Nurses Under 30 Years Old

[PetiteOpRN]

A friend of mine is a manager who recently went to a management seminar. It was the same old thing until they asked what peoples' biggest problems are. One person said "employees under 30," and everyone in the room agreed. They find this demographic to be needy and entitled (I'm sure this does not apply to everyone, but is a much bigger trend than in past years).

My department recently hired MANY new nurses, and all but one is under 30. They call in when they are hung over, go home early, and they're lazy at work. The only thing I can depend on them to do is get their coffee break. I'm sure these nurses have many fine qualities, and maybe the rest of us are just martyrs (put in the full 46ish hours a week, mop our own ORs, etc), but it's just a whole different attitude. People in other departments note a similar trend. Radiology techs will refuse to go to certain cases because it will interfere with their lunch.

I'm sure I will get a bunch of posts from 20-somethings about how hard they work, and I'm sure there are some out there who really do work their tails off. But managers (and coworkers) are starting to take note of "generation me."

[CardiacRNTamara]

I agree! I think older nurses think they are entitled to something b/c they have been in the profession longer and they actually try to make it harder on the less than 30 year old nurses.

[RedRubCatheter]

I agree! I think older nurses think they are entitled to something b/c they have been in the profession longer and they actually try to make it harder on the less than 30 year old nurses.

This is just as much a generalization as saying that younger nurses are lazy.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

if the thread had been titled "nurses >50", and talked about older nurses who never wear makeup, constantly call out or leave early because of their grandchildren, refuse to lift things, and still practice nursing like they did in the 1970s, the resulting outcry would have been far louder.

i doubt it. for the most part, this is an ageist site. we see numerous posts from new grads busting on the "fat old dogs who are jealous of them for their youth and beauty," "mean old nurses picking on me for no good reason but one of the docs told me it's because i'm so much prettier", preceptors who "yell at me" all the time just because i wanted to (insert action that might actually kill patient)." seasoned nurses are portrayed as nasty, mean, catty ******* who eat their young and stab everyone in the back and ought not to be preceptors because they don't remember what it's like to be new. and everyone jumps on the band wagon, telling some story about a mean old nurse who picked on them. "i know nurses eat their young because it happened to me." no one ever seems to believe that the preceptor who stopped them from killing their patient deserves any credit because she spoke too loudly, too directly, or in front of the patient. (ideally, it's best not to criticize in front of the patient -- but is it safe to let someone give kcl iv push just so we don't embarrass them?)

the internet wasn't around when i began my practice. there was no one to pump me up when i complained about the nasty old nurses who were mean to me just because i did something so stupid i almost killed my patient. so i learned to get along with, learn from and admire those mean old nurses. now, anyone who has a negative interaction with their preceptor seems to jump on the internet and complain about the preceptor, and dozens of other new grads jump right up and "support" the newbie because "everyone knows nurses eat their young." god help any over fifty nurse who tries to get on the thread and explain why the preceptor might have done what she did -- we hear over and over that we just don't remember what it was like to be new or young or beautiful or whatever. it's ok to bash preceptors or seasoned nurses because "everyone knows how mean they are."

there have been numerous times when i took a step back from allnurses.com for days, weeks or even months because of the ageist threads out there. i understand that the younger nurses are far more accustomed to using the internet than some of us old fogies, and that there's safety in numbers. but nurses over fifty get bashed all of the time on this site, and the outcry -- if there is one -- gets lost in the background noise.

[whodatnurse]

I do agree that there is a rather pervasive sense that ageist remarks are somehow more 'acceptable' than disparaging generalizations made of other demographic groups. (I know I certainly don't think it's okay.)

[OCNRN63, RN]

I haven't been here that long, but I've found the anti-older nurses sentiment disheartening. It really bothers me to read posts that say that older nurses should step aside so younger (thinner, prettier) nurses can get jobs. I don't understand the criticism about older nurses who apparently don't wear enough make-up to suit their younger colleagues, as if that has anything to do with one's abilities to practice nursing.

When I was a younger nurse, I admired the older nurses. I envied their knowledge and experience. I never considered them to be past their prime just because they'd been in the profession 25, 30, even 40 years. Maybe I knew something newer here and there, but there was always plenty to learn from their years of experience. Now I'm the one with experience and I am still learning from nurses with more experience than me.

[redhead_NURSE98!, ADN, BSN]

As I recall one poster said that, and she explained it several long subsequent posts. My daughter is already networking with several future employers as well as considering an internship with one in the same county her school is in. The idea that anyone believes it's a widespread conspiracy not to hire nurses

Yes, that "explanation" certainly did make it all better.

