Where are all the "older" nurses?

[tjcnurse2b]

I'm a new nursing student. 2nd career. I'm 48. I've been doing a lot of student shadowing at my local hospital in the different departments lately and its been amazing! Everything from NICU to Cardiac Cath lab the whole gambit. One trend is a lot of 20 something early 30 something nurses. Both male and female. Primarily female. All very professional and knowledgeable. What happens to the 40 to 70 year olds? They make so much money they retire early? haha really?

[Biker53]

From Julius Seizure

You may not see this, since the post is so old, but i am curious: can you put an age with the idea of "older nurses" that you prefer? Is a nurse in her 30s old enough? 40s? What is the threshold to give you a sense that the nurse possesses emotional maturity?

I realize some young folks can be mature beyond their years and that there are some older folks that never grew up. It is just that generally speaking I find myself more comfortable with nurses that are say 40 or above. It has nothing to do with perceived competence but rather just accumulated life experience that gives them a different kind of ability to relate to patients. Just one person's perspective.

My apologies to any of the young nurses here who might have taken offense. None was intended. And before anyone takes offense at me linking age 40 with "older", I can only wish I were that young again. LOL