i hope i know when to hang up my stethoscope,

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Specializes in long-term care.

ok i have been an lpn for 7 and 1/2 years, i was a cna for 2 years prior to becoming a nurse, and i have about 3 pre-reqs left to take, before i can enter into a local fast track program, i have worked primarily in ltc, and i just wondered how other nurses felt about this, and i dont want to seem insensitive, i am 29, and full of energy, and new ideas, i work alot of times with nurses who have been nursing 20 plus years, and thats a great achievement, commendable even, however, i think SOME seasoned nurses just need to kno when to say hay i devoted my life to doing what i love, but now..............i say this because too many times, i have worked with much older nurses who, over the years have become very lax in their thinking, and care, take off alot d/t ailments, etc, orientate brand new nurses, and telling and showing them the wrong way, and we all kno that working in ltc is a highly stressful, fast-paced field, and some literally can not keep up! then some, realize this and are givin these cushy, m-f, office jobs, so nurses like myself, are left with the crappy shifts like 3-11, 4 on 2 off, etc, i think that if you hold a title, rn, lpn, cna, if you come to a point in your life where you are not able to function for whatever reason as your title, then........ i realize experience plays a big role, i look to some seasoned nurses for guiadance still, but id be willing to bet that i could run circles around them, and where i work, caring for 45 residents, u literally have to run, pushing a huge buggy of medicine, and these residents deserve that, there are all types of discrimination, but i believe one that is left out is against young nurses, with young children, b/c i guess its assumed that you wont be dependable, but a nurse with a bad heart, etc etc wit 20 plus years exp. is a better choice?? and im not what i would consider a, "new nurse" i kno i dont kno it all, but sometimes its just frustrating and unfair, if need be i can still function as a cna, and still come back and do my job, and thats why im glad i will have gone thru each level before i get my rn, so i will have some knowledge of where everyone is coming from, well just thot id get that off my chest, thats my opinion, if you dont like it, move on to the next thread, god bless, mwah!

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I think older people have to eat and pay rent just like younger people, they need their health insurance even more. Exactly where would you expect them to go and what would you expect them to do? If they are a bonified safety issue then management needs to deal with it. I stopped working two and 1/2 years ago when I was only 59 simply because I could not keep up. The clinical siuation was getting ugly as far as staffing and I could no longer do those days when there were 10 to 12 patients. (Nobody should have to do that but that is another thread). My husband has kept me fed, house and in health insurance. What happens to people who don't have a employed spouse? I am currently applying for SSI and my small pension which I will qualify for at shortly at 62. Nobody could live on that but it will be a nice supplement to my husbands income. I think giving those older nurses that have paid their dues a slightly easier job is a great idea. Most places are not that kind, they want to get rid of the nurse who makes top dollar whether they are pulling their weight or not.

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Specializes in home health, dialysis, others.

Dear supernurse, I do not KNOW what caused you to write this rant, but I find it very hard to pay attention to what you say when your written word is nearly in a foreign language.

Some older nurses are fortunate enough to get those day jobs, that's why seniority has to count for something! But if you are saying that new nurses are being given inappropriate information, then you need to be able to cite specific examples and report it to your education person.

Best wishes for your future endeavors.

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Specializes in PICU, NICU, L&D, Public Health, Hospice.

To the OP, glad you got that off your chest...

moving on to the next thread...

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Specializes in NICU.

You sound very frustrated, and I would never, ever dream of telling someone that they aren't entitled to their own feelings and opinions, but I must say that I don't understand what the problem is with them being put in cushy M-F jobs. They've paid their dues pounding the floor, and they still have to make a living. What's the matter with them taking a slower paced, stable schedule?

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Dear Supernurse1230,

Word to the wise: You will be neither 29 nor Supernurse forever... in fact, at 29, you are just about at the place where things really start to decline noticeably. I promise you that after this year you won't be running circles around anybody for very much longer. When your time comes, I hope your younger coworkers are as tolerant of you as you are of your elders now.

(ahhh, 29... I remember when I ruled the world... :p )

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Specializes in long-term care.

i realize i wont be 29 forever, but, we dont work with equipment for a living we work with human lives, and i want to be able to function to where i am to give my patient the care they deserve, and when that time come when im not physically up to it, i wont put my patient at risk just because i gotta pay my mortgage,

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Specializes in telemetry, ortho, med-surg.

I am a brand new RN in an LTC/subacute rehab facility. I am eternally grateful for those nurses with the 20+ years of experience! They are an incredible resource and bring a sense of calm to otherwise stressful situations. I know that they have seen everything under the sun and are not easily rattled. Perhaps you should take the time to ask why they are still working. Maybe then you will have a bit more compassion.

