Age Discrimination

Fiona59 · Nov 1, 2004

Its there and very subtle. They seem to accept just enough "mature" students to keep honest, but use very subtle tactics to avoid the rest.

A Nigerian I know was told that she needed an ESL course to improve her English. She had all the pre-reqs. and had done them at the college she had applied to, so they knew her abilities before she applied. She was 37. Her entire education had been done in English

A male paramedic was rejected at the same time and launched a grievance against the college. He met all the pre-reqs but... No real answer was given. He was 44.

Mature students are given the info to apply, but when they apply are told they have too many university credits and should have applied as transfer student and oh by the way your high school marks weren't high enough to make it into nursing.

It seems they have that many applicants they can choose who they want and then say "we only have a certain number of spaces each year".

It seems in certain areas, if ur young, and bring mommy to the interview you get in.

I think they don't want people who can think on their feet and ask questions they don't want to answer.

I wonder if they ever heard of grey power??

youngRNstudent · Nov 1, 2004

I have actually experienced the exact opposite

I am 21 and will be taking the NCLEX this January, and all throughout nursing school the PATIENTS and the family members seem to be the ones who have a problem with the YOUNG nurses.

Apparantly because we are young, we are also not bright in their eyes. Have I not gone through the same schooling as the older nurses? I understand the older nurses may have more experience, but that does not make a young nurse incompetent.

However, that is only with the patients and family members. Recruiters at the hospitals are more than happy to train the younger employees because most of us, like you said, have no other commitments. We can work the night shift, weekends, weekdays, whatever because we don't have husbands or kids. So I can see where the employer would be less enthusiastic about someone older with other commitments.

hypnotic_nurse · Nov 1, 2004

I didn't see discrimination of either sort in nursing school. In fact, the only instance of age discrimination I've seen in hiring was when I was only turned down to do travel nursing in Australia because the agency I spoke to wanted nurses under 45 only.

dosamigos76, RN · Nov 2, 2004

I am 46 and just finished my LPN last May. I got the job I wanted and was offered several more... I chose to take a year off before returning to school for my RN.

I think each age has it's own plusses and minuses. I have a husband and kids yes, but choose to work the night shift. I am settled and bring a wealth of life experiences with me. I will not be taking off for maternity leave (thank goodness!) and I don't have some of the turmoil in my life that many of my younger co-workers experience.

We all bring our own experiences to the table.

Cheryl

live4today, RN · Nov 2, 2004

I have experienced age discrimination in my years as a nurse....recently, not long ago. :rolleyes: Doesn't matter....the hospital was not a friendly warm place for me to settle into as a nurse, so no love lost.

Still Riding · Nov 2, 2004

I have a hard time with looking young. I'm 20 short, in my scrubs i think i look like i'm 14-15. scrubs are like clothing boxes, they take away all your curves. so since i have a baby face with all my curves (they may not be pretty but at least they show i'm not 14). I find it hard when poeple think i'm that young, and think i'm useless.

mattsmom81 · Nov 2, 2004

I have worked in environments where mature nurses were appreciated; also worked in environments where they were not. There is a lot of variance out there.

I do know whenever one of these management groups (like Hunter Group)comes in they like to push the older nurses out...we're too expensive, top of the wage and bennies, so force 'em to retire and hire a few cheap models. What a reward for nurses of 40 plus years of service, eh? They will actively search for reasons to write them up, counsel and work on firing them. They hope to drive them out... make them quit; that's better cuz then they can try to get out of unemployment too.

In some facilities the older nurses have become so paranoid they are ugly to the new nurses...maybe this is behind some of the 'young eating' out there. The older nurses are scared you are their replacement.

I have heard managers complain to the younger nurses about the older ones; then do the same vice versa!! It really is too bad there is such divisiveness fostered in the ranks...but divide and conquer works well in nursing, unfortunately.

Tweety, BSN, RN · Nov 2, 2004

I've seen my peers give an older nurse a hard time saying things like "it's time for her to retire" and basically being hypercritical of every move she made. She was in her late 60s. That's the only time I've ever noticed age discrimination. It wasn't discrimination per se, but bullying.

xy/RN2b 2006 · Nov 2, 2004

My wife is an RN and has been one for 2yrs and she is only 23yrs old and has been welcomed with open arms from the vets. On the other end of the spectrum the average age in my pre-nursing courses had to be at least 45. From my limited exposure to the nursing field it looks to me as if age is not an issue. Because of the tremendous nursing shortage the Hospitals dont have time for decrimination, but rather are looking for well-rounded and well-educated RN's to feel their units.

oldnewnurse · Nov 3, 2004

I am a new grad at 55. I received four job offers (acute care Oncology) before I started looking for a job. The one I accepted made it very clear how glad they were to have me with my background, life experiences, previous career and education, etc.

Same thing in nursing school. I qualified on the same entrance exams as everyone else.

My class of new hires at the hospital has 8 LPN's and 3 RN's. There is only one person in that group of 11 who is under 30.

Perhaps I will see discrimination on the floor. As a casual observer, this hospital (owned by Triad out of TX) has a lot of gray haired nurses.

Harmony213 · Nov 3, 2004

I'm a nurse tech now (going through school at the moment) and have been doing it for almost a year and a half and because of being young, 18, i've noticed discrimination from patients and families. That really makes me mad. If I'm 18 and already motivated and working hard, I don't think that makes me incompetent! Sorry, just venting a bit :)