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.
Wow...so you are making the assumption that all the younger workers have meaningless work experience over the older generation? I am happy to inform you that at 21, I already have 2+ years in the healthcare field. I think that nurse managers are going to look more at THAT than what so-and-so did twenty, thirty years ago.
And the fact of the matter is this: The majority of older second-career nurses aren't thirty-somethings who have run multi-million dollar companies. In fact, many that I KNOW have worked low-wage jobs for MANY years or couldn't find jobs in their other fields so they went into nursing for the "job security."
And btw, working at in fast food is hard work. My first two jobs were in the food industry, and if anything, working at Mickey D's taught me how to multi-task and deal with difficult customers. Very applicable in a field like healthcare.
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?"
Boston, the one without reference would not get the loan, period. That's why you have "student credit cards" and credit cards with low credit to begin with and build. But, at face value, the one with references.
That being said, I have no idea why people look down on volunteer work. I do not get paid, but that doesn't mean I don't work. It is actually relevant experience and I have been asked what I bring to the table. I have PCT experience, I am involved with MRC, and I have experience dealing with people in crisis which yields decent communication skills and my personal (and volunteer) experience dealing with mental illness brings the holistic care aspect if I were to work med-surg; psych, well that is an obvious how it fits in, and public health--many clients in public health have mental health issues and it can lead to other issues such as homelessness, STDs, joblessness therefore probably lacking money, so they cannot buy food--so nutrition issues, etc. Interviewers were actually impressed. So, I do have something to offer even though I have not worked as a nurse.
ThePrincessBride, true story! I know my friend who became the manager in fast food that I was talking about earlier worked his behind off--from morning to evening and into the wee hours of the morning.
Specializes in critical care, ER,ICU, CVSURG, CCU.
mclennan, that does not matter. Most people renew the lease after a year. I actually worked with an older nurse who lived in an apartment and lived there for years and had the same job for a long time. Someone having a mortgage would have no bearing on me hiring them.
Also, my brother bought a house in February, he is selling it soon.
your brother HOPES he is selling his house soon, and hopes he breaks even.
wish me luck, YOU have a problem, this is an advice, nursing information blog......... you have been given very good information and advice by some very experienced nurses. Myself in excess if 41 years. you may not be teachable, in that your replies lack an understanding of what far more experienced nursing professionals have advised and explained to you.......... Nurses fortunate enough to get an interview with me, would not get to second base, coming off as you do.
Specializes in critical care, ER,ICU, CVSURG, CCU.
You have no clue what you are talking about. I will go back to your original question.. why do older workers have something that the younger nurses don't... IT'S CALLED MATURITY, and it is priceless
Boston, I have not had a nursing job--never. I volunteer with my nursing license but no, never a paid position.
I find it hard to take you seriuosly, I have taken jobs less then optimal since it allowed me to put food on the table and time to be with my children. Nursing is very mobile one of the great things about nursing.
Older workers in addition to work experience bring life experience. They have experienced marriage, birth, death, issues with children who have isssues. Most come to nursing to fill a life long dream, they do not have issues witn boyfriends or girlfriends.
dotoriffic, I appreciate your response. I hope there will be some stories of how someone used skills in a former non healthcare career and didn't have to start from ground zero. I have not seen many yet at all.
Ginger, I have dealt with family deaths as well and serious illness in immediate family--heart attack and cancer; have personal experience with "issues" both substance abuse and mental health as well as working in volunteer capacity with similar people. I do not have boyfriend/girlfriend issues...I do not know where anyone else has mentioned that. I am also working on developing a mental health chapter in my area and have been in jobs where I started as a peon with everyone else and was pulled to be an assistant due to organizational skills, being detail oriented and picking the job up quick. My current volunteer job, my supervisor doesn't want me to get a job because it would be a loss for them (her words, not mine; she told my dad this).
Ginger, I don't know if you were here for this, but I am in HPMP. They have to approve certain jobs before I can take them. So, you mention taking jobs less than optimal, I would assume a circumstance as that is working nights? I am not allowed to do that. It has nothing to do with being better or picky, it has to do with my contract. Some "less than optimal" jobs, I don't mind to take, others I cannot because of my restrictions.
So I do have something to offer even though I have not worked as a nurse.[/quote']
You have lots to offer, what you lack is perspective.
Volunteer work is important and it, also, provides you with applicable skills as well as references. If you are volunteering 40 hours a week that is commendable.
I would hire you with volunteer experience over another similarly qualified candidate with no work or volunteer experience, provided the references were good. I don't know if I would consider volunteer experience > work experience though unless it was perhaps directly applicable and the work experience was a part time job.
Every job worked brings valuable experience to your next position. Whether it's fast food, retail, corporate or medical. Every job requires your presence and decision making skills. Many people, regardless of age have issues with getting to work on time and being present for the job they are doing. Every job involves customers. You have to know/learn how to deal with the public. It's 2013 so pretty much everywhere has computers and the latest technology. You have to know/learn those skills. You may not know how to take vitals or pass meds at McDonalds or The Gap, but you still had to show up for work everyday and on time, you had to deal with upset or impatient people and you had to know how to use the workplace computer system. These are skills that believe it or not, not everyone excels at. If two people applying for a position and everything education-wise is equal, then whoever stands out as most capable of doing the work required will get that job. If your facility is looking for someone to stay there for years to come and not transfer out or quit, the yes, they will most likely take someone that has a solid work and education history. If you are fresh out of nursing school and you have no other job history they may not be willing to hire you being that fresh to the workforce. If the facility is known to hire newbies and they are ok with folks that need to get experience so they can move on then they most likely with hire the younger recent grad. One of my nieces went through this when she graduated. She started at one hospital to get experience and now she is at the other working in the NICU. The hospital she is at now would not hire her right out of school for this position.
I don't think people come across very well over the internet. I don't think any of us would conduct ourselves in an interview the same way we do at home, with or friends or on this forum.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
Actually, no one has answered my question of why you think a previous career non healthcare related counts when starting nursing.
I'll bite.
A person who has already established a previous career has a track record. A person who is fresh out of school at 21 or so has not. The older "brand new nurse" may have been making life or death decisions in their past career, may have been responsible for supervising hundreds of employees or may have handled a multi-million dollar budget. Or maybe not. Maybe they just have a track record for consistently showing up on time for work, for not calling out sick, for working hard and doing their job.
Someone who is fresh out of school for the first time may or may not have had previous work experience, but they will not have had work experience with enormous budgets, supervising a large staff or making life or death decisions. They're an unknown quantity.
You cannot blame a manager for wanting to hire the person with a proven work ethic over the unknown new grad with little or no work experience.
ThePrincessBride, MSN, RN, NP
1 Article; 2,594 Posts
Wow...so you are making the assumption that all the younger workers have meaningless work experience over the older generation? I am happy to inform you that at 21, I already have 2+ years in the healthcare field. I think that nurse managers are going to look more at THAT than what so-and-so did twenty, thirty years ago.
And the fact of the matter is this: The majority of older second-career nurses aren't thirty-somethings who have run multi-million dollar companies. In fact, many that I KNOW have worked low-wage jobs for MANY years or couldn't find jobs in their other fields so they went into nursing for the "job security."
And btw, working at in fast food is hard work. My first two jobs were in the food industry, and if anything, working at Mickey D's taught me how to multi-task and deal with difficult customers. Very applicable in a field like healthcare.