Apparently washed up

Published

Yeah, being experienced and aged 54, my prospects are nil apparently. Been an LPN for seven years. Unemployed for 13 months now, thanks to my last facility laying off the LPNs and using unlicensed personnel in our place. This is Northeast Ohio. I have exhausted myself to the point of depression looking and worrying about work on a daily basis. Experience and age will get you shown the door, if indeed you land an interview out of all the false ads out there. While its hard to prove, its happening. Case in point: Two LPNs, myself 7yr, 54, the other, 1 yr asst living exp fresh outta school, 23 yrs old. apply for same position at major facility in NE OH.,(hospital, MED-SURG) guess who gets the job?! The young inexperienced girl who failed every orientation test, but was able to keep the job and was on her own in a week. And they are paying her per hour .50 more the wage I made fresh out of school 7 yrs ago. No one cares about real patient care anymore. Don't want to pay the experienced nurse a decent wage however old you are, but if you are older, strike two. One place offered me a dollar less than my starting wage out of school! I am starting to feel like I am done as a nurse and I should just get real and bite the bullet and be a cashier somewhere. And silly me thought I would finally have a stable career when I worked so hard through school. I was proud of myself, and proud to be a nurse, and my patients have all loved me, and me them. Yes, even the ones that make you crazy! Now its just embarrassing to be an unemployed nurse. Everyone thinks and says, Oh theres jobs everywhere! I am professional, have good record and references, go in with a suit, but try as you might, cant hide the age or experience, and most of the time, the person interviewing you has no idea the role of a nurse, and is fresh out of school, having found your resume on the internet. Had phone interview for dermatology practice...guy asks " so how do you feel about skin"?! And then, " so why have you been out of work for sooo long"?! Just venting.....

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Specializes in pediatric.

Reading your post made me sad. I would think that age and experience would trump youth and inexperience any day! Have you tried home health and private duty nursing (see these forums under "specialties" here at allnurse)? Maybe it's just your area/locale, and the job market there. Is it possible to take some time to get some additional training to make yourself more marketable (e.g phlebotomy cert., ACLS)? Or maybe you have to take a job paying less than you would like, but once you got in somewhere and proved yourself (sucks, I know), then you could negotiate higher pay? Keep trying- I know there are opportunities out there for you.

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Specializes in LTC,Hospice/palliative care,acute care.

I'm sorry you are going through that-I'm in my mid 50's and pray that I don't have to get out and job search.I do keep my resume updated and have gotten some certifications but age-ism is prevalent . Can you get into an agency? Several of our staff nurses came to us through one. We liked them, they liked us and when full time positions opened up they were encouraged to apply -it was a "win-win" None of them are under 40ish.

When I have been downsized and laid off in the past I did a lot of private duty.Once I found a case it seemed that word of mouth found me a few more and that worked out well.Often I was a glorified housekeeper,driver and pill counter but it was cash....Good LUck

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Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.

I'm so sorry that is happening to you and it isn't just you. The nursing job market is hellish right now.. there are way more nurses of all types flooding the market now with no end in sight.

Have you looked into private duty or home health agencies? They generally hire LPNs for that in my state.

You mention what I think is a growing trend . . Hiring unlicensed techs and fewer RNs delegating to them. The nursing school interests are still promoting the severe nursing shortage myth while ignoring that "one nurse out, one nurse in" model is going extinct rapidly.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

Welcome to AN! The largest online nursing community!

Ageism is alive and well in nursing......https://allnurses.com/nurse-colleague-patient/ageism-nursing-pervasive-751533.html

There is a growing trend of using non licensed personnel....scary for a profession where there is a plethora of nurses and it's governing bodies insisting on educating themselves out of the bedside in the pursuit of the "big bucks" jobs like CRNA and ANP who want positions with minimal patient contact, great hours, no human bodily functions, and a belief that there is a nursing shortage.

It's a sad state of affairs. I never thought I'd see the day.

There are many of us here that have been victims of ageism and hospitals/facilities are very good at "seeking a better candidate".

