Age Discrimination in Nursing

[Nurse Beth]

Ageism Is Pervasive 

It's not news to anyone that our society values youth and devalues age. It seems that the worst choice you can make is to grow old.

Older people are often mistakenly seen as irrelevant, slow, and a burden on society.

Getting old is deeply feared by many and not without reason. Women are coy about their age. Anti-aging products are a gagillion dollar industry.

Likewise, there is ageism in nursing. Jobs go to younger applicants. Older nurses are squeezed out and replaced by younger nurses. If you show up to an interview with wrinkles, are you automatically disqualified?

Yes. Yes, you may be.

There are laws to prevent age discrimination. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (amended in 1986) says that it's illegal for an employer to discriminate against you if you are over 40 (no upper cap on age). However, this is not likely to help an aging nurse even if she/he is being discriminated against.

But here are some tips to help you in the workplace and when interviewing for a job.

On the Job

What does age discrimination look like on the job? Perhaps you've experienced or witnessed some of the following:

Are you frequently asked about your retirement plans?

Are you excluded socially?

Have you been passed over for a promotion?

Have you watched incredulously while a nurse with one year's experience is selected to be Charge Nurse?

Maybe you just know that age discrimination exists in your workplace, but it is hard to put your finger on.

Stereotypes

Stereotypes of older workers exist and they can be inaccurate and damaging.

• Older nurses are slower. They cannot keep up.
• Older workers are resistant to change. They are rigid and set in their ways.
• Older workers cannot understand technology.

What other generalizations are you aware of?

What You Can Do To Mitigate Age Aiscrimination

The law is not going to help you. Age discrimination is difficult to prove, even if you are inclined to spend the time and money. What you can do is change yourself.

Do not internalize society's views on aging. In other words, do not drink the Kool-aid. Do not draw attention to your age.

• Do not repeatedly say "Back in my day" or "When I started nursing, we had 25 patients and no IV pumps..." Do not refer to yourself as "old". Daily at my work, I hear co-workers brand themselves as "old" and I wince.
• Resist the temptation to talk about your aches and pains or point out to others that you can no longer read up close without glasses.
• Have a positive focus. You have valuable life experience. You have a strongly established work ethic, you are not going to get pregnant. You have learned to play well in the sandbox with others....what else, my over 40 friends?

Stay Vibrant

What age are you projecting? Pay attention to your personal appearance. What is it saying about you? Is your appearance age appropriate?

• Stay fit and healthy- this is half the game. Never give up. Sit up straight with your back not touching the chair. Cultivate a Spring in your step and a light in your eye.
• Project energy and enthusiasm.
• Pay attention to the vibe you are projecting and your energy aura. Energy is attractive. Be passionate. Use words like energy and motivated in your interview.

Stay Relevant/Stay in Touch

Stay relevant in your field. Practice is changing a mile a minute. Read journals and pursue continuing education. Be known as the nurse with the latest evidence-based information. Be a lifelong learner. Intellectual curiosity is your ally.

Stay culturally relevant. For example, occasionally listen to current popular music , and be aware of beauty/fashion trends.

If you have a sixteen-year-old in your life (like my niece), you have an automatic pipeline to the latest everything. Try new restaurants. Be open-minded. Stay tuned in.

Create Your Own Value

Create a niche for yourself. What does that mean? You can be the unit expert on 12 EKGs, or blood gas interpretation.

You can be comfortably confident by virtue of maturity. No limp handshakes for you. You know how to make eye contact and conduct yourself socially.

Emphasize your technology skills. Put your LinkedIn url on your resume as a contact. If your email account is aol, change it to firstname.lastname @gmail.com.

Don't be Your Own Worst Enemy

Do not compare yourself to others who are younger. I was at an interview where an older woman giggled and said "Well, you young people will have to help me on the computer". Did she think she was flattering the interviewers? It was not funny, it was not cute, and she was not hired.

How about this instead "The other day on Twitter I read an article by Forbes about self-governance in nursing. Is that something you do here?"

---

Age discrimination may not seem real until you've experienced it. It's easy to regard growing older as something that happens to other people (old people?) and not to themselves. But it's a fact of life.

As a wise woman once said to a young girl...

"As you are, I was. As I am, you'll be."

What is your experience regarding ageism in nursing? Please share, I'd love to hear.

[guest825264]

I was very disappointed in the article. I usually like your articles and find them helpful; but; Keep in shape, don't talk about using your reading glasses, Don't talk about your aches and pains? About the only thing you didn't tell us to do is dye our hair and have a face lift! I am a nurse in my 50's, I am not in the best shape, but I can tell you there are nurses half my age that are in worse shape. I think my age gives me perspective on my patients that I did not have when I was younger. I am more understanding and less idealistic then I used to be. Do I have aches and pains? sometimes, but so do the younger nurses esp the pregnant ones. How could you effectively understand a patients pain if you never experienced it yourself? I think my patients appreciate that I am real, genuine and not a fake perfect person. I don't think I have experienced age discrimination in the workplace but I sure know that the younger nurses appreciate it when I take their shifts so they can take children to the MD, care for a sick child or go trick or treating. I remember how it was to be a working mom and enjoy the fact that I can help other young moms and dads. As a matter of fact, I never even thought my age was an issue until I read this article. I was; however, discriminated in the past for being a single mom with child responsibilities. I got through that; wouldn't want to work for that type of employer anyway. My last point is that we are nurses, we have all taken care of patients who have died or have been incapacitated at a very young age. No life has a term contract...so what does age have to do with it anyway?

