hiring older nurses

Nurses General Nursing

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I see many threads of students in their 30s and up asking if they are too old to go back to school, change careers, etc. The answer is no.

I've also seen threads where older nurses couldn't find jobs and they believe it is their age. Does anybody know how employeers feel about age?

I'm just curious and asking because I'm sure other people have wondered as well.

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I see many threads of students in their 30s and up asking if they are too old to go back to school, change careers, etc. The answer is no.

I've also seen threads where older nurses couldn't find jobs and they believe it is their age. Does anybody know how employeers feel about age?

I'm just curious and asking because I'm sure other people have wondered as well.

The LTC facility I work at just hired a 72 year old nurse to work my shifts when I leave (insert your own joke here).

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The LTC facility I work at just hired a 72 year old nurse to work my shifts when I leave (insert your own joke here).

Lol. Maybe that will make others feel better.

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Specializes in Emergency Medicine.

I personally would hire an older nurse- different work ethics. For me it's not about the age of applicant, but how they handle and mesh within the environment.

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Age discrimination in the workplace is illegal. That does not mean it is not occurring.

Employment circumstances are on an individual basis. I found my dream job at 60.

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If you know of any older nurses with strong patient care skills/experience and appear strong and in good relative health with a great patient focused attitude, I have a job for them!

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There are a lot of young nurses where I work. This is not to say that older nurses wont get hired just because of age. IMO it is good to have a mixture of all ages. I noticed the older nurses stick more to themselves where I am employed.

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Age discrimination in the workplace is illegal. That does not mean it is not occurring.

Employment circumstances are on an individual basis. I found my dream job at 60.

Thats great!

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Specializes in NICU.

I graduated nursing school at 48 and didn't have a real problem getting a job, despite the fact that I applied almost exclusively for NICU jobs..

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

One of my former unit managers privately told me that she prefers to work with 'younger' nurses because "they are so much easier to work with. Older nurses can be argumentative and too set in their ways."

By the way, this particular unit manager was 43 years of age when she spoke these ageist words back in 2008.

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Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

I am 45 and have had no shortage of job offers. That being said, I was not seen as an "up and comer". I was passed over for opportunities frequently despite being very engaged in my unit, qualified, advancing education and taking voluntary lead in a multitude of ways. Whether that was due to age or not I cannot really prove. It is just a suspicion I have and I don't think it was conscious. I think the managers in question just seemed to see me as a fantastic worker bee and to see the younger nurses as being more likely to get restless if they weren't moving up quicker. Of course that is grossly incorrect and I left for a job that offered what I was looking for.

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One of my former unit managers privately told me that she prefers to work with 'younger' nurses because "they are so much easier to work with. Older nurses can be argumentative and too set in their ways."

By the way, this particular unit manager was 43 years of age when she spoke these ageist words back in 2008.

Wow. Thats the pot calling the kettle black :D

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