Too bad I don't want to practice law anymore.

[nursel56]

I tend to see good motives or at least not malevolent motives way before I want to accept that people would set out to deliberately hurt someone they don't know based on a surface characteristic such as age or race or whatever - so I may have appeared to view those things too casually.

To those who think a generalization is the same thing as discrimination or even an unkind stereotype. A stereotype and/or generalization is a subset of the category. Not all generalizations are those vile things. I made the mistake I guess of assuming strangers on a nursing board would know what I meant. They didn't. Lesson learned.

[msjellybean]

At my place of employment I dont' think one of

This, this, this. There's one day RN I absolutely dread taking patients from. Last night, she made a big deal out of saying how bad the dressing over a pt's PD cath looked and how badly she wanted to change it; but just didn't for some reason. She has done this multiple times. And seeing as I walked into a disaster with this patient, it made me really really angry.

One of the older nurses on my floor who is literally counting the days until her retirement will fully admit that she's lazy and she passes things on to the day shift.

[GilaRRT]

So, it looks like we have old farts versus young punks right here on Allnurses? I am just young enough that I could work my way into either group. Think I will wait to see which way the wind blows and join the winning team. I roll like that...

In all seriousness, all this "I dread old nurses because of bla, bla and bla" or "I dread young nurses because of bla, bla and bla" is anecdotal at best and a sweeping generalisation at worst.

[TheOldestNurseOnUnit]

Nursing is full of battle axes

Most professions filled with women as the majority are filled with "battle axes" and yes--unfortunately nurses still eat their young, no matter what the age is.

But I've noticed to some degree that some of the younger RNs who aren't married & don't have kids seem to have gone into nursing as a way to make money only--they don't have the drive to be a good nurse...they are there for their shift and the paycheck, not the patients. Of course, I have noticed some older nurses who have been in the profession for a long time to be the same way. They barely let you give a decent report & when you get report from them, OMG you might as well pull the chart instead of listening to them.

I still truly believe (naive as it may seem) that nursing is a calling...you have to want to do it knowing that you'll be giving up weekends, holidays, sometimes missing important things at school for your kids; family gatherings, etc.

I feel that the majority of nurses that are under 30 are very hardworking, caring people. Like in all professions, it only takes a few rotten apples to spoil the bunch.

Part of it--and I admit I contributed it to it--is the American way of making things easier for our kids. My 21 year old is a good kid but she feels very entitled to EVERYTHING. People under 29 for the most part have had it so much easier in obtaining possessions than other generations---they were handed possessions instead of having to work for them. So we "oldies" need to realize that to a certain extent--we created this generation. Remember--in about 20 years these kids will be leading our nation! We have to hope they outgrow their entitled attitudes.

Thank you for the opportunity to respond to this.

(BTW--as a single mom with a mortgage, when they don't want to work, I get to pick up their shifts for more money--which makes me somewhat think I'm as bad as they are!)

[rollerskatingrn]

I have seen the same thing. This age group sneaks their internet connected cell phone and constantly check and chat on their messages. If you call them on this fact they get defensive. Rule - no cell phones on your person. Rules do not seem to apply to them. I just graduated a year ago at age 49 and the same thing happened in school. Everyone on my floor is over 30 probable for a reason.

[TheOldestNurseOnUnit]

I have seen the same thing. This age group sneaks their internet connected cell phone and constantly check and chat on their messages. If you call them on this fact they get defensive. Rule - no cell phones on your person. Rules do not seem to apply to them. I just graduated a year ago at age 49 and the same thing happened in school. Everyone on my floor is over 30 probable for a reason.

Now wait a minute.....I work nights at a local hospital. My cell phone is on my person at all times on vibrate so that in the event my 21 year old has to get ahold of me she can. I don't check it unless I've felt it vibrate and then only when I'm on my break or in the nurses's station charting. I don't check my emails or chat....I have an excellent medical app on my phone that we frequently use while on the floor especially if the med book is missing or being used by someone else. So don't say no cell phones on your person---heck every doc has one & uses it constantly! Including answering personal calls, emails & yes even posting on Facebook!

Responsible use won't hurt anyone. Yes my daughter has the number to my unit but I'm frequently pulled to our sister unit and if there is a problem, I don't want her to have to call all over God's creation to find me.

Do I agree with texting and posting on FB when you're at work on the floor? Of course not--that's ridiculous. But a lot of RNs I work with are single moms and their cell phone is their lifeline to their family.

Generalization is what hurts us as nurses and as human beings.

Thank you.