shortly after hanging up the phone. It's not so much that I didn't get the job but that I hate my current job (medsurg/tele) and I felt sentenced to another year of it. I can't see that intermediate care is going to be all that different from what I am doing and gritting my teeth through. It's enough to deepen my already deep despair about my nursing journey.
  7. Sep 23, '11 by
    So sorry. If you interviewed well, are their other hospitals in your
    area that may have an ICU position open. Seems to me the hiring
    process can be tricky. Even if you had the background, they call
    and say, we really love you --you are a perfect fit for the job,
    but.....................with all your experience we could not give you
    the salary we feel you should have. Happened to me years ago in
    another specialty (outpatient not hospital).

    Keep going, there must be a good match out there for you.
    Good luck!