another which would you hire

That would depend on all the other considerations not listed.

Pure gut: Candidate No. 2.

Age is nothing but a number.

The 22-year-old could very well have anywhere from one to three years of experience if (s)he entered a nursing program immediately after graduating from high school, while the 62-year-old could be a new grad with no experience. It happens on occasion.

The 62-year-old could have 40+ years of experience while the 22-year-old could be an inexperienced new grad.

The 22-year-old might have a free and clear license while the 62-year-old might have licensure stipulations that are difficult to work around (re: unable to pull or administer narcotics R/T participation in IPN, limited license, probation, etc.).

So, it all depends. I cannot definitely answer this question just by knowing the ages of the two candidates.

You cannot just look at the age in your hiring decision. If you do , it is called discrimination.

That's like asking "Which patient would you see first?" The gut reaction would be to say the 62 year old, but we have no clue (based on the question) what is wrong with either patient.

I agree with the others. Not enough information.

Who came across better during the interview process? Equal on paper does not necessarily translate to equal in personality, temperament, and follow-through.