does age REALLY matter?

Nurses General Nursing

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O.k. I don't want to offend ANYONE out there, I just want to know what are the opinions of different people and maybe not feel so bad for thinking this way. I'm currently attending an ADN program and I'm so happy that I was accepted to nursing school. HOWEVER, I have to say, It really gets me thinking when I see the OLDER crowd, and what I mean with that is people who are OVER 50, who get into nursing school. Now, I have NOTHING against ACCOMPLISHING a life-long dream! I'm all for that, but... REALLY if you're over 50 years old, it takes 2 years to become an RN. How much longer can you work and before you retire?

And so my question is, do you think that person's spot would have been better off to a younger person who could aleast work MORE than 15 years in nursing before it's like, "oh, I can't no longer catch up with all the action?" I mean, we are in a nursing shortage, and we have enough nurses retiring as it is...to now have new nurses that won't really last that long in the field.

You can start biting my head off now!

Specializes in LTC/ rehab/ dialysis.

I'm a 49 year old LPN who has been a nurse for a bit over 3 years. I plan to go back to school for my RN. I'm a person who has always wanted to be a nurse. The opportunity to attend school only presented itself to me a few years ago. Prior to school I was raising children, working full time at other employment, earlier on putting my now ex-husband thru school. I would have loved to have gone to school earlier. When I go back for my RN I will be in the 50 + catagory and will take one of the coveted seats. I'm healthy, have good stamina and energy and truly love what I do. I'm a damn good LPN, and I will be a good RN when the time comes. Actually working and doing what I do makes me feel young. And I plan to keep on working as long as god is willing.

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Some people never want to retire!

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Specializes in Emergency Dept.
Yes, the statement is not derogatory at all and says nothing about the care given, read it again.

Yes, you are right, the underlined quote is a very mature and educated statement, thanks for pointing that out.

The post itself was not very well thought out and, yes, it would offend me the way it has been written, maybe if it was put across differently it would not have got the response received. People do become defensive when they feel someone is offending them. Equal opportunity for all.:yeah:

I did not say that the OP's statement was mature or educated - SHE WAS ASKING A QUESTION! She was asking us to help educate her. Have you said anything to help answer the question as to why educating 'older' new nurses is a good thing? If you are around 'older people' who can not actively do things (let's see, like we see 95% of on our hospital floor), I can see where the OP would get the misconception that an 'older person' could not tolerate the work like a 'younger person'. It should be our responsibility to help correct this misconception, not feed into the theory that nurses eat their young.

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Specializes in ER/EHR Trainer.
I did not say that the OP's statement was mature or educated - SHE WAS ASKING A QUESTION! She was asking us to help educate her. Have you said anything to help answer the question as to why educating 'older' new nurses is a good thing? If you are around 'older people' who can not actively do things (let's see, like we see 95% of on our hospital floor), I can see where the OP would get the misconception that an 'older person' could not tolerate the work like a 'younger person'. It should be our responsibility to help correct this misconception, not feed into the theory that nurses eat their young.

Can't imagine where you work that older workers are providing this image....if so, obviously is hospital culture and allowed. I don't know anyone who works that way-older or younger. HOWEVER, LAZY PEOPLE EXIST REGARDLESS OF AGE IN EVERY PROFESSION! Perhaps you need to print and leave in your break room, with the sentence highlighted.

For the record, educating an older nurse is a GOOD THING. In my view some advantages: Life experience, ability to talk to people, hopefully mature, able to roll with the punches, hopefully away from the "catty" thing, have our priorities straight, on a life path, STABLE, EMPATHY, ability to put ourselves in others shoes and a MILLION other reasons!

In addition, we graduate and are very serious in our studies. I know it irked my younger classmates that most of us(older) in our class and the college graduated summa cum laude, I personally received the faculty award and the award from the largest healthcare system in NJ. Is it fair to the kids? I don't know, I am sure I wouldn't have felt it was fair at 22, but then again that would be immature:wink2:.

One thing I see with first full time job nurses is the misery involved with the entire corporate picture....they think the grass is greener elsewhere. As a matter of fact, that is seen in nurses who have been in an environment for awhile too! I am happy to let them know institutional crap happens in other fields and industries too!

My continued opinion,

Maisy

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I don't think any of these things should happen, contrary to what other comments here have said about me, I don't believe that. I like things the way they are now, If you made the grades and worked that hard, then YES you deserve that spot! To me it was more like I said in the first post, was it a "waste" of spot b/c (to me, I thought), they wouldn't work that long. of course,I do know that this can happen to anyone, even a YOUNGSTER!

But when you have been trying as long as I have to get into to nursing school and you can't make it (and yes, this can be b/c of my immaturity back then!) you start to hate those that DID make it in and so you do start thinking these things. But at the end I DID realize that I, just needed to BETTER my grades! LOL! Which I knew involved RETAKING all my sciences again, but if that made me more competitive and a BETTER nurse i thought, then I did.

