Aging Nurses - Where do we go?

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  1. Where should aging nurses go if they can't keep up with young, new grads?

    • 224
      Keep trying regular jobs
    • 130
      Retire
    • 336
      Start your own unique nursing business
    • 897
      Be vocal and suggest options
    • 166
      Change to a different career

1,753 members have participated

I am an aging nurse (50) who can't really keep up with the young new grads. Why can't there be a nurse company (or hospital or nursing home or staffing agency) that employs such nurses that will work for less money and do less stressful/multi-tasking nursing jobs? I mean we are still valuable. Seems like money and doing things in a rush are what employers want but everywhere is so short staffed. I don't mean to be disrespectful to anyone or anywhere; I just think we are resources that are not being utilized. Thoughts please?

Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.
I am an aging nurse (50) who can't really keep up with the young new grads. Why can't there be a nurse company (or hospital or nursing home or staffing agency) that employs such nurses that will work for less money and do less stressful/multi-tasking nursing jobs?

It's a little unusual to consider the ability to multi-task as a skill in which a new grad of any age would out-perform experienced nurses. My experience has it the other way around.

Seems like the idea of "Aging Nurse Agency" must be aging to work here, we will pay you less money sort of gives the customers the impression the care is substandard in some way? Sort of like the discounted irregular section of the sock display?

Many people have suggested less stressful job avenues you might pursue. They may pay you less but generally they pay everyone less (ie a clinic) if the job is too taxing physically that's a valid issue, but to diminish the worth of any nurse based on their subjective evaluation would not be a good thing for the profession as a whole.

Ageism is alive and well, although you don't mention it specifically. It is very discouraging. Short-staffing and employer greed may affect everyone, but probably us oldsters disproportionately. There's an entire thread about that.

Hospitals Firing Seasoned Nurses: Nurses FIGHT Back!

Best wishes!

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Specializes in ICU.
I'm on the downside of my career (59) and I've done Hospice for the last 5 years or so. I love it. I spent 26 years doing bedside Nursing in a hospital setting, and left it 10 years ago.

Maybe it's because I'm getting older, but I just got tired of dealing with acute care and all the rules and restrictions they place on patients.

Nothing makes me happier than when I tell one of my patients "Hospice is about choices. Eat dessert before dinner. Hell, eat dessert INSTEAD of dinner" and their eyes light up and they start to understand.

Isn't it sad that we have to wait until people are dying to do things like that? I feel like we live in nothing but a nanny state anymore. Every, little thing does not need to be regulated. But then again, that's a whole different discussion.

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Specializes in Psych, Peds, Geri, Teaching, LTC, QA.

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to generalize that all aging nurses can't keep up. I meant some--enough to talk about it.

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Specializes in Hospice.
I'm sorry, I didn't mean to generalize that all aging nurses can't keep up. I meant some--enough to talk about it.

My position is, I'm perfectly capable of keeping up, I just don't feel the need anymore.

My interests and focus have changed, that's all.

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Specializes in Psych, Peds, Geri, Teaching, LTC, QA.

Thank you for your post. I will read the linked thread too. :-) I'm sorry, I didn't mean the care would be substandard, just done steadily vs. in a rush. And I wouldn't put "Aging" in the title because right, abilities are individualized inevitably.

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Specializes in Psych, Peds, Geri, Teaching, LTC, QA.

I respect that. Remember in Nursing School (mine was BSN, grad 96) where they said PRIORTIZE is the key? Well, it seems the bosses want you to do 5 things at once instead of prioritize. :(

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I respect that. Remember in Nursing School (mine was BSN, grad 96) where they said PRIORTIZE is the key? Well, it seems the bosses want you to do 5 things at once instead of prioritize. :(

Can you use the quote feature please? Thanks.

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I now have taken 12 hour shifts in home care out of the equation when I look for new work, but mostly because employers insist on cheating me out of the overtime pay called for by labor laws in my state. I just don't think that dragging myself down for that amount of time, not to mention up to two hours commute one way, on a daily basis is worth it any longer. When I was younger and in a different profession I would never think twice about 12 hour shifts, day-in and day-out.

Now, what an employer wants to hire me for, as an older worker, that is an entirely different story.

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I know someone who retired to the caribbean, bought a house on the beach and works as an expat nurse educator. She keeps just about all her paycheck. She is in her 40's but was experiencing depression (winter) and burnout (fixed schedule and long hours). Try the agencies and see what they have.

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Specializes in nurseline,med surg, PD.

Check out the insurance companies, they hire tons of nurses.

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Specializes in hospice, geriatrics.

I recently started doing home health. I was doing strictly hospice for the past 10 years. HH is incredibly demanding mentally but not so much physically. Its the computer charting and all the T's to cross and I's to dot. This will wear anybody out for real!

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Specializes in ICU.
I know someone who retired to the caribbean, bought a house on the beach and works as an expat nurse educator. She keeps just about all her paycheck. She is in her 40's but was experiencing depression (winter) and burnout (fixed schedule and long hours). Try the agencies and see what they have.

I gotta do that!!!!! ;)

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