A Word of Wisdom

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This is just an FYI for all the new nurses out there. Older Nurse does not equal washed up and not worth hiring.

Thanks

~Willow

Specializes in ER, L&D, ICU, LTC, HH.

Our younger nurses will be our managers and in some cases all ready are. It was just words of wisdom for them to think about as they get into these positions. They will be looking at the middle aged nurses resumes soon and making these decisions.

~Willow

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Specializes in ICU, ER.

I want to know where you have been looking.

I am a young, new nurse and in my area it is the opposite of what you are describing. The older nurses are getting all the jobs and the younger nurses are forced to take what is left over or nothing at all.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.
No it is managers that only look at young nurses. I look around in the big hospital locally and I see are pretty young cute nurses. Not one is above 30 years old and this was with days of going in there with a friends father. I asked about the other shifts and it is the same. I just feel at 51 years old that the 17 years of nursing experience I have should help me get the same type of job I use to have, but it seems to mean nothing. I do not know if it is because I was on disability or because of my age. Maybe it is the pay they have to give for yrs of experience. since everything now seems to be more about making money than anything. I wish I understood it.

~Willow

I have another take on this and I hope you'll consider it. Maybe the floor you were visiting was just a malfunctioning unit and the only nurses who were willing to take it on are new grads, desperate for that first job. That would explain the lack of "mature" nurses in sight.

But the bigger picture that I hope to convey is that perhaps your observations are colored by your long struggle and the lack of immediate employment after rehabilitation. When you left the job market due to disability, it was likely very easy to snag any number of choice nursing positions and now it's not. In fact, it's downright impossible to find a job. Perhaps you should not give up hope nor should you feel a bias toward younger Nurse Managers, or any Nurse Managers, for that matter. The current employment conditions are not caused by anyone overlooking any nursing population, they just are.

Keep on keepin on, keep a positive attitude and I have no doubt that something will come your way. After all, you have that elusive "experience" that most if not all new grads are begging to be given a chance to earn.

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