[Nurse Beth, MSN]

I was very disappointed in the article. I usually like your articles and find them helpful; but; Keep in shape, don't talk about using your reading glasses, Don't talk about your aches and pains? About the only thing you didn't tell us to do is dye our hair and have a face lift! I am a nurse in my 50's, I am not in the best shape, but I can tell you there are nurses half my age that are in worse shape. I think my age gives me perspective on my patients that I did not have when I was younger. I am more understanding and less idealistic then I used to be. Do I have aches and pains? sometimes, but so do the younger nurses esp the pregnant ones. How could you effectively understand a patients pain if you never experienced it yourself? I think my patients appreciate that I am real, genuine and not a fake perfect person. I don't think I have experienced age discrimination in the workplace but I sure know that the younger nurses appreciate it when I take their shifts so they can take children to the MD, care for a sick child or go trick or treating. I remember how it was to be a working mom and enjoy the fact that I can help other young moms and dads. As a matter of fact, I never even thought my age was an issue until I read this article. I was; however, discriminated in the past for being a single mom with child responsibilities. I got through that; wouldn't want to work for that type of employer anyway. My last point is that we are nurses, we have all taken care of patients who have died or have been incapacitated at a very young age. No life has a term contract...so what does age have to do with it anyway?

I hear you and agree 100% that age brings value.

I'm glad you have not experienced age discrimination.

[TXRNIam]

I am a nurse of 4 years. This is a second career for me and one that I love; however, I have felt so frustrated because I didn't feel like I was going anywhere. I am in the same position that I started in right out of school. I was amazed when I could answer yes to each of your questions!!! I am 51 years old have a business degree and now a BSN. I am current working on my MSN as an NP. Yet I rarely even get asked to be charge nurse. I do however seem do get the problem patients. (Which I accept as a challenge!) I would like to have some more varied work experience. Any ideas? I plan to implement those that you have suggested.

Thanks

RN just trying to get ahead.

[TXRNIam]

Beth,

I think you are right. Regardless as to whether it is fair or not, sometimes you have got to play the game! It's the same in business. If you don't change with the times you will get left behind.

TXRNIam

[Nurse Beth, MSN]

I am a nurse of 4 years. This is a second career for me and one that I love; however, I have felt so frustrated because I didn't feel like I was going anywhere. I am in the same position that I started in right out of school. I was amazed when I could answer yes to each of your questions!!! I am 51 years old have a business degree and now a BSN. I am current working on my MSN as an NP. Yet I rarely even get asked to be charge nurse. I do however seem do get the problem patients. (Which I accept as a challenge!) I would like to have some more varied work experience. Any ideas? I plan to implement those that you have suggested.

This is exactly what I've seen. You are a qualified nurse with valuable life experience being passed over for leadership roles by presumably less qualified but younger nurses.

Why is this? Sometimes I think it's because younger nurses are easier to direct and initially ask fewer challenging questions to disrupt the status quo. I have seen several young nurse managers promote only fairly new and young nurses nurses perhaps because they're more comfortable with that age group.

Have you applied to any charge nurse positions? Not to say they could not turn you down, but they'd have to take a good look at your experience and credentials if you formally applied.

It's good you are getting your NP because you may be more respected in that role. Best wishes :)

[Zenny12]

I'm going to add my experience with age discrimination. A small group of very proficient RN's, along with an amazing boss took our tiny department and grew it, until it was a bustling department, 30 beds, earning millions$. Recently the corporation fired the boss, set up all of the older nurses in various ways (example and older RN received final write up because she placed a swab on a table in too hard of a manner & this was described as "hostility") and in their places placed very young new RNs. The new management says this was a positive change because the young nurses are happy with the older nurses gone.

[RK694]

Bottom line: Start your own business/practice. You don't have to deal with ignorant employers.

[guest1135744, ADN]

I guess it shows your age, that you were alive when aol was at it's height-or at the very start of the "internet.” This article is pretty disappointing all around. 

[Kitiger, RN]

17 hours ago, Jml1986 said:

I guess it shows your age, that you were alive when aol was at it’s height-or at the very start of the “internet.” This article is pretty disappointing all around. 

Well, I WAS alive back then.

I remember, in the early 1980s, when a friend brought his new computer to our house. He connected it to our TV, as the computer didn't have its own screen. He showed me this amazing new thing that his computer could do; he could write something, and then go back and edit it - actually change the words on the TV screen!

He said it was something called "Word Processing".

Truly amazing! ?