Laid off after 38 years

Published

Hi! My computer crashed yesterday. I am happy to say I am back on-line,but I can't seem to get the responses I have been getting in the past! I am still here, and would love to hear from all of you, or anybody in nursing who has been laid off! I had a great "nibble" at an extended-care facility last week, but found out today that somebody else got the job. I am beginning to think nobody will hire me at age 61! Four other RN's were laid-off on the same day, and all were about my age! We had an Unemployment Breakfast last week and none of us has found anything. We all filed for unemployment, and last week when I needed a form filled-out at my ex-job, I had the distinct priviledge of letting the HR person that we were all still on the dole, which causes them a small fortune, because 3 aides were laid-off on the same day. I loved the distressed look on the HR lady's face! Don't get me wrong, unemployment doesn't pay very much, but the clinic I worked in is in real financial trouble, and every penny counts!! They are so mismanaged and desperate, that they decided they could also save money by stopping the yearly TB tests for employees!

Bitter? You betcha! My hospital experience (20yrs) was spent in labor and delivery, and the rest was at the clinic,as an office nurse with a specialty in peds. I am in excellent shape, with no need for meds for htn, cholesterol or anything else, and I can out-run any of the twenty somethings the doctors fall all over. I hope you guys I have been hearing from get this message-God, I hate it when the "blue screen of death" wipes out previous information! Thanks! Chris

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Specializes in retired from healthcare.

I have talked to at least two girls who are having trouble getting jobs. One girl

had to apply to several places and another just could not find work.

I think it's the economy. I also hear about nurse lay offs on the news.

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I am still looking for work, but with my great health and experience, the MD's are looking for youth, not experience, I have no family and I live from paycheck to paycheck,so this makes me furious!! Chris

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sorry about what you are going through. Some people here are worried about not landing their first job after they graduate due to lack of experience, and you are telling us that some places would not hire if you are too old with experience? what's wrong with this world?! Isn't that age discrimination if they do that to you?

What state are you in? have you considered relocating? my mother who's 57 yr old just got a job at the mental state hospital in California. There's always openings, just the matter of if you want to relocate or not. ^^

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Specializes in Hospice, LTC, Rehab, Home Health.

May well be age discrimination but the OP will never know for sure and would not be likely to make a case as they will have a PC reason for the ones they hired!

To the OP: Will keep you and your ex-coworkers in my prayers/:hug:

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Specializes in School Nursing.

I'd say if they laid off all the older nurses and kept the younger ones.. it's quite possible ageism. Do you know if you and your older co-workers were making more than everyone else? Sometimes those making the highest salaries go first.

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Sounds like you may have grounds to file a complaint for age discrimination with the

US EEOC Home Page

It could mean that you all get back pay, your jobs back (if you want them) and protections against future retaliation and job loss.

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Specializes in Labor/Delivery, Pediatrics, Peds ER.

I'm very sorry to hear this. :( Sounds to me as though it's partially age discrimination and partially that your salary was probably too high, due to your experience, for them to deal with. Especially since you said they are in the hole and mismanaged.

Sounds also as though you are British. Do you have something similar to the Equal Opportunity Commission in Britain? With your good health, you certainly would have a case.

I'm now in my 60's and have had a knee replacement due to arthritis, I need the other knee and both shoulders replaced, and also have auto-immune disease, so nursing is no longer for me. I remember a nurse who was in her 60's when I was in my 20's who could run circles around anyone else on the L/D floor, so I have no doubt of your claims of health. We used to say she tired us out just to watch her. Whenever we had time to chart, she was usually running around chatting up our patients!

It's ridiculous that no one respects your experience and what you bring to the table, with no drawbacks except that you have more earning power than someone with little experience. What a sad state of affairs.

I pray you find the position you deserve soon!

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Specializes in They know this too!.

I was laid off in 2007 by a hospital. Low patient census. It was my first hospital job, so of course I didn't have enough experience to be transferred to another unit. I am in my 30's. I packed up my stuff and did travel nursing for over a year, but when I came back no one would hire me. I have spent the past two years a looking with no luck. A few bad rating nursing homes hired me, but I declined. I wasn't going to lose my license in any of those places. My career is pretty much over, I try to be positive, but once you have nothing to show for your education it gets kind of depressing.

I wish you the best of luck, you have sooo much more experience than I do and I am sure something will come up. :redpinkhe

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Specializes in Certified Med/Surg tele, and other stuff.

Our small hospital hired a nurse in her sixties 2 yrs ago. She's still going strong.

Good luck to you and I hope you find something soon.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, DSU, Ortho, Onc, Psych.

Yes it has happened to me lately and I am only 43. No employer wants older people now - your experience doesn't count it seems. They all want young, fit things (doesn't matter if you DO pass a medical & ARE fit), they just look at age now. What makes me laugh is the big, fat nurse managers with their HUGE backsides, shuffling down the corridors & who can't breathe properly, who DO have jobs - get them in for a medical & see how they go.

I am despairing about getting other employment here; I may have to struggle on for a bit & leave to another state again. How I will afford that I don't know yet; will have to beg for a loan somewhere.

61 isn't even that old now - I know 60 years olds fitter than me, go to the gym, do weights & who walk their dogs for kilometers all the time, who eat well, etc.

Like I've said b4, apply for anything & everything, after all what have you got to lose?

I too live alone with no other income so I know what it is like. Single women get no help with anything - believe me I have tried, whereas people with kids etc get many benefits (in Australia anyway). I'm not saying they shouldn't but it is descriminatory when told you are single so you must just fend for yourself. If we are laid off from work, too bad (goes for single men too), and if you have no family to help you, nobody cares.

I think I will be selling up in the next few months & moving again; I won't have any choice. You have to move for the work nowadays and the government, who cries out for nurses to move to different places, won't give you a cent for it! It's very disheartening.

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I am sorry that this happened to you. I was recently laid off I worked as a nurse manager. I was simply told that I was not a fit. I have applied for several jobs. I was hired for the 11-7 shift on a vent unit. Needless to say I hate it. I have gone on many interveiws. Most just a waste of time. Either you are over qualified or you do not have enough experience. Very sad place this country is in. There will be a huge nursing shortage in the near future and noone seems to care. Try private duty, I have done this in the past. The only down fall is the hours are the best.

Good luck.

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