Older nurses vs younger nurses

RNDance · Sep 10, 2011

Whatever I say in my head is my flipping business, what matters is the words that come out my mouth.

And so you might want to consider that demanding respect while harboring contempt is probably not going to give you the results you desire.
The truth is that the younger nurses have fresh energy and enthusisam, the latest and greatest knowledge, and bright and shiny technology skills that older nurses would do well to welcome and make use of. The older nurses have much more life experience, perseverance and determination (or they would not have lasted so long), and wisdom which is the ability to apply raw knowledge in the right way at the right time.
The sparks can fly both ways, but so can appreciative regard.
Nobody, no matter how long they've had RN after their name, should be snacking on a co-worker.

Huh?

Your post makes the assumption that any nurse who has been a nurse for a long time is out of the loop as far as technology goes. Wrong, dear. It's not an "either/or" thing when you're talking about "young" (read that "inexperienced") versus "old" (and you can read that "experienced").

I have been a nurse for over three decades. And oh my yes, I can charge my own cell phone (@@). I can also set up and run CRRT and work with IABP's, HFOV's, independent lung ventilation, and have worked in CVICU's and with solid organ transplant patients. Oh....and a burn unit and as a crisis nurse and a Code Blue leader. I've had my CCRN for many years. And yes, I am one of those nurses who people LOVE taking report from. Newbies? I've gotten hugs from them after I took report (oh Lord were they EVER in over their heads but jeez....coudn't help but feel so bad for them), been named in the unit "thank you" board as being a huge help to them, etc, yada yada. I could go on but gee whiz, it might upset some who think we dinosaurs should pretend we don't know anything so the newbies won't feel inadequate.

Rest assured that I do not need to validate myself by belittling any new nurse. My experience, knowledge, and expertise are validation enough and stand on their own as testimony to what I am as a nurse. And btw....nursing is not my life, LOL. Got a nice one of those, too.

Generalization is a hazardous thing, going in either direction. Any nurse, young or old, is an individual and should be treated as such. Girlygirl, I am sure your true feelings shine through any facade of pleasantry that you might think you are projecting.

How sad for you. :cry:

rn/writer, RN · Sep 10, 2011

Not making any assumptions except that the younger-in-age nurses appear to have a much higher percentage of people who have grown up with computers and cell phones in hand before they could even crawl. Of course, many of us "senior" nurses have learned and adapted as well, or we probably wouldn't be working where there are zone phones and computer charting and iPads.

I've been doing computer stuff since 1985. So has my 28 yo co-worker. The only difference is that she was 2 when she started and I was, well, never mind.

My point was that we all have something to offer. And we all deserve respect for what we have learned and for the ways we can help each other.

I do find it difficult to understand how someone who rags on her older co-workers and calls them names behind their backs can hide her contempt when she sees them face to face.

Maybe there's an app for that?

anotherone, BSN, RN · Sep 10, 2011

We have EMR everyone is proficient.... We have a lot of catty nurses in our unit, nice nurses, gossips, bullies , (yet for others there are no bullies in nursing).......... none of it is young nurses vs old nurses or experienced vs less experienced. it seems to be about personality. there are old, young, experienced, non experienced in all groups.

ladside, BSN, MSN, LPN, RN · Sep 10, 2011

Wow!! What an interesting topic! I have the fortune of being blessed with both worlds. I once had a patient and her husband who decided that they didn't want me as their nurse. No problem. Patient satisfaction, right? So the Team Leader replaced me, no questions asked, no hard feelings. Well, the other nurse met with a task that she couldn't do and she came and asked me for my help. Again, no problem. Team player, right? When I carried out the task, which I won't say what it was because, seriously folks, nothing tops experience in my opinion, the patient and her husband was so grateful that they apologized for requesting a different nurse. What happened was that they ASSUMED that I was young based solely on my appearance and as such, that ASSUMED an inability to care for the patient due to lack of knowledge. The older-looking nurse was younger than me by 6 years and only had 2 years of experience as opposed to my 20+ years with a younger-looking face. The fact is, that I have children that were older than my patient and her husband.

