older nurses in new workforce

[rangerslady]

I have posted before and did not get any replies, I am looking for another job after retirement from the VA. The job market has changed, ( and the way jobs are listed) and it seems as if most nurses are very young. Maybe my problem is that I have a wide variety of experience but no certifications. I wanted to go beyond floor nursing in a nursing home to a more administrative position, but have not had much success. Are there any older nurses that have faced the same problems? All I want is a chance to do something different. I am an RN with a BSN that is willing to work hard if someone would give me a chance.

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

Do you have any administrative experience? If not, this may be what is holding you back. I suggest that you explore 'house supervisor' relief positions in community hospitals. These are frequently hard to fill because they do require a fully competent, experienced nurse - but only for one or two shifts per week. These roles are a great training ground for admin because they provide exposure to a wide variety of processes and responsibilities.

[rangerslady]

No, I haven't. I have been somewhat frustrated as on my resume (today's standards) I really cannot list any achievements. This is what most HR departments are looking for not skills. We were chronically short staffed, and often I was medication nurse and charge or charge nurse with a patient run, because nursing assistants called in. I put out "fires all shift, my achievement was that the patients were alive, safe, and well cared for. I was dedicated to the care of my Veterans. So, now that I am older, I need a different role. This is not easy as my workplace did assign us QI projects, but there was never any time to complete them. I was unable to transfer to another department because we were "short staffed". So, this is a dilemma.