disturbing observation at the Children's hospital...

[NurseCard]

Alright... so my eight year old son has been in the hospital for the past three days after an episode of non responsiveness and seizure. He had never had this happen before and the docs are trying to figure out what happened.

He is in a children's hospital which is attached to a large university teaching hospital.

My son is doing well and so I've had more of a chance to observe what is going on around me. The doctors and nurses here have been wonderful and I can't complain about the care.

But my goodness... I feel OLD being here. I mean, are hospitals these days pretty much only hiring the youngest, prettiest nurses? Seriously... I have seen maybe two nurses who look like they are over 30 and most of the nurses are skinny and blonde.

Look.. yeah I'm old and heavy. And yeah at this point in my career maybe I should be settled into a place and not thinking "gee I like this place I would kinda like to work here".

I think it's just due to yes, I've watched my nursing career go down the toilet mostly and wish I could go back to being that fresh faced young nurse again.

I kinda feel bad for older new nurses who would maybe want to work in a place like this, though.

[Anna S, RN]

I am 50, and I'm one of the youngest staffers on my unit.

[the healer's art]

Someone actually asked me if it was a requirement for new grads was to be petite and young. :) But I am 2nd degree and have a young face so I am older than parents and others assume.

[Libby1987]

I am 50, and I'm one of the youngest staffers on my unit.

Same here.

[jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B]

Alright... so my eight year old son has been in the hospital for the past three days after an episode of non responsiveness and seizure. He had never had this happen before and the docs are trying to figure out what happened.

He is in a children's hospital which is attached to a large university teaching hospital.

My son is doing well and so I've had more of a chance to observe what is going on around me. The doctors and nurses here have been wonderful and I can't complain about the care.

But my goodness... I feel OLD being here. I mean, are hospitals these days pretty much only hiring the youngest, prettiest nurses? Seriously... I have seen maybe two nurses who look like they are over 30 and most of the nurses are skinny and blonde.

Look.. yeah I'm old and heavy. And yeah at this point in my career maybe I should be settled into a place and not thinking "gee I like this place I would kinda like to work here".

I think it's just due to yes, I've watched my nursing career go down the toilet mostly and wish I could go back to being that fresh faced young nurse again.

I kinda feel bad for older new nurses who would maybe want to work in a place like this, though.

Because lots of new older nurses would run screaming in the other direction if they had to work peds....

In all seriousness, there a very, very few young faced, energetic new nurses just this shy of 22 I would not think are adorable. They are all cute at that age. And think that all kids are cute.

Not to mention that nurses who are into the pediatric population are just over the moon about it--love every minute of it, so of course this bubbling bottle of energy comes into the room, and yup--the older and slightly jaded among us would take pause.

Does your son take to his nurses? Is he comfortable and thinks that said nurses are "too cool" or my personal favorite "wicked sick" (

To the OP, I hope that your son continues to get better!!

[decembergrad2011, BSN, RN]

Most of us on day shift on my side of the floor are quite...perky. I do have to admit that. I have noticed a recent trend on our floor toward a lot of the older nurses deciding to "retire" to night shift because the pace is so much slower then.