New RN BSN over 50 and Can't Get a Job

Nurses General Nursing

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I am over 50 years old and STILL can't get a job in nursing here. After studying for 7 years and spending in excess of 40K needless to say I am very disappointed in myself. I may be wrong but it sure seems like my age. All of my classmate I have spoke with have great jobs and get called for interviews but not me except for 3 interviews of which I got nary a one. When I went to school there was talk of sign on bonus and the great need and now after all the study and expense I am beginning to worry. I am really hurting financially and no job. I am told that not having worked as a student nurse hurts me but my I had to watch my kids while my wife worked and went to school so I simply was not able. I can see nothing else but my age that is the diff and do not know what to do. I had a very decent GPA and belong to Sigma Theta Tau and I guess it does not trump age. Sorry for the poor me but now my wife and kids are suffering financially and I will have to apply for food stamps soon. I simply cannot believe that after all of the study and sacrifice to achieve my goal of a BSN RN that I just got through epoxying my kids tennis shoes for school tomorrow. Some secretary at the last hospital I applied to told me I should go to a nursing home and apply as I could probably relate to the patients. I wish I had known there was such age discrimination! Any ideqas appreciated.

Specializes in ICU.

I was discriminated against for different reasons, in a way I know how you feel. All you can do is keep trying. My very best advice to give to you is.... when you apply.. go to the hospital, fill out the application and ask to speak with the manager or a recruiter right then. Don't just hand it back and turn it in. Talk to SOMEONE. Let them put a face to your application.

There WILL be a place that will hire you. There is a job out there for you, you just have to go through crap to get it. Trust me, you will get hired if you hit the pavement. Forget filling out apps online,,, go straight to the facility. And if you have to, go to a nursing home,, heck, go to ALL OF THEM...... and if you do this with ALL THE PLACES where you live, start fanning out. Go farther,, go to the next town and do the same thing. Don't ever give up.....

Don't feel sorry for yourself, because sometimes it shows. Be confident and shwo them that you have what it takes to learn and be a good nurse. Don't pretend to know everything, but definatly project the feeling that you want to learn!

Now,, it's time to hit the pavement.... and tonight come back and let us know how your day went :) :)

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Med-Surg..

Do you have a professional association for RN's in your state, if so, perhaps you could get involved with them. Take a short course or go to an event, it will put you in direct contact with people who may be able to help you find a job. As we all have heard, more than a few jobs go to someone who knows someone, not always the best candidate.

I am hopefully starting my BSN this fall and would like to eventually do school nursing, so I volunteer at my children's school from time to time mainly because I enjoy it but I have met tons of people doing it.

Best of luck to you.

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Specializes in jack of all trades.

52y/o here and I went into chronic dialysis at age 50. I'm now a DON and it feels right. I did come into it with other experience to back me but I know my company hires without age issue. I recently hired a 63y/o for Pct position. There are lots of alternatives. Check if a Davita, FMC or other in your area. Most will train a new RN without age being a factor.

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Hoosier,

I wonder if they are all intimidated by you? With age comes experience...maybe they think you'll be too smart to stay in poor working conditions??

otessa

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I'm turning 47 in June, graduating this May and now am really worried about this age factor. I don't have any student nurse experience either except for my clinicals and my transition which I'm currently doing. I also thought that there are lots of jobs out there for nurses , hearing about shortages especially when baby boomers retire. Also, I heard about the advantage of a male nurse as they are sought for in this female dominated profession, I really feel your frustration, HoosierMale. I hope you will find a nurse job soon.

So nice to read lots of encouragement here!!

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I'm turning 47 in June, graduating this May and now am really worried about this age factor. I don't have any student nurse experience either except for my clinicals and my transition which I'm currently doing. I also thought that there are lots of jobs out there for nurses , hearing about shortages especially when baby boomers retire. Also, I heard about the advantage of a male nurse as they are sought for in this female dominated profession, I really feel your frustration, HoosierMale. I hope you will find a nurse job soon.

So nice to read lots of encouragement here!!

