I'm a student nurse, and hold 2 jobs: 1 in a health care assisting role and 1 in a pharmacy.
i have discovered through clinical placements and associated experiences that age appears to be basis for patients and clients to discriminate against nurses.
I am only 19 years old, and have several examples of patients either outright refusing to be treated or nursed by myself due to my age, or refusing to take advice from myself, but responding well to the exact same advice being given in exactly the same way from a person who is older than myself.
One example of this is when in the pharmacy environment a customer asked me for a product for a rash that they had developed. After looking at the rash I sugested a cream and an anti-histamine. This person looked very skeptical and told me that they wanted to see someone else. I referred this person to another staff member who is no more qualified or experienced than I, but who was older. The other staff member suggested the same course of treatment and this customer gladly accepted the advice. The customer stated she was sorry that she hadnt listened to me but she thought that I was too young to know what I was talking about. If this was an isolated incident I may not be concerned, however I find that this is an issue that comes up alot in my practice. My age is often commented on by peers, supervisors and mentors... and although the comments are not always negative, I still do not understand why this is such an issue.
In my place of work I am even referred to as 'little one'.
I would appreciate anyones ideas or thoughts on the age of nurses and if age affects the way that you veiw other nurses. I would also appreciate any advice on how to approach this issue!!
If you think I'm being overly sensitive feel free to say so!
Hey Goober, and everyone else who has been repeatedly put down because you look so young! I have also been spoken down to more times than I can count, and not just in the work place, but at the movies, at the store for lottery tickets, and anything else you can think of! :angryfire I am 25, very petite, 5'1" (on a good day when I am feeling tall!), and I will admit, I do look young, but do people always have to point out the fact?? In my short life of a quarter of a century, has this thought escaped me? Obviously, ESPECIALLY in the hospital setting, pharmacy setting, etc., places where you need to have a necessary amount of training to even be in the position where you are, people should not be so concerned with how you look! 17 or 117!
I have another good one for you..........I used to have a roomate that was over 6'5" tall. She was a very tall girl! And people would constantly point out to her that she was tall! I would be walking with her on the street (granted, we looked like Mutt & Jeff!) and people would stop to look at her, like she was some sort of monument, and say "Wow, you're tall?" and almost ALL of them would ask, "Do you play basketball?" Do they think she is unaware of her height? I mean, come on people! :smackingf
Here is my thought for everyone: Although it stings when people put you down for looking so young, when someone says something hurtful to you about your age, I want you to look at them, and smile, and think to yourself, "Yeah well, you know what? You LOOK your age, and when I'M you're age, I'M still gonna look FABULOUS!"
HAHA!! Weeeeeeeeeeeee! Here's to being carded for another 10 years, ladies! :cheers:
It's funny b/c I was just wanting to post about this. I'm 17 (18 in 2 months) and in my sophmore year in college. I will be 18 when I start clinicals and an RN at 20. I work as a medical assistant in a dermatology office and overall the pts. treat me kindly regardless of my age but the staff is worse than the pts. They constantly treat me as if I can't teach them anything even if they are newer than me just b/c i'm young. But ya know... this too shall pass soon enough is what I keep reminding myself. I try to treat all pts, staff, family, etc. with professionalism, maturity, and above all kindness and doing this I hope earns me some respect regardless of my age.
WhitDogg19
23 Posts
Hey Goober, and everyone else who has been repeatedly put down because you look so young! I have also been spoken down to more times than I can count, and not just in the work place, but at the movies, at the store for lottery tickets, and anything else you can think of! :angryfire I am 25, very petite, 5'1" (on a good day when I am feeling tall!), and I will admit, I do look young, but do people always have to point out the fact?? In my short life of a quarter of a century, has this thought escaped me?
Obviously, ESPECIALLY in the hospital setting, pharmacy setting, etc., places where you need to have a necessary amount of training to even be in the position where you are, people should not be so concerned with how you look! 17 or 117!
I have another good one for you..........I used to have a roomate that was over 6'5" tall.
She was a very tall girl! And people would constantly point out to her that she was tall! I would be walking with her on the street (granted, we looked like Mutt & Jeff!) and people would stop to look at her, like she was some sort of monument, and say "Wow, you're tall?" and almost ALL of them would ask, "Do you play basketball?" Do they think she is unaware of her height? I mean, come on people! :smackingf
Here is my thought for everyone:
Although it stings when people put you down for looking so young, when someone says something hurtful to you about your age, I want you to look at them, and smile, and think to yourself, "Yeah well, you know what? You LOOK your age, and when I'M you're age, I'M still gonna look FABULOUS!"
HAHA!! Weeeeeeeeeeeee! Here's to being carded for another 10 years, ladies! :cheers:
-WD