Before I go on......please understand....I am not trying to say anything bad about older nurses........Absolutely no disrespect intended!...We will all be there someday.
We have three nurses on our unit. All older than 60 yrs of age. They consistently leave things in a mess. Consistently make medication errors (mostly errors of omission). Things are frequently "forgotten" like consents are not gotten for blood transfusions, assessments not done nor any charting for an entire shift.
I worry that someday their "ineptness" might end up causing a death or some other sentinel event. Reporting things to the manager is useless. The three of them will come in at the drop of a hat and pull 4-8 hrs of OT so they are a "warm body". Who cares if that "warm body" is actually capable of doing the job or not? Just as long as they are in "the count" and the staffing ratios look good. I say that this is dangerous as all get out.
Now here is where I might get flamed. Let me re-iterate...absolutely no disrespect intended..........
I think that there should be some kind of a test that older nurses should have to take in order to be able to continue to practice nursing. Just as I think that once we turn 60, we all should have to take a road test every two years in order to keep our driver's licenses. I know that most would say that this is age discrimination. I don't think that the safety of people in this world should be jeopardized just so there is no "age discrimination". Please know that when I get to that age, I would expect the same treatment (i.e. having to take some sort of practical test or road test in order to keep my licenses).
Ever been a patient in med-surg for a long hospitalization? I have.
After a several days on the unit, I requested to be assigned to "old" nurses because the new ones didn't have all the skills to care for me the best (i.e. unable to give a IM injection without one of the "old" nurses teaching them how to do it!)
The best nurses I had were the "old" nurses. Their experience, judgement and therefore critical thinking can't be beat. If your "old" nurses aren't doing the job properly, they need feedback so that they can do it properly, not forced retirement.
It is the term forced retirement I don't like. These people need health insurance and food and shelter just like anyone else. If you are 60 at the moment you have to work till age 66 to get SSI. Believe me I was chased out early by an unsuportive enviroment and it ain't easy getting by on my tiny pension. Why forced retirement? Why not reeducation and review?
I agree. Have on occasion worked with a nurse in her 60's, and she was the greatest. Learned a lot from her, and she was able to make an impossible situation work like a wouldn't believe more than once. No "proper supplies", she'd tell you what would work from just your regular supplies. She also kept up on her education, and wasn't afraid to state that "I'm not sure how we do (insert procedure) now a days, back in my day it was different, can you help me with this?"
When I was a young, new nurse, I too worked with 3 older nurses who sometimes left a mess, did not always get every consent signed, and even forgot to give some of the lesser meds. Frustration was something several of us lived with for weeks, then one day, all HE$$ broke lose, a patient fell, a code, a fresh post op sprung a bad leak, plus our worst doctor and new charge nurse were "discussing" problems at the desk. Well, these old ladies took over and handled everything. The fall guy was quickly assessed, doctor paged, informed an xray of hip/spine and head were needed. Full report including VS given in less than 3 minutes. Xray called stat and carrier on way. Another older nurse had pressure applied to the bleeder, was on the room phone with doctor and had him back towards OR like a flash too. She had me ride on the bed, applying pressure to the wound, right to the OR door. Patient lived and recovered well. Code was handled well too. CPR done right, IV access obtained x 3 sites in 1 stick each, EKG taken and read accurately to MD coming into room, cart open and ready. Now these ladies could be pistols but they knew their stuff and taught us all, "don't be so quick to sweat the small stuff, but CYA on the big stuff. :roll
I too have worked with very very well seasoned nurses. I can think of one in particular. She did public nursing on the day shift during the week and worked every Friday and Saturday noc shift. She never called out. She was probably the most valuable employee on the noc shift. However, she made sure to keep herself up to date and voluntarily gone in for "refresher" courses in areas that she didn't feel comfortable. She would also request to not take very complex pts anymore "because I am not as sharp as I used to be" and we did everything in our power to accomodate her.
What I am trying to say (maybe not as tactfully as I would like to)...........there will come a time in all of our lives where we will no longer be able to cut the mustard. And there will always be nurses who will work until "they won't let me anymore" because they have no other choice. I think that the facilities where they work need to accomodate these nurses but at the same time, we need to protect our patients. I think the same situation happens w/ the docs....there comes a time for them as well where they are no longer safe to practice medicine. Fortunately for them and unfortunate for us.......they make a lot more $ than we do and are maybe able to better plan for their retirement.
I am not sure what the answer is. If you have a 70 year old woman at the check out stand taking your money for your groceries and she makes a huge error, well the consequences are more than likely not as significant as if I (as a 70 yr old nurse) made a huge error.
