Older workers that are new grad nurses, please explain.

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Hi,

I am not going to be popular with this thread, but here goes...I have seen quite a few posts about the older workers that are new grads thinking they deserve a job more because they had a previous career. Many times, these former careers are NOT healthcare related, so it does not help with their nursing career at all. My question to the older workers who are new grads is why do you feel like you deserve jobs over the younger new grads?

I feel like if anything, the older workers seem more entitled than younger workers. When you get a second career, you are starting at ground zero. So, let the opinions fly.

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Specializes in Gerontology RN-BC and FNP MSN student.

That seems like self entitlement mentality. Age doesn't matter I don't think. We all start somewhere no matter what part of life you are in. The beginning of your nursing career is the beginning. Happy Nursing!

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Hi,

I am not going to be popular with this thread, but here goes...I have seen quite a few posts about the older workers that are new grads thinking they deserve a job more because they had a previous career. Many times, these former careers are NOT healthcare related, so it does not help with their nursing career at all. My question to the older workers who are new grads is why do you feel like you deserve jobs over the younger new grads?

I feel like if anything, the older workers seem more entitled than younger workers. When you get a second career, you are starting at ground zero. So, let the opinions fly.

We're not all starting at ground zero. Many of us have many years of documented professional work experience, along with references built over time.

Many of us have worked in critical processes and even life-death situations as opposed to flipping burgers or cleaning grease traps.

I'd choose a 30-something with experience bringing through multi-million dollar production runs or making split-second shoot/no-shoot decisions - or even having raised a brood from birth to school-age - than someone whose work history includes nothing more meaningful than asking, "Do you want to supersize that?"

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I have a friend who has worked at a fast food restaurant (will not disclose which one) since he was 16. Had the same job and worked his way to manager. Great customer service, phenomenal work ethic, and incredibly nice person. He just graduated nursing school and is a year or two younger than I am.

I usually like your posts music/song in my heart, but that was just insulting. Amazing how work ethic and people skills count for nothing and being older and having a "professional" job is everything.

I have great admiration for my friend.

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It is a simple matter of opinion to say that a previous career does not help with nursing. I'm guessing you are so jaded in your opinions regarding 'older' peeps and sterotyping that you wouldn't understand anyway. But, hey, thanks for the post anyway!

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Go to the thread about the poster needing to move back o Maine from FL. There is a post by Scott with numbers after his name. I do believe older people are entitled. Younger people are physically younger, they physically cannot have had the amount of years of work experience. Younger does not mean lazy.

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Just by virtue of being an Older Worker, does not "entitle" one to a job as a nurse, but, as always, every applicant should be interviewed based on their experience and their behavior. How many times have younger workers who "happen" to have a degree get hired and their work ethic, to be blunt, sucks. Calling out sick, no sense of purpose on the job, no commitment to what the occupation requires. No one should be categorized by their age group. I retired as a flight dispatcher, spent 25 years working in a 24/7 environment, working shifts, dedicated to the safety of those flights I managed. I retired and found that retirement just isn't my gig. Went back to school, got my EMT certificate, went to phlebotomy school, got my certification, have worked in a hospital lab for >6 years and now considering going to nursing school. Age-wise, I am "older", but I am dependable, get the job done and continue to advance my education. Don't classify me as "older", but also don't think that I believe myself as being "entitled". What a crappy word to use. I continue to learn, I do my job above and beyond what is expected and don't think anyone "owes" me anything. However, I don't think I should be starting at "ground zero." I have established a work ethic and have studied and plan to study to get an RN degree. I think when it comes to the bottom line, I'd be a better bet than some newbie who just got the degree with no work experience as extensive as mine. This categorizing has got to stop. You "young" me "older" - who gives a crap. Who's gonna do the job in a more committed manner and take care of patients.

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Um, if a young person graduates at 22, that means really they only have 6 to 7 years of work experience, by law. Your 20 or more years experience is not physically possible for someone who is 22 or so.

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Actually, no one has answered my question of why you think a previous career non healthcare related counts when starting nursing.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
Younger does not mean lazy.

^ I want to emphasize this quote because I think that there is a stereotype about younger people being lazy as much as older people are being entitled, lol, or even younger people being entitled. ;)

I think it's not necessarily a generational thing, but there had been an idea that having "non-healthcare" experience counting because, at one time, a ton of hospitals lived hiring new grads with "life" experience, and still do, and they tell individuals this as a way to fill their seats, even though the preference is for people who had healthcare experience along with "life" experience probably more so because of the increase of career-changers entering the field.