As I say, I'm in my middle 50s, and a nurse for 18 months. My experience has been the opposite of Hoosier's for whatever reason.

I found I had an advantage being 1) male, and 2) "mature" (my word, not one anyone used in my presence.) Sure, maybe some stereotypes are involved here, too. That's fine with me.

What I did do in interviews was stress the advantages of having broader experience than most new grads. I'm more experienced in communicating, been around long enough to be pretty calm in stressful situations, been yelled at by experts already, etc.

My references knew my strategy, indeed helped me devise it, and reinforced it with the person checking references. I know that made a difference.

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I was discriminated against for different reasons, in a way I know how you feel. All you can do is keep trying. My very best advice to give to you is.... when you apply.. go to the hospital, fill out the application and ask to speak with the manager or a recruiter right then. Don't just hand it back and turn it in. Talk to SOMEONE. Let them put a face to your application.

There WILL be a place that will hire you. There is a job out there for you, you just have to go through crap to get it. Trust me, you will get hired if you hit the pavement. Forget filling out apps online,,, go straight to the facility. And if you have to, go to a nursing home,, heck, go to ALL OF THEM...... and if you do this with ALL THE PLACES where you live, start fanning out. Go farther,, go to the next town and do the same thing. Don't ever give up.....

Don't feel sorry for yourself, because sometimes it shows. Be confident and shwo them that you have what it takes to learn and be a good nurse. Don't pretend to know everything, but definatly project the feeling that you want to learn!

Now,, it's time to hit the pavement.... and tonight come back and let us know how your day went :) :)

I guess you misunderstood me, I am far from giving up, it is not in my vocabulary. Praying is not desperation but a healthy part of my hope and life. As to pounding the street I have done that before selling water softeners, encyclopedias, charities and veteran organizations you name it. When I was your age I earned many a dollar going door to door. My vision of nursing is one that may therefore take me longer to attain but attain I will! Thanks for your input.

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Hoosier,

I wonder if they are all intimidated by you? With age comes experience...maybe they think you'll be too smart to stay in poor working conditions??

otessa

I think that is partially correct. Some nurses who were in their 30's especially divorced, seemed to resent any threat to their superiority in areas other than nursing. For example everything from auto repair, photography, parenting, gardening etc. I see in some of my association with preceptor/charge nurses etc, some feel the the resident expert on areas that have nothing to do with nursing. I may be intimidating in that regard and I am conscious but don't feel that I necessarily need to play dumb. I have had many supervisors and directors in other fields who welcome my expertise and managed me as a resource rather than a threat in areas of general life knowledge. I certainly respect superior knowledge in fields where I am new but being that I am not "new" to life may be a potential problem to working for someone who knows everything outside of nursing.

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Med-Surg..

Up here in Canada, in some areas, nursing jobs are hard to find even for those with a BSN degree. However many schools continue to tell their students that finding a first job will be easy and of course they do that to market their programs. Often though, reality is much different esp. in these tough times. I think it can be a real shock to find out that nursing can be very unstable, at least up here it sure is at times.

I have a few friends with their BSN, some young and some in their forties and most of them had to start in LTC and wait for a hospital job.

I am sure you will find something soon.

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Up here in Canada, in some areas, nursing jobs are hard to find even for those with a BSN degree. However many schools continue to tell their students that finding a first job will be easy and of course they do that to market their programs. Often though, reality is much different esp. in these tough times. I think it can be a real shock to find out that nursing can be very unstable, at least up here it sure is at times.

I have a few friends with their BSN, some young and some in their forties and most of them had to start in LTC and wait for a hospital job.

I am sure you will find something soon.

Here that is not the case. As previously stated, all of my younger peers got jobs quickly and easily. This is a right to work state and there is no union. From other correspondence I have had, it appears that that is common here.

I am wondering if this is as prolific in states with unions.

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I graduated as an over-50 male, so I can personally assure you age and sex have nothing to do with anything.

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I graduated as an over-50 male, so I can personally assure you age and sex have nothing to do with anything.

I am delighted by your statement and wonder what state and country you work and in what type of facility.

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