Is Age A Factor In Hiring A Nurse?

[lkellett]

I am 50 years old, live in Southern California, and about to start nursing school in the Fall. I used to be an elementary school teacher (for 26 years) and am switching careers. Will hospitals or clinics be interested in hiring an older person (esp. as a new grad.)? I was recently told I would be discriminated against due to my age, and this has me a little nervous.

Thank you for your advise,

SoCal

[Sour Lemon]

I am 50 years old, live in Southern California, and about to start nursing school in the Fall. I used to be an elementary school teacher (for 26 years) and am switching careers. Will hospitals or clinics be interested in hiring an older person (esp. as a new grad.)? I was recently told I would be discriminated against due to my age, and this has me a little nervous.

Thank you for your advise,

SoCal

Southern California is a tough market to start out with- for everyone. It's difficult to say how much age affects the hiring process since no employer will directly tell you that you're "too old". I haven't seen any older new graduate nurses around here ...they've all been in their 20s to mid 30s, at most. I've only worked in a few hospitals in the area, though.

The fact that you're a CNA might help show that you're well able to keep up. What area (SNF, med/surg, etc.) do you work in?

[lkellett]

I currently work in a assisted living facility.

[Korosensei]

Try tenet health hospitals

[Extra Pickles]

You will never hear anyone tell you that they aren't hiring you because you're older than they want to hire, because that's actual discrimination against a protected class, that being age. You will instead hear that you don't have enough experience, or there were just too many amazingly great applicants and there weren't enough spots to go around so they can't hire you.

When you get a license at 53 or 54 or 55 you might come across in an interview as sharp and life-experienced and smart in which case you will have an edge over the new grad who is applying for her very first job. You won't have an edge against someone who is just like you but twenty years younger.

But you also won't know if you don't try right? You can guarantee never getting hired as a nurse if you don't become one! Are you willing to move, because you are also in an area where there is like 50% unemployment of new grad nurses no matter what their ages, something to think about.