Where are all the "older" nurses?

tjcnurse2b · Dec 19, 2016

Adult med/surg nurse here. I'm in my 30's and I'm considered one of the old ones on my unit lol. Adult med/surg is so physically demanding, a lot of nurse that are 50+ leave because their bodies can't take it. We regularly get patients that are over 400 lbs. We used so have enough support in the form of CNAs and techs to help but but with staffing cuts nurses are doing more themselves, and the older ones are leaving because of it. Its a shame because they are so knowledgeable and great resources.

Not that it makes a difference but I'm a man. That work in my favor? 900 seconds between post...who's idea was that? 639 to go....606. What if I had a humanity changing thought right after a post and forgot to write it down in 900 seconds? 559.....505. Who knew a second was soooo long? Now I'm mad at myself for wasting my comment time on my first lame comment....426. Is this a micro look at the "red tape" healthcare comes with? 358...oh Lawdy...wth man get the president on the line! 277.

need to start a whole new thread on the injustice of the 900 second rule!!! 230. Ok what could a good nurse get done in 900 seconds? 165. Geez rather be water boarded! Wars have been won in less time!

112... Ok double digets here I come! I'm gonna party like it's 9 seconds to go! 68 baby! I owned this! What did you accomplish over christmas break? Well let me tell you.......20 stared 900 seconds in the face and won!

Neurotic Student · Dec 19, 2016

I have three 60-year-old coworkers working 12's. A lot of us actually call upon them for help on our hard IV sticks!

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Dec 19, 2016

why would they discriminate?

I was a 27-year-old nurse in 2008. My former manager, who had been 43 years old back then, privately told me, "We prefer younger, newer nurses. They're just easier to deal with."

She also added, "Older nurses are more argumentative and set in their ways."

In addition, there's the perception that nurses of a certain age are less proficient with technology, although this perception is patently false in many instances.

Also, 'older' employees are assumed to drive up a company's healthcare costs. If a hiring manager wants to save money, a 22-year-old outdoorsy type will be hired over a 52-year-old who might have an unhealthy spouse and three teenage kids to place on the employer-sponsored health insurance plan.

kbrn2002, ADN, RN · Dec 19, 2016

Not that it makes a difference but I'm a man. That work in my favor? 900 seconds between post...who's idea was that? 639 to go....606. What if I had a humanity changing thought right after a post and forgot to write it down in 900 seconds? 559.....505. Who knew a second was soooo long? Now I'm mad at myself for wasting my comment time on my first lame comment....426. Is this a micro look at the "red tape" healthcare comes with? 358...oh Lawdy...wth man get the president on the line! 277.
need to start a whole new thread on the injustice of the 900 second rule!!! 230. Ok what could a good nurse get done in 900 seconds? 165. Geez rather be water boarded! Wars have been won in less time!
112... Ok double digets here I come! I'm gonna party like it's 9 seconds to go! 68 baby! I owned this! What did you accomplish over christmas break? Well let me tell you.......20 stared 900 seconds in the face and won!

That is funny! I had no clue there was some minimum time between posts thing here. I've never run into that. So this is totally off topic, but is this a thing for new members? It's easy enough to add a thought to a post using the edit feature...see what I did there?

Sour Lemon · Dec 19, 2016

That is funny! I had no clue there was some minimum time between posts thing here. I've never run into that. So this is totally off topic, but is this a thing for new members?

There was a HUGE spam problem late last night or early this morning. Maybe it's a temporary thing because of that?

tjcnurse2b · Dec 19, 2016

That's a shame. Guess it's the bottom line in everything. I don't care I'm still gonna do it and do it well. The little that I have been allowed to help has helped me 10 fold.

martymoose, BSN, RN · Dec 19, 2016

why would they discriminate?

kind of a known thing in all job sectors- not just nursing/health care.

The minute my father turned 65 ( had 40 yrs with employer,not healthcare, actually an engineer) they forced him to retire. He couldn't get anything else

caliotter3 · Dec 19, 2016

kind of a known thing in all job sectors- not just nursing/health care.
The minute my father turned 65 ( had 40 yrs with employer,not healthcare, actually an engineer) they forced him to retire. He couldn't get anything else

My uncle was in his 40's when he was let go from his professional job. He never worked another day in his life. We all think that being unemployed brought about his early demise.

Peepershops · Dec 19, 2016

I've been a nurse for 40 years. I did my time on the floors and on holidays/weekends/rotating shifts. I'm in management 8-4 Monday thru Friday. It's nice to get paid for what I know instead of how fast I can run or how many shifts I pick up.

MikeyT-c-IV · Dec 19, 2016

Age discrimination can work both ways... especially with patients. I'm one of those guys who has been blessed with the gift of youthful appearance. Even at age 40 I get accused of being "too young to do this." I place PICC's all day and sometimes the patients worry that I am too young and inexperienced. I jokingly will ask them to hold the instruction book while I place the line.

So that's my answer to the original question. I'm not an older nurse but in my observations the older nurses move on to a less acute job. I see older nurses in cardiac rehab, education, management, cath lab, etc etc. My days of bedside care is hopefully over. It's not that I can't handle the physical demands but rather my days of dealing with all the B.S. is over.

Been there,done that, ASN, RN · Dec 19, 2016

Experienced nurses know the drill. Floor nursing is brutal work. Even if an older nurse is able to handle the physical demands, they will take their knowledge elewhere... where they do not get worked like a mule.

Kooky Korky, BSN, RN · Dec 19, 2016

I was a 27-year-old nurse in 2008. My former manager, who had been 43 years old back then, privately told me, "We prefer younger, newer nurses. They're just easier to deal with."
She also added, "Older nurses are more argumentative and set in their ways."
In addition, there's the perception that nurses of a certain age are less proficient with technology, although this perception is patently false in many instances.
Also, 'older' employees are assumed to drive up a company's healthcare costs. If a hiring manager wants to save money, a 22-year-old outdoorsy type will be hired over a 52-year-old who might have an unhealthy spouse and three teenage kids to place on the employer-sponsored health insurance plan.

Children can also be costly. It isn't just spouses who might run up costs. Babies born with birth defects, cerebral palsy, kids with asthma, autism, and so on. One place I worked wanted to help single parents by giving very cheap coverage for their kids. A friend who wanted to add her spouse had to pay an extra $600, yes six hundred every month for the spouse. Just sayin'.