Bottom line, you can't judge a book by its cover. I was not offended and neither was my co-worker. I was actually flattered. But because I have experience, I've learned that some things are just not worth fighting about and even more of the things that you are bound to hear, do not even deserve a comment. Those are the things that just......are. Nursing is such a stressful field because it involves all types of personalities that requires nurses to 'KEEP DAMN SMILING'! If you can manage to do that under the most deplorable circumstances, you, too, will look young after your 20+ years of experience when you become the OLD BAT in years but remain the spring chicken in attitude and physique. :lol2:

For me, and to the person that initially created this post, the best way to deal with those individuals is to NOT. I try to spend most of my time with my patients when I'm on the clock and I definitely DO NOT answer the phone when the job calls on my day off. They need help but they don't need MY help. Life is much too short to start battling like that at any age, experience or not. I personally enjoy helping new nurses....I look at that as a 'wow, he/she came to me for help instead of going to someone else'. That in itself, is flattering because obviously, for that new nurse, I'm someone that can be trusted in my response to them.

A good nurse is knowlegeable. But a great nurse knows that she or he doesn't know everything and never will. :idea: (I said that. Is that quote patented?

ladside, BSN, MSN, LPN, RN · Sep 10, 2011

I just love these little green men....takes the edge off, don't you think?:D:D:D:D:D:D

anotherone, BSN, RN · Sep 11, 2011

Wow!! What an interesting topic! I have the fortune of being blessed with both worlds. I once had a patient and her husband who decided that they didn't want me as their nurse. No problem. Patient satisfaction, right? So the Team Leader replaced me, no questions asked, no hard feelings. Well, the other nurse met with a task that she couldn't do and she came and asked me for my help. Again, no problem. Team player, right? When I carried out the task, which I won't say what it was because, seriously folks, nothing tops experience in my opinion, the patient and her husband was so grateful that they apologized for requesting a different nurse. What happened was that they ASSUMED that I was young based solely on my appearance and as such, that ASSUMED an inability to care for the patient due to lack of knowledge. The older-looking nurse was younger than me by 6 years and only had 2 years of experience as opposed to my 20+ years with a younger-looking face. The fact is, that I have children that were older than my patient and her husband.
Bottom line, you can't judge a book by its cover. I was not offended and neither was my co-worker. I was actually flattered. But because I have experience, I've learned that some things are just not worth fighting about and even more of the things that you are bound to hear, do not even deserve a comment. Those are the things that just......are. Nursing is such a stressful field because it involves all types of personalities that requires nurses to 'KEEP DAMN SMILING'! If you can manage to do that under the most deplorable circumstances, you, too, will look young after your 20+ years of experience when you become the OLD BAT in years but remain the spring chicken in attitude and physique.
quote]
yep. there are 36 year olds i work with, who look 25, with 15 years experience as an RN and 50 year olds with 1-3 years experience in nursing.....

DookieMeisterRN · Sep 12, 2011

I'm sick and tired of the older nurses vs younger nurses crap......We nurses can sometimes be our own worst enemy. Forget the docs and administration, we love to knock down the newbie so that we can feel better about ourselves. Stop the madness people

This thread started out biased and disrespectful. Old broads? I'm in the *young* category and found your 'vent' ludicrous. It seems you have a lot of issues with your co-workers. Between the old PCT's who gimp around on bad knees to the old broads who can't figure out how to charge their cell phone it sounds like you must be running the floor since you have so much more going for you?