I actually thought your question was interesting (perhaps not phrased very well), and I have had similar thoughts about "older students" --- and I myself am a nursing student in my 40's. And I even wonder the same thing about me - how will this affect me physically? will I have a hard time getting a job? how long will I be able to do this?

No one knows what the future holds, anyway. But as others have said, I think there are plenty of other opportunities other than bedside nursing if you have the education and experience.

I just never even considered that us "older folk" were taking up valuable spots in school. Now that I know that some other people think that way, it will just want to make me work even harder!

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Med-Surg..

I am not from the US, but I will give you my take on it. Here in Canada, seats at nursing school are parceled out with the majority of seats given to those just out of high school so it can be very competitive in some areas for mature and/or international students to get in. Often I have heard younger students make this comment thinking that older students are taking up seats but they are really only taking very few seats which still leaves plenty of opportunity for younger students to get into nursing school. Whether we like it or not, schools tend to accept those with the best marks so they can market their programs. I will be forty two when when I start my BSN next fall, as will many other students. Three of my aunts are RN's and they are in their late sixties and still working casual. As you grow older and learn more about life and finances you will find that most people work well into their sixties as it is becoming very challenging to retire early.

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Specializes in Emergency Dept.

Maisy,

I guess I need to clarify my working situation a little more. There is only one nurse on our floor I can think of that I would really consider 'older' (65+ yrs) and she has been a nurse for a long long time and is an asset to our floor. I guess I was more referring to our patients - if the original poster worked on a floor like mine where the majority of 'older' people we see are as patients and are unable to do more physical things, it is easier to get the misconception that older = unable to do things. Again, it's all in what an individual is exposed to. If an individual is not around an environment to see the vast capabilities of these 'older' individuals and is only exposed to those who are sick and unable, it would be easy to obtain that misconception.

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i personally think it's a crapshoot when availing seats to wanna-be nurses.

young students offer probability of physical stamina.

older students offer probability of life experience and dedication.

whether you are 25 or 45, no one knows how long one will stay in our profession.

if i had to guess, i would pick the older student giving 20+ yrs of darned good service, over the 25 yo, who is likely to say, "screw this crap" and walk off after a few short yrs.

granted, us older folk are unlikely to tolerate a bunch of nonsense, but interestingly, we are able to handle what is served to us, and return it with "bite me" and a cherry on top.

when you youngins become middle aged, you will see exactly what i mean, and be able to laugh, knowingly.

so to answer your question, no, age really doesn't matter...

only in the sense that older nurses/people are likely able to handle the stressors of nsg with finesse and sass.:)

leslie

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Specializes in psych, pediatrics, maternity.
Why don't you look at how many "younger" people go into nursing and realize a year or two down the road it's not for them and that they hate nursing. Now that's definitly a waste.... Research states that the average life span of a nurse is seven years!!!!!!!!!

Exactly! Most young/new nurses I've met say they can't see themselves being nurses for the rest of their lives, myself included (which is why I'm now in law school after 10 years of being a nurse). Older nursing students probably have a better idea of what they're looking for and what they want than younger students do.

As for the spots, I say anyone who is offered one deserves it. Thank God my law school didn't have that attitude towards me when I applied, or they might not have offered me a spot! :wink2:

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Specializes in OB.
I don't think any of these things should happen, contrary to what other comments here have said about me, I don't believe that. I like things the way they are now, If you made the grades and worked that hard, then YES you deserve that spot! To me it was more like I said in the first post, was it a "waste" of spot b/c (to me, I thought), they wouldn't work that long. of course,I do know that this can happen to anyone, even a YOUNGSTER!

But when you have been trying as long as I have to get into to nursing school and you can't make it (and yes, this can be b/c of my immaturity back then!) you start to hate those that DID make it in and so you do start thinking these things. But at the end I DID realize that I, just needed to BETTER my grades! LOL! Which I knew involved RETAKING all my sciences again, but if that made me more competitive and a BETTER nurse i thought, then I did.

The idea that "older" students shouldn't be given the opportunity they have earned because they'd be taking the space of a younger student is, to me, sadly reminiscent of the days of bypassing or denying women opportunities or advancement in education and business "because they'll just get married and stay home with children" or "They'd be taking the place from some man with a family to support."

Lucky for you that you are young enough not to remember when this was acceptable.

If you look at it from this perspective you may understand the heat of some of the responses here.

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Specializes in PEDS-HEM/ONC.

I went into nursing 20 years ago when I was in my 20's, had no children and not many responsibilities. I am returning now in my mid 40's after running a family business, raising 3 daughters and now helping my Mom navigate the nastiness of dementia. I know for a fact that I am going to be a better nurse, simply because I have had more life experiences. I also feel like I have a good 20 years left in me so I don't think it really matters.

I think the bottom line is, if you have a passion for nursing, that is where you should be regardless of your age.

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Specializes in Oncology/BMT.

What kind of thread question is this? Age doesn't matter. If you are capable of going to Nursing school (no matter what age), more power to you!

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