Nurse's getting younger

Nurses General Nursing

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Wow.....I just spent some time in the hospital lately and I realized that mostly all of the nurse's are younger. Not an older, seasoned nurse in the bunch ! I am an "old school" nurse, been around a while, and It made me very sad that the younger ones don't have an older co-worker to learn from.

Personally, I like having an older, more experienced nurse helping me....they know so much.

What's your take on nursing these days ?

Praiser

Age does not correlate with experience, and it doesn't take a genius to recognize that.

i agree with you.

however, age (usually) does correlate with maturity.

sometimes, it really is helpful to have that blend of experience and wisdom.

as we all know, there's nothing black and white about nursing...

and so, responding by doing the appropriate, technical intervention, isn't always the answer.

you'll understand what i'm saying in around 30 yrs.

leslie:)

Specializes in Med-Surg, NICU.
i agree with you.

however, age (usually) does correlate with maturity.

sometimes, it really is helpful to have that blend of experience and wisdom.

as we all know, there's nothing black and white about nursing...

and so, responding by doing the appropriate, technical intervention, isn't always the answer.

you'll understand what i'm saying in around 30 yrs.

leslie:)

Maturity is different with nursing experience though.

Most patients, from my observation wants a nurse with a ton of experience, whether that nurse is 50 or 26. Sure, it would be nice to have a mature nurse, but I'm pretty sure most patients will take the skilled, less mature nurse over the wise nurse who just graduated and is completely clueless on the floor.

Specializes in Med-Surg/DOU/Ortho/Onc/Rehab/ER/.

Leslie: I totally agree with you.

People who don't get it, won't get it.....until later in life.

Leslie: I totally agree with you.

People who don't get it, won't get it.....until later in life.

i would have blown off some old lady too, when i was 20.

don't misunderstand, i'd be respectful, but would still think it sucks to be old.:lol2:

now that i'm here/old (53), it's not half-bad.;)

thanks, beachbed.:)

leslie

Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
And yet, not every forty year old has seventeen years of nursing experience and not every 27 year old has just five (some can have up to eight if they started right out of high school), so what is your issue?

Also want to point out that having seventeen years of experience doesn't automatically mean that person is a great nurse. It is the quality of the time that counts, not so much the quantity. It is about the willingness to learn.

Sigh. Where is that face palm gif when you need it?

Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
Exactly. And, again, she seems to mistake quantity for quality and age with experience. Not true. I will have more experience by 30 than someone who has started nursing later in life.

Nurses eat their young...I thought that had to do with experience and not with actual age. Guess it is applicable to age as well. Wonder why she [seems] more accepting of an older, less experience nurse than a younger nurse with nearly 10 years of experience?

Usually, older people are more patient, more understanding and have had life experiences that help them relate to patients in a way a younger nurse cannot.

Please, don't throw the "nurses eat their young" card at me over this. It simply does not apply in this situation; heck it doesn't apply in a lot of situations, and it is overused to the point of becoming hackneyed.

FWIW, you fall into neither category at present. IIRC, you are still a student who is planning on going straight from a BSN to MSN. When you have some real-world experience putting that education to use, I may change my opinion of you.

i would have blown off some old lady too, when i was 20.

don't misunderstand, i'd be respectful, but would still think it sucks to be old.:lol2:

now that i'm here/old (53), it's not half-bad.;)

thanks, beachbed.:)

leslie

When I started out , we treated the older nurses like gold.....They were great about switching shifts with us youngsters when we had a hot date on Saturday night and were scheduled to work.

I remember one nurse in particular, she was great about pinch hitting for us.Her husband had some health problems, you better believe that we had her well covered when she needed to be off for him.

Sadly, that type give and take isn't very common anymore.

Leslie: I totally agree with you.

People who don't get it, won't get it.....until later in life.

Sigh.....and SOME not even then....

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