Have you tried a LTACH? Agency, Home health?

The next time someone asks you why you have been unemployed this long....answer them. Educate yourself. Remind them that the nursing shortage is over for now (click on the link) that the average job search for new grads is 18 months, that some states have a 47% unemployment rate amongst nurses. The the density nursing is in the pulse column in Ohio. The the largest employers in Ohio are laying off nurses....That the economy still is in a desperate place.

[TABLE]

[TR]

[TH=align: left]City and Area[/TH]

[TH=align: right]Median Salary[/TH]

[TH=align: right]Employees[/TH]

[TH=align: right]Job Density[/TH]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Akron[/TD]

[TD=align: right]$62,000[/TD]

[TD=align: right]7,040[/TD]

[TD=align: right]+8%

[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Canton[/TD]

[TD=align: right]$56,000[/TD]

[TD=align: right]3,860[/TD]

[TD=align: right]+18%[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Cincinnati[/TD]

[TD=align: right]$62,000[/TD]

[TD=align: right]23,260[/TD]

[TD=align: right]+12%[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Cleveland[/TD]

[TD=align: right]$63,000[/TD]

[TD=align: right]28,530[/TD]

[TD=align: right]+36%[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Columbus[/TD]

[TD=align: right]$63,000[/TD]

[TD=align: right]17,740[/TD]

[TD=align: right]-6%[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Dayton[/TD]

[TD=align: right]$61,000[/TD]

[TD=align: right]9,640[/TD]

[TD=align: right]+24%[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Lima[/TD]

[TD=align: right]$60,000[/TD]

[TD=align: right]1,990[/TD]

[TD=align: right]+112%[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Mansfield[/TD]

[TD=align: right]$59,000[/TD]

[TD=align: right]1,220[/TD]

[TD=align: right]+31%[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Sandusky[/TD]

[TD=align: right]$56,000[/TD]

[TD=align: right]760[/TD]

[TD=align: right]+27%[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Springfield[/TD]

[TD=align: right]$55,000[/TD]

[TD=align: right]910[/TD]

[TD=align: right]+6%[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Steubenville[/TD]

[TD=align: right]$50,000[/TD]

[TD=align: right]1,510[/TD]

[TD=align: right]+107%[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Toledo[/TD]

[TD=align: right]$58,000[/TD]

[TD=align: right]8,850[/TD]

[TD=align: right]+49%[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Youngstown[/TD]

[TD=align: right]$55,000[/TD]

[TD=align: right]5,310[/TD]

[TD=align: right]+17%[/TD]

[/TR]

[/TABLE]

http://www.job-hunt.org/careers/nurses.shtml

((HUGS)) it isn't you....welcome to the club. I know it's crazy...... try looking into LPN/RN bridge programs, check with unemployment for their "back to work?" re-education funding which is where many get assistance/payment to return to school to better their opportunities to become employed.

Good Luck!

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I was told by a client that my employer had told her that I am "too old" to work overtime to staff a shortage on her case. She agreed to write a statement for me for my EEO/legal complaint, but then disappeared by taking the case to a new agency. If that were the only negative thing about that particular employer, I would still be flabbergasted. I notice that creditors and others do not think I am "too old" to demand money of me.

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The only problem with just being a cashier somewhere is that someone has to hire you for that. I found that out when I was in another one of those periods of long term unemployment and couldn't get hired for anything at all. Finally I threw in the towel after about three years and applied for a nursing job.

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Specializes in ICU, CARDIO, NUERO.

type fast and do medical transcription from home...you got this ;)..this is an opportunity ;)

private home care ...hang your own shingle....you got this..

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. . Hiring unlicensed techs and fewer RNs delegating to them. The nursing school interests are still promoting the severe nursing shortage myth while ignoring that "one nurse out, one nurse in" model is going extinct rapidly.

I've always believed this to be true - There never really ever has been a nursing shortage. Only a temporary shortage of new nursing students and people will to work for like $9 an hour

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