Jordee

I took a 3 month Nurse Refresher with clinical course at 60. I was so worried I would not get a job because of my age. Upon completion at 61, I got a job on a medical tele floor, despite not having worked as a nurse for 13 years. I tried applying on line with no bites. Then I went to a job fair that very few showed up to. I respectfully asked the Director to give me a chance. I got hired after a 4 hour shadow on the unit, the very next day. Starting pay was very reasonable and since then I've received good increases. If you are looking for floor nursing, it is very demanding and even more difficult than in years past. Pt acuity is much higher. I learned Cerner system at first and now I have learned Epic. It was not that difficult. I am 64 now and had no trouble, having used a computer at home and at other non nursing jobs. I get treated same as everyone else--like a MAID. Bedside Nurses don't get the respect they deserve. Some patients tell me they are glad to get an older experienced nurse. Focus on open houses and make your case in person

You need an account to see the NYT article. Can someone summarize what it said?

I tried being retired for 3 years after a non-nursing career and was bored. I don't have to work anymore. A few years ago, I took a nursing refresher and got a bedside nursing job at 61. Learned new skills too. Good Health Insurance coverage. I'm now in my 3rd year of working. I hate the way nurses are treated. I work PT on a really hard acute floor and I feel sorry for the nurses who have to work FT. Its so stressful and discouraging. We are treated like morons by the hospital, and like maids by the patients and visitors. I refuse to work more than 2 days a week, despite nice hourly pickup bonuses--its too much. I am grateful for the experience to work again. I am planning my exit strategy. My SS retirement age (FRA) occurs in early 2025. I'll quit in 2023 without taking SS.

It doesn't matter to me if you are doing it for the money or for altruistic reasons. Just do your work and be alert. Who am I to judge? I am doing it for the healthcare insurance and work part time. I do the best job I can. I have lots of coworkers from African countries and the Phillipines who will tell you straight up its for the money and overtime, and some need to send money overseas. Fine. Just don't be on your phone all night or sleeping and don't expect me to answer your bed, tele, and pump alarms if that is the case. I'll help anybody who is awake and doing their work.

There are lots of entry level clinical trials work through pharmaceutical companies and Contract Research Organizations. I had several years of clinical research experience and have traveled to UK/Ireland on business and know this is true. You have a clinical background which is very useful. These are corporate Monday to Friday jobs with no patient care. Look for Data Management, drug safety, and clinical research assistant/associate positions. Pays way more than Nursing.

Call your employee compliance line ASAP and report the bullying. Tell them you were frightened and instructed to leave by the perpetrator.

Look for a corporate Monday to Friday Job. Occupational Health, School, and Pharmaceutical Clinical Research come to mind. I had 29 years of Monday to Friday corporate; and could work PRN as a nurse via agency because I kept up my license requirements for my state.

I'm 63 on a busy med/surg tele floor. One of 4 "older" nurses. My floor is crazy busy, I keep up. It's the younger nurses that are leaving because of pay inequity with the travel nurses and ongoing stress--ageism is the least of nursing's problems. Lack of nursing leadership is the problem, we need leaders who can improve working conditions and pay for nurses.

Pt families have "fired" the nurse, and where I work they will get you to switch patients with another nurse to appease the family. Get used to this. Nurses are not treated like professionals by all families and/or management. More like a maid at their beck and call. You are not allowed to mention you are busy with other patients. You will be on the defensive. If you should change jobs, do not take one with "primary nursing", its impossible to do your job adequately alone---with the workloads they expect you to manage.

Yes I agree. A lot of nursing research is pie in the sky stuff. They dream up all these topics and the results are rarely implemented. I doubt if the research is read outside of the nursing profession. Doctors don't seem to reference it regarding patient care. I worked in pharmaceutical clinical research where patient centered research protocols were prepared. Nursing research was never referenced as far as standard of patient care. I also think the Leadership MSN is a waste of time. You can see there is no real local or national leadership in Nursing or we would not be in this sad predicament. Leaders are in the pocket of Administration if they want to keep their job. An AD nurse is just as well trained as a BSN nurse. The BSN in particular has been degraded to a "Get your BSN" in 1 year!" Why the downgrade in required credits? Why is it so expensive? Nurses required to get BSNs are an easy source of revenue for online universities. How come I am not qualified to get a job in ICU/ER but I can be floated there? Answer: A nurse is a nurse, a warm body, and she will do as administration says or else get fired without reference! Finally, those nurses who are martyrs talking about "a calling" and "we work short, you don't care about the patients if you don't do it , you signed up for this"-- these are the ones hospitals depend on to take advantage of with short staffing and low pay! I feel sorry for the new grads who are horrified when reality sets in. They see what they can look forward to if they continue in Med/Surg. I've seen 3 leave this year.

I'd like to know which religions will provide an exemption for the Covid Vaccination. Are exemptions also granted for all other vaccinations (like childhood required ones) or it is just for Covid? Can you get an exemption for the Flu shot too? I am just curious and trying to understand which religions take a stand on this. I am Covid vaccinated. My employer has given all employees, not just nurses, until end of Sept to get fully vaccinated. The flu shot is also required.

I advise going to the face to face open house, where you will get to state your case directly to hiring managers. That's what I did in 2019 after taking a refresher course. I had not worked since 2006. I got hired. An LTC nurse who I sat next to in the waiting area got hired too. Sometimes a lot of people don't show up to these open houses so you have a better chance.

If you are leaving because you don't want be vaccinated, where will you find another job? Do at home jobs pay as much as hospitals? Do you think you will be able to find an employer who will not require a vaccination? Just curious as to what your thinking is about finding another job. Just heard the Delta airline will charge unvaxxed employees a $200 month healthcare surcharge. I know there is a nursing shortage but this seems like it will be a tough job search.

You have made some concerning points relevant to your experience in nursing as a PCT. However, it is unwise to generalize. Nurses also attend school and work. Not all nurses refuse to help their Tech. Nurses do respect their PCTs. You appear to be saying : Nurses it serves you right. That is mean spirited. As another poster said, you have a chip on your shoulder. Your concerns are not the point of this thread, the topic is "why are nurses fleeing the hospital"; not "Nurses look down on the PCTs and treat them like crap". Start another thread for that subject and you will get more pointed feedback.

I work on a super busy heavy unit. The turnover is such that 1/2 the floor nurses are now new grads from the last 1 1/2 years that I've been at my job. Experienced nurses are realizing they are grossly underpaid. They are joining agencies and travel nursing and/or trying to go part time and get a second agency job. Experienced nurses are also sick of precepting agency nurses who get paid way more. One Agency shift is the equivalent of 3 times or more what a staff nurse makes in 3 shifts. Staff nurses are also not always offered a bonus for picking up a shift. $25 hour bonus on top of an average $36 hourly rate and the hospital balk at that. Another reason is that its a numbers game. If you start with 5 pts, and discharge 2--you will get two admissions and possibly a 3rd if they say nurses will go up to 6 patients that shift. That's 8 patients! Acuity does not matter anymore. Nurses are simply exhausted after 12 hours.