What a great story!! Let me share one of my best memories: I was a teenage CNA and for the first time, assigned to the ER on the evening shift in a major metro hospital in New York. ALL heck broke loose when at least 12 accident victims from a thruway pileup came in within minutes of each other.Theres the charge nurse, a drop dead beautiful blond RN in her fourties with a ready smile, soft voice and loved by all. Theres a security guard, me ,scared to death and wishing I was somewhere else, a first year resident who wanted to be an eye doctor and whose English was sketchy and another RN. This was exactly 38 years ago and this is what I remember. The charge nurse, calm as can be ,quietly directing every member of the team quickly and respectfully, making sure the famililies who started to arrive were attended to and honest to God, directing the resident very quietly so that others wouldnt know she was telling him what to do while he worked on the worst of the patients. she established who was to be seen in priority, mobilized other hospital departments and if you didnt really know what was going on there, you would think it was just another day in paradise. I learned my first lesson in leadership that day as everyone else remained as focused, efficient, pleasant and calm as she was. Why was this evening so clear in my mind? that beautiful blond was my mother.. Just one of the many reasons I also became an RN.
Oh, what a beautiful story! It brought tears to my eyes! I hope you will give your mom a copy of it!
I knew many of you might enjoy that story. I told her the story myself many many times over the years and again during her long illness in recent years. She passed away in 2003. She of course had no recollection of that particular evening, but got a kick out of my recollection of it.
I really think we should have to pass competency on a regular basis, even if it means taking the boards every couple of years. I've been recerting BLS every two years since I was 16, but nursing skills aren't tested and maintained in any concrete way.
For example, drug calculations, EKG interpretation, basic patho, all things that we could recert. I see so many people getting comfortable in their practice and doing things because that's the way they are used to doing them, and not remembering why they do it that way. We're more adaptable if we know the why as well as the how.
I knew many of you might enjoy that story. I told her the story myself many many times over the years and again during her long illness in recent years. She passed away in 2003. She of course had no recollection of that particular evening, but got a kick out of my recollection of it.
I'm so sorry she's gone on to Glory. This world has lost a rare jewel. I'm sure she's just so proud that you're carrying on the tradition.
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
I think that idea might lead to an age discrimination suit.
However, if you feel these nurses are a danger to the patients, and you've gone to your manager and no action has been taken, write each incident up as it happens to Risk Management.
Young or old, staff nurses need to be made aware of errors and counseled regarding them.
Before I go on......please understand....I am not trying to say anything bad about older nurses........Absolutely no disrespect intended!...We will all be there someday.
We have three nurses on our unit. All older than 60 yrs of age. They consistently leave things in a mess. Consistently make medication errors (mostly errors of omission). Things are frequently "forgotten" like consents are not gotten for blood transfusions, assessments not done nor any charting for an entire shift.
I worry that someday their "ineptness" might end up causing a death or some other sentinel event. Reporting things to the manager is useless. The three of them will come in at the drop of a hat and pull 4-8 hrs of OT so they are a "warm body". Who cares if that "warm body" is actually capable of doing the job or not? Just as long as they are in "the count" and the staffing ratios look good. I say that this is dangerous as all get out.
Now here is where I might get flamed. Let me re-iterate...absolutely no disrespect intended..........
I think that there should be some kind of a test that older nurses should have to take in order to be able to continue to practice nursing. Just as I think that once we turn 60, we all should have to take a road test every two years in order to keep our driver's licenses. I know that most would say that this is age discrimination. I don't think that the safety of people in this world should be jeopardized just so there is no "age discrimination". Please know that when I get to that age, I would expect the same treatment (i.e. having to take some sort of practical test or road test in order to keep my licenses).
Ok......flame away. I can take it.
I don't think its fair to single out nurses over 60. If a skill test is goint to be administered It should be across the board. I work with Nurses over 60 who are excellent. They have a wealth of experience, they are patient and supportive with the new grads.
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Sis123
197 Posts
Ever been a patient in med-surg for a long hospitalization? I have.
After a several days on the unit, I requested to be assigned to "old" nurses because the new ones didn't have all the skills to care for me the best (i.e. unable to give a IM injection without one of the "old" nurses teaching them how to do it!)
The best nurses I had were the "old" nurses. Their experience, judgement and therefore critical thinking can't be beat. If your "old" nurses aren't doing the job properly, they need feedback so that they can do it properly, not forced retirement.