This was emphasized in my area, and I worked with a few career-changers, "healthcare life experience" and "non-healthcare life" experienced. Some are more competent than others, regardless of experience. I think it pertains to the pool of candidates in the area.

Some facilities are less likely to touch career changers currently because they've had a couple of bad experiences, while colleges are continue to state that hospitals and facilities welcome career changers, it leaves a bad taste in their mouth for those who bought into the hype of the nursing shortage and a stable career, and are finding difficulty entering it.

In reading a public forum, I think it can come across as entitled at times...some may believe that "older" equates to "experienced", others may be lashing out for believing the "hype"

My perspective is one is still entering an "entry level" in ANY new profession, no one should believe that they are going to show up, and instantly get a job. In nursing, they theory of "Novice to Expert" (Benner) is in place to maximize a safer, more competent practice, so "life experience" will only get one so far...it complements how well you are going to handle acquiring new knowledge, how active one is going to be in making sure their knowledge needs are net, and respecting the culture of healthcare. I'm a "healthcare life experienced" person, and I still go through the process. I never had the "expectation" for a job to fall into my lap because I have "life" experience; I don't expect anyone to feel that way either. You have to crawl before you walk. I did that when I transitioned as a nurse assistant to a LPN, and currently transitioning as a RN. I'm still a novice, and my past experiences get me only so far, however I STILL enter at ground zero. It will come together eventually, but that is how life works, when entering ANYTHING new.

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I usually like your posts music/song in my heart, but that was just insulting.
I'd worry about both of us if we agreed on all topics. I'm sorry you found my post insulting... neither was that my intention nor, upon review, do I see anything insulting.

I have a friend who has worked at a fast food restaurant since he was 16. Had the same job and worked his way to manager. Great customer service, phenomenal work ethic, and incredibly nice person. He just graduated nursing school and is a year or two younger than I am.
He sounds like a blue-chipper who will do quite well for himself. I'd think his work history would stand him in good stead and provide him with solid references.

For completeness, I'd point out that (a) each person here could probably find specific examples from our lives to support or refute any generalization, and (b) that your friend's background differs significantly from the one briefly described in my post. By no means am I suggesting that mere affiliation with a fast food chain of necessity negates one's work experience. Ray Kroc and Carl Karcher were blue-chippers, too,

Amazing how work ethic and people skills count for nothing and being older and having a "professional" job is everything.
Hmmm, nowhere do I see that I stated, nor even implied, that "work ethic and people skills count for nothing and being older and having a 'professional' job is everything."

People with longer work histories are more proven commodities, that's all. As you point out, older people tend to have longer work histories than do young people, due to nothing else besides opportunity.

I do not think professional work is the be-all/end-all. In fact, were I selecting people for interviews, restaurant wait-staff and bartenders would get a few extra points in my sorting process because (a) nursing has much in common with waiting tables and (b) bartenders tend to develop very strong skills in successfully engaging people who are altered.

That said, 5 years of experience would - in general and disregarding all the other pertinent factors - tend to count for more than 1 year.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
However I don't think I should be starting at "ground zero." I have established a work ethic and have studied and plan to study to get an RN degree. I think when it comes to the bottom line, I'd be a better bet than some newbie who just got the degree with no work experience as extensive as mine. This categorizing has got to stop. You "young" me "older" - who gives a crap. Who's gonna do the job in a more committed manner and take care of patients.[/quote']

I had to put this part of your post in perspective.

In nursing, you start at ground zero...having the scope of being a nurse, putting it all together, everyone is looked at on a even playing field. In the beginning, a person with 0 experience may get preference...they may have volunteered, went in missions, cared for their mother with cancer, etc.

When I went to an orientation with new grads, and found a ton of people who this was their first job, but had no paid experience. Gone are the days if what one would think is "no experience" and would sniff in distain because they weren't out there "working hard" or seeing "life and death" scenarios. I think it's just as offensive for a older or younger person to dismiss someone's background...one doesn't know the sacrifices and opportunities one has to make. The applicant pools are just as competitive, whether the applicants are older or younger; however, those intangible "skill sets" help strengthen one's expertise once they leave the "novice" stage...until one had worked as a nurse, it's FAIRly (a) competitive game.

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