Aging Nurses - Where do we go?

Published

  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?

OMG! What was I thinking...Headed back to school after 25 years as an LPN. At 55, I will BE a new grad!

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An aging nurse at 50? Really? I am 49 and while I can feel my body changing, I definitely don't see myself as aging. I am really concerned that the healthcare industry will begin to feel the same way you do and over 50 years of age nurse become undesirable. My personal plan is to remain active outside of work and keep my body in shape to withstand the rigorous 12 hour shifts for as long as possible because I LOVE what I do!!! Best of luck to you finding a job that fits your personal needs.

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
An aging nurse at 50? Really? I am 49 and while I can feel my body changing, I definitely don't see myself as aging. I am really concerned that the healthcare industry will begin to feel the same way you do and over 50 years of age nurse become undesirable. My personal plan is to remain active outside of work and keep my body in shape to withstand the rigorous 12 hour shifts for as long as possible because I LOVE what I do!!! Best of luck to you finding a job that fits your personal needs.

Everyone is aging -- even the 20 year olds. But I take exception to the idea that at 60, I'm not worth as much as the 20 year olds.

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Specializes in Ped ED, PICU, PEDS, M/S. SD.

I am 44, still way to young to retire. I hope I found my retirement job in peds a small unit at a community hospital. I have worked peds Er/trauma picu, stem cell transplsnt, cv surgery. I had my fill of excitement. I just want to go to work with some what stable patients and not run my butt off.

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I turn 60 in 2 weeks. I work 4 12 hour shifts per week. I, too, have severe osteoarthritis in my knees and already have had a knee replacement. Do I think about slowing down and taking a desk job or boring Home Health? Heck, No!! The younger nurses have trouble keeping up with ME!

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I will be 56 in January and I am a day shift charge nurse at a SNF. I frequently do 12 hour shifts and rarely do I have a "regular" 8 hour shift. In fact, I just did a double yesterday. Granted, I am home today recuperating from that shift lol. However, I do not consider myself "aging" or "old". In fact, I run circles around a lot of the younger nurses at my facility. Age is a state of mind. I keep myself in good health. No, I am not at an ideal weight but I am in the process of losing that last 20 lbs that I have put on since becoming a nurse. I eat good clean food and have given up sodas, fast food and sugar. I get 7-8 hours of sleep nightly. I take care of "me" first in order to take care of others. By the way, my mother, also a nurse, recently slowed down to a PRN position. She now only works 3-4 days per week at a SNF. But then she is going on 75!

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I am in my 50's and for the past 12 years I've been working as a telephone advice nurse. Upsides: better schedules, sit down job, less infectious risk, I get all my breaks on time! Downsides: sit down job, can be a bit dull at times, no hands-on contact with patients.

There are jobs out there. Just keep searching!

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I am amazed how many people think 50 is old! I may be 54 but I have to remind myself how old I am half of the time. I still can do circles around any young nurse and have the knowledge to do it! I am in a Masters of Nursing program now and will be looking forward to my next journey in nursing. Far from over for me!

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Drunks all night? Bottom cabin? Ugh.

Not to mention norovirus epidemics! Double UGH!!!!!

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Specializes in Hospice.

Sometimes there's a difference between being 55 and a nurse for 7 years and being 55 and a nurse for 34 years.

Especially if most of those 34 years were at the bedside. Back in the 70s and 80s, there were no "lift teams", there was really no thought for employee safety other than "if your shoulders or back hurt, it's because of bad body mechanics, not the fact that you have to turn, reposition and transfer lazy ass 200+ pounders by yourself because there isn't enough help."

Mentally I'm as sharp if not sharper than most younger nurses. Physically? Well, let's just say my shoulders always know when the weather is going to change. I'm by no means a cripple, nor do I need joint replacement surgery, but arthritis has been my friend since I hit 40 or so.

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I will be 50 next month and I don't consider myself old.

I was 42 when I got out of nursing school and I felt like I was just hitting my stride when I turned 50. When my late ex and I separated I was 62 and that's when I became a travel nurse. I noticed that almost all the travelers I worked with were either quite young (mostly no attachments) or on my side of the calendar. Many had retired from other situations so were over 65. Old? Heck no! After I'd been a traveler for 3 years I started feeling pretty rootless so I settled down in a good-sized metro area where I had no trouble finding a bedside job. I never encountered ageism until I moved up here (with the man of my dreams) in an area where there are 4 BSN and 2 ADN programs for the hospitals to choose from and it's more rural. I kept looking until I got sick and ended up having 5 surgeries in a period of 11 months. At that point I decided God was telling me something and maybe it was time to stop, so I did. However, I have a friend who is 76 and still working in psych home health, and I had other friends who worked well into their 70s, so if I hadn't got sick I probably would have kept looking.

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Specializes in Med Surg, Parish Nurse, Hospice.

Yes, that was the one part of Hospice that I found to be a downside. At times I would get called out in the middle of the night when on call, stay up all night and work the next day. As far as minimal lifting, not always. We were expected to bath and dress our deceased patient. Not always an easy task. Also we were expected to assist the funeral home staff carry the body out of the home on a stretcher, also not always an easy task. I do understand what you are saying about not keeping up with the younger staff members. I have been in that boat.

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