This whole thread is ridiculously childish and yet again shows the professionalism of nursing. Bickering like grade schoolers and juvenile remarks. I can certainly appreciate a thread with differing opinions and points of view but I really can't believe threads like this. Re-hashing a beat up dead horse is a waste of time. I'm sorry I wasted mine and even took the time to comment. I think I'll get a life and get off AN now;)

Girlygirl69 · Sep 13, 2011

This thread started out biased and disrespectful. Old broads? I'm in the *young* category and found your 'vent' ludicrous. It seems you have a lot of issues with your co-workers. Between the old PCT's who gimp around on bad knees to the old broads who can't figure out how to charge their cell phone it sounds like you must be running the floor since you have so much more going for you?
This whole thread is ridiculously childish and yet again shows the professionalism of nursing. Bickering like grade schoolers and juvenile remarks. I can certainly appreciate a thread with differing opinions and points of view but I really can't believe threads like this. Re-hashing a beat up dead horse is a waste of time. I'm sorry I wasted mine and even took the time to comment. I think I'll get a life and get off AN now;)

My point exactly....goodbye

PrincessRN101 · Mar 11, 2012

This poster is talking the truth, "nurses eat their young" and don't want to offer constructive feedback, rather prefer to talk to the older colleagues and senior staff about the younger nurse who they may not like. Although, I did notice that some nurses of different races are more endearing to nurses of their own culture... but for the majority, nurses hate when a newbie comes to the unit for orientation and treat them with disdain. Few help, the struggling newbie.. and rather gossip and chitter chat about the new young nurse, and don't tell them their concerns to their actual face. As for the poster, she's wrong to talk about them not being able to charge their phone without her... but she's right, that few nurses are willing to help, and once people have formed their allegiances, to heck with everyone else, especially the newbie.

rn/writer, RN · Mar 12, 2012

This poster is talking the truth, "nurses eat their young" and don't want to offer constructive feedback, rather prefer to talk to the older colleagues and senior staff about the younger nurse who they may not like. Although, I did notice that some nurses of different races are more endearing to nurses of their own culture... but for the majority, nurses hate when a newbie comes to the unit for orientation and treat them with disdain. Few help, the struggling newbie.. and rather gossip and chitter chat about the new young nurse, and don't tell them their concerns to their actual face. As for the poster, she's wrong to talk about them not being able to charge their phone without her... but she's right, that few nurses are willing to help, and once people have formed their allegiances, to heck with everyone else, especially the newbie.

That may be your experience, but I know lots of young nurses who feel differently. In the hospital where I work and many others, the leadership and the seasoned nurses have intentionally built an atmosphere where nurse-eating is not the norm and is not welcome.

No workplace is perfect, but when there is a culture of respect from the top down, decency toward all co-workers is expected and the kind of self-centered, mean-spirited behavior you and the OP generalized about sticks out like a green nose.

I'm sorry you've had such negative experiences, but generalizations are generally a good thing to shy away from.

Gold_SJ · Mar 12, 2012

I agree with RN/writer,

In reality I don't even comprehend the argument that started all of this. Venting is fine, realistically though I don't see how it has anything to do with age however. It just sounds like a clash with an individual at work, not age/experience related.

In my viewpoint on respect I think it's best practice to respect everyone in our workplace for the positive things they bring to the table and from my upbringing I do hold a greater respect for those with more experience than I. Only because they've experienced so much more than I could possibly understand, my four years isn't anything to 20 if you know what I mean? They've pretty much done the hard slog I haven't got to yet and have plenty of experience to share and teach.

However experienced or not, no one is less or better because of this. I just don't think it's a point to ignore that's all, just like I'd have more respect for a person who is a brilliant cannulation master XD in that area. Or someone who has that mastery with words to reassure a tearful person, or be assertive to the worst doctors, they all have things I can learn from.

I suppose all I can say to the original argument is I'm sorry you felt so disrespected but... I think those in question just weren't being very nice. Not that there's a 'vs' anywhere there, as everyone no matter their age is totally individual. A same aged/experienced nurse may of stuck up for you were they in the same room.

Retriever5280 · Jul 9, 2016

I see sooooo many overweight nurses in their 20s I often mistake them for someone in their 50s cause that's the age they look.