Okay - I just read one of a comment on another thread and was floored when the comment was about a person getting a DNP at 62 and a poster wondering how long they would be able to safely practice at that age...
So....my question is: how old is too old to safely practice as an APRN?
I will preface my remarks with the fact that I am in mid-late 50's, have been an APRN for 10 years, currently precept two new NPs, and my practice considers me at the top of my game.
So...at 62 I'll be washed up??? Ugh - I'm planning to work till I'm 70 as long as I remain physically able to do the work.
Is there a magic age when one should just hang up the lab coat?
I totally get not being "able" to retire. And...I totally understand not "wanting" to retire but when you can no longer "competently" do your job, how do we measure performance and determine safety to practice?
This has been a fantastic thread and I applaud your continued attempts to rein it back in to a conversation that isn't largely emotional. :)
Thanks, Jules; I went in thinking "OK, even if my body gets to where I can't do the physical part of nursing, there are many other ways to still be a hands on nurse but I didn't count on my mind giving out on me! No safe way to still be a practicing nurse if that's not working well. ������A large part of my self worth came with the knowledge that I was helping to care for others, now I'm the one needing the care (someone to help me remember to pay bills, deal with home repairs, car repairs and keep track of what I have monthly and what will be left after bills to last the rest of the month. Self care I can do but financially I can't keep up
Most of us can't even begin to fathom what you are going through and yet there but for the grace of God go I. Again I am so appreciative that you shared your story with those of us who can't help but take the blessings we have for granted. I'm humbled by you.
I worked with older "old" nurses. One nurse was a midnight nurse and was recently fired, she just couldn't "keep" up. Med pass would run a hour into the next shifts, treatments wouldn't be done etc. The other one is on thin ice. They've even stated themselves they just "forget" stuff now. It's hard on their bodies. Their knees, back, joints hurt. Both gals are over 60 years old. I feel personally that maybe at that age with those forgetful problems, you should quit. Any nurse who can't perform their job anymore for whatever reason should resign.
Should we have some kind of competency testing then to determine physical and mental fitness? What age should it start?
I would say absolutely for physicians, nurses, professional drivers etc. Perhaps start at 62 then every 3 years? If one is competent although an annoyance I think they should be willing to undergo an evaluation. My guess is the folks at social security/medicare would have a fit if all the sudden its documented that more workers can't function safely. I'm not big on conspiracy theories but have to wonder if there isn't a connection as they continue pushing the age back.
So much depends...on a whole lot of things. I used to work in a hospital where they had a very popular surgeon who was 'up there' (mid 70s I think) but refused to retire. He wasn't doing it for the money because he had plenty of that, he was one of those people who didn't have anything else and was afraid that if he stopped working all that he would do is stay home and die of boredom---or just die. He actually told me so once. Wife had passed away and he never re-married. All his children were now middle aged adults with their own families and none of them even lived in the state... The dude was beginning to get shaky, had even collapsed in the OR once. Everyone liked him, but it was clear that he was no longer safe and needed to be encouraged to retire. He continued to refuse, and eventually the medical chief of staff, the CFO, and the CEO called him into a private meeting and forced him out. He couldn't even hold the instruments steady anymore. It was sad, but in a way also pathetic--- to have nothing to live for but work... What about family, friends, community, charity, hobbies, etc? I guess I come from a different place, but I have always believed that it is important to have family, good friends, and a social life of some kind.
I still have a lot of years to go before I get to retirement age, but if I hit my savings goals before then I plan to quit the rat race and go early. This is a young person's game now. Thanks to my parents' genes, I look a full 20 years younger than my actual age, but I don't delude myself with that. When the time comes I will be ready to go. The one and only, sole exception to this is if I do start my own business as planned, then I can downgrade to very part-time hours and do as I please with my time if I chose to continue working a while longer.
I would say absolutely for physicians, nurses, professional drivers etc. Perhaps start at 62 then every 3 years? If one is competent although an annoyance I think they should be willing to undergo an evaluation. My guess is the folks at social security/medicare would have a fit if all the sudden its documented that more workers can't function safely. I'm not big on conspiracy theories but have to wonder if there isn't a connection as they continue pushing the age back.
Physicians and nurses and drivers can be incompetent at any age. Starting to require competency testing at a particular age is against the law, people. The lumping together of any group based on the age, skin color, or religious beliefs, and making special rules for them is called discrimination. It's illegal. I'm angry but not shocked by the blatant ageism I'm reading here. How are you treating your older coworkers and your older patients if you think they're washed up at 65?? People are living longer these days and 45 working years isn't enough to save for retirement anymore. There's no giant conspiracy it's just the facts.
People are living longer these days and 45 working years isn't enough to save for retirement anymore. There's no giant conspiracy it's just the facts.
Absolutely agree that people can be incompetent at any age but disagree that it is illegal to expect certain professions to be able to prove their ability to function safely after a certain age and to lump it in with discrimination based on skin color or religious beliefs makes no sense to me. I totally disagree that 45 years or even 30 years isn't enough to save for retirement if someone lives within their means and is sans unusual tragedies that a few will face.
Absolutely agree that people can be incompetent at any age but disagree that it is illegal to expect certain professions to be able to prove their ability to function safely after a certain age and to lump it in with discrimination based on skin color or religious beliefs makes no sense to me. I totally disagree that 45 years or even 30 years isn't enough to save for retirement if someone lives within their means and is sans unusual tragedies that a few will face.
That's the LAW!! If you require competency testing for 65 year olds, you have to require it for 21 year olds. That you don't understand that is a little bit scary.
That's the LAW!! If you require competency testing for 65 year olds, you have to require it for 21 year olds. That you don't understand that is a little bit scary.
So sorry my opinion or lack of legal savvy is frightening you. I'm not sure why as I'm in no position to hire or fire anyone. Its simply my guess that if the airlines are forward thinking enough to consider the risks and the AMA is also there must be something to it. As well as my opinion and plan to get out before I'm much older or slower than I am now which I will be in a position to do because I have been lucky in addition to my years of sacrificing, planning and saving for the future.
...this also is an old study. And they spend a lot of time discussing the undetermined role that genetics play, not healthy aging. As a psych nurse, I find the older generation far healthier mentally in every way then the upcoming, younger generation who are now subjected to GMOs, meat full of abx/steroids/hormones/diseases/CJD, pollution, lifestyle, etc. . . AND, I've seen MRI studies that show a reduction in brain size bc of TV (the same damage seen in major drug addicts/abusers), coffee also causes inflammation (a major factor discussed in the study you shared). Genetics do play a major role, but if you read the article National Geo. did on the centenarians in the Blu zones, it seems the healthy brain has more to do with faith, family , exercise, healthy environment. . .something the older generation had much more of than the younger generation. It is a fact that my patients are coming into the facilities in unprecedented younger ages. I'd be more concerned about the younger generation at this point. . . Socialism is all about determining who is competent to (fill in the blank) . . .
That was quite a while ago, 1991? In any event I have to disagree with and the PhD you quoted that there aren't cognitive changes as part of a healthy person's aging process. There are plenty of MRI studies done on healthy samples here is one.
Jules A, MSN
8,864 Posts
This has been a fantastic thread and I applaud your continued attempts to rein it back in to a conversation that isn't largely emotional. :)