How old is too old to safely practice?

Wrench Party · Aug 1, 2016

Whenever they no longer are physically able to. My ophthalmologist is well into his late 70s/early 80s, and his secretary is well into her 60s, and I'll be majorly bummed when they both finally retire.

Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN · Aug 1, 2016

How many physicians and scientists and college professors (i.e. ones conferring knowledge) are still practicing over 60? If their cognitive abilities aren't called into question, why is an RN/NP's cognitive ability's called into question when s/he considers a DNP at 62???

I mentioned on another thread that I was once evaluted by a neurologist who was pushing 80, if not in his 80s already. He was comletely sharp, and this was a university medical center, so not someone in private practice with little oversight. My aunt was a rural community health RN who retired at 76; also completely sharp until her death at age 96. Not everyone develops dementia, people.

feelix, RN · Aug 1, 2016

You are OK till you lose it. Most physicians retire out of burnout than incompetence. I would be more concerned about return on investment on a new degree. For example, I have spent all my money on education, so that I won't have student loans to pay off in my advanced years. I am still considering a DNP. The only thing that is keeping me away is the question: Will I have enough work years left in me to justify sinking some more money into obtaining another piece of paper. How about going on a yearly cruise instead before I die?

llg, PhD, RN · Aug 1, 2016

I agree that there is no magic age: people should be able to work for as many years as they want -- as long as they are still capable of providing good care. However, how is that determined? Who determines when someone's practice has declined to the point where they should no longer practice? My father was a physician who retired on his 65th birthday ... which was probably a year or two later than he should have retired. My family all breathed a sigh of relief that day as he made it without any lawsuits. We had noticed a decline in his memory and were afraid he was going to mess up at work and that someone would be hurt. He and his patients were lucky.

Maybe it should be like driver's licenses. Up to a certain age, you can get your license renewed by just completing the paperwork and paying the bill -- and maybe get some CE credit. But after a certain age (65?), maybe you should have to actually take a test of some kind to demonstrate your continued competence.

Just a thought,

llg (age 61)

djh123 · Aug 1, 2016

I would say an emphatic 'No!' to 'is there a specific age to safely practice', because people's mental - and physical - states vary wildly in mid-to-older ages. Most of us in this profession have seen 50-year-olds who were in terrible shape and 85-year-olds who were in relatively decent shape.

RunnerNurse09, BSN, RN · Aug 1, 2016

To the OP, wow, well I will be on the same track as u age wise, so I hope others won't consider me washed up. I am in my late 30s and will be done my apn in my early 40s.

62 is still young, and as far as being even older, it really is an individual thing. Really not fair for people to make such a blanket statement.

For the record, in high school I had a chemistry teacher that was I'm her late 70s and was smarter and quicker than most people half her age.

Trauma Columnist · Aug 1, 2016

Wow - lots of comments and opinions.

I agree that its not a definite age but rather your cognitive or physical abilities that should be the determining factor in retirement age.

So....if there is some kind of mandatory age that we should re-examine ourselves at, how do we do it? Take the recertification exam? Take a specialty exam? Do procedures?

Or something else?

Advanced Practice Columnist / Guide · Aug 1, 2016

Wow - lots of comments and opinions.
I agree that its not a definite age but rather your cognitive or physical abilities that should be the determining factor in retirement age.
So....if there is some kind of mandatory age that we should re-examine ourselves at, how do we do it? Take the recertification exam? Take a specialty exam? Do procedures?
Or something else?

Well, as it turns out, physicians in California do have some form of "fit to practice" assessment called PACE though it seems that the trigger to be assessed is based on BOM complaints. Some larger institutions have come up with their own internal procedures that calls for periodic assessments of physicians' cognitive and physical skills once they reach a certain age and still practicing. I would welcome these ideas for NP's.

See: As doctors grow older, hospitals begin requiring them to prove they're still fit - The Washington Post

PACE

ComeTogether, LPN · Aug 1, 2016

Just guessing as I have no first hand experience with either one but I'd think it would be easier to safely fly an airplane on auto pilot than put someone to sleep and do surgery??

There is an age restriction for airline pilots because of risk for MI while in flight, not to mention there are 300+ lives in a pilots hands at one time.

Advanced Practice Columnist / Guide · Aug 1, 2016

BTW the 102 year old rheumatologist interviewed in the Washington Post article died last year at 104 years.

Ephraim Engleman, One of World's Oldest Practicing Physicians, Dies at 14 | UC San Francisco

Barnstormin' PMHNP · Aug 1, 2016

Great article, Thanks Juan. He is an inspiration.

NOADLS · Aug 1, 2016

Anyone who answers with an actual number is probably looking at the lowest common denominator. Not a good approach since the vast majority are above the lowest common denominator. That would be unfortunate if someone who is perfectly capable at 70 is told that they can no longer practice because of another 70 year old's incompetence. There could be someone who is 75 who is more capable than a person who is 55. Age is just a number.