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Specializes in LTC,Hospice/palliative care,acute care.
ok i have been an lpn for 7 and 1/2 years, i was a cna for 2 years prior to becoming a nurse, and i have about 3 pre-reqs left to take, before i can enter into a local fast track program, i have worked primarily in ltc, and i just wondered how other nurses felt about this, and i dont want to seem insensitive, i am 29, and full of energy, and new ideas, i work alot of times with nurses who have been nursing 20 plus years, and thats a great achievement, commendable even, however, i think SOME seasoned nurses just need to kno when to say hay i devoted my life to doing what i love, but now..............i say this because too many times, i have worked with much older nurses who, over the years have become very lax in their thinking, and care, take off alot d/t ailments, etc, orientate brand new nurses, and telling and showing them the wrong way, and we all kno that working in ltc is a highly stressful, fast-paced field, and some literally can not keep up! then some, realize this and are givin these cushy, m-f, office jobs, so nurses like myself, are left with the crappy shifts like 3-11, 4 on 2 off, etc, i think that if you hold a title, rn, lpn, cna, if you come to a point in your life where you are not able to function for whatever reason as your title, then........ i realize experience plays a big role, i look to some seasoned nurses for guiadance still, but id be willing to bet that i could run circles around them, and where i work, caring for 45 residents, u literally have to run, pushing a huge buggy of medicine, and these residents deserve that, there are all types of discrimination, but i believe one that is left out is against young nurses, with young children, b/c i guess its assumed that you wont be dependable, but a nurse with a bad heart, etc etc wit 20 plus years exp. is a better choice?? and im not what i would consider a, "new nurse" i kno i dont kno it all, but sometimes its just frustrating and unfair, if need be i can still function as a cna, and still come back and do my job, and thats why im glad i will have gone thru each level before i get my rn, so i will have some knowledge of where everyone is coming from, well just thot id get that off my chest, thats my opinion, if you dont like it, move on to the next thread, god bless, mwah!
Wow...

Discrimination against young nurses? Your post is discriminatory towards "seasoned"nurses..First I'll say that I have worked with a great many younger nurses who can't seem to get out of their own way. Always "tired" or sick...I'm pushing 50 and can run rings around them.I also keep my knowledge base up to date. Do you believe that nurses with young children should get special treatment? Why? IMHO many are not dependable-always calling off with a sick kid. What about a nurse taking care of an elderly parent-shouldn't that nurse get the same considerations as one with a kid? As for advancement -in my facility positions are posted in house and interviews are conducted.The position goes to the most qualified.Have you recently been turned down for a "cushy" position? Is that why you sound so angry?

When I was younger I thought I was the nazz-I had all the energy,I had all of the ideas.Let me tell you-You need to consider another point of view. I thought I knew it all-I was missing out on alot by not using the seasoned nursing staff as my mentors and taking advantage of their knowledge.You seem really eager to write these people off.That's a shame.Your user name says it all.I am betting that some of your co-workers find you over-bearing and difficult to work with.

Also-I don't have a "savior" complex nor am I a martyr. If I'm sick I call off....My attendance is good except for the once or twice yearly sinus/allergy/bronchial thing.If I did have something chronic -"a heart thing" I would for sure use intermittent FMLA-that's what it's for..We all deserve to make a living.

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Specializes in PICU, NICU, L&D, Public Health, Hospice.
i realize i wont be 29 forever, but, we dont work with equipment for a living we work with human lives, and i want to be able to function to where i am to give my patient the care they deserve, and when that time come when im not physically up to it, i wont put my patient at risk just because i gotta pay my mortgage,

ya...you will take one of those cushy M-F, 8-5 jobs....as an old nurse...and that will irritate some younger nurse...like you

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Supernurse, I hope everything always remains roses for you.

Get out and meet some people. Involve yourself with the human race. When you do this you will realize that you might too end up needing your job. Are you married? Well pray then that your spouse doesn't leave you or leave this earth. Have kids? well, it's all on you honey. Oh and you will have resigned from your nursing job, that's right. You don't have anything that will help you outside of healthcare, so you will have to go to college again and pick up another degree if you want to make any kind of real money. Hey, you will need to provide income for yourself and your family till you are about 70 years old. The corporate world is a totally different kind of tough.

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i realize i wont be 29 forever, but, we dont work with equipment for a living we work with human lives, and i want to be able to function to where i am to give my patient the care they deserve, and when that time come when im not physically up to it, i wont put my patient at risk just because i gotta pay my mortgage,

So you say, but the older nurses in this forum are here to testify that when the time comes you'll do whatever there is to keep a roof over your head, food on the table and your health insured. Besides that, it is only you stating that patients are being "put at risk" by older nurses who aren't "physically up to it." That is a discriminatory and arrogant view of older nurses, one you'll do well to shed before you find yourself implicated in a hostile workplace action. You also seem to have a romantically distorted view of your job and yourself. Do yourself a favor and start opening up to reality now. As I said before, you're almost thirty. It will be your turn very soon.

(pssst... you won't bounce back from accustomed physical activities and hard shifts like you used to, and your vision starts to go... yep, won't be long now)

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