Would you prefer a younger nurse to an older nurse?? (pls don't take to offense)

[iheartnursing_cali]

Okay so maybe the title of this thread sounds kinda prejudice in someway, but please don't take this to offense...

So the other day I had taken my son to the doctor's and overheard a very interesting conversation between a couple about "if you were to choose between a young nurse who just graduated from college and an older nurse who's had a lot of experience to take care of you, which would you choose?"

Well the guy said he would choose the older nurse because of the long time experience that they have and that they would, of course, get more respect because "the older the age the more mature" and the girl disagreed and said she would choose the young nurse because they seem to be more energetic, and therefore is more fit for the job than the older nurses and the knowledge and skills that they learned in school are still fresh in their minds.

Now in my opinion, I feel that age wouldn't matter in nursing. Sure newly graduates would still have the knowledge learned from school still fresh in their minds, but it doesn't mean that an older nurse doesn't still have knowledge learned from school (that stuck with them) still fresh in their minds either. And as for younger people being more energetic.... I know some older people, for example my grandfather, who is very active (loves hiking, biking, whatever it takes to keep fit..etc.) and has a ton of energy, and some younger people who are not active or energetic at all. I just think all ages in nursing work well together, because then they can learn more from eachother.

But what do you think??

[GooeyRN, ADN, BSN, CNA, LPN, RN]

I think the question of age is not as releavant to that situation as the people having the conversation thought it was! Considering how many nursing students are non-traditional students- older (as in not straight out of high school), second or third careers... I've worked with nurses who are twice my age but are new grads, and nurses younger than I was when I graduated who already had several years experience and were confident, competent, knowledgeable nurses. Age itself, is not that significant, in my mind.

I couldn't have said it better.

[imenid37]

Maybe a lot of laypeople don't realize that many older nurses are brand new grads, while some younger staff may have been nurses for several years. I don't think you can make a blanket statement either way. I have worked with some young and old "go-getters" and "chair-warmers" of all ages.

[RNin2007]

Well...when my kids were in NICU (6 months total between the two of them), I was sooo overprotective and I didn't want any of the residents doing anything critical on them (my son had to have CSF withdrawn manually 2x qd), and b/c he had so many surgeries I always questioned who would be performing what on him during surgery, etc. BUT, there were a lot of new grads, and older more experienced nurses that took care of my children. I had oldies but goodies, and new nurses that I would have NEVER known they were new if they had not stated. I also had a few older nurses, who'd been nurses for a long time, and they seemed to be burned out and lost a few of their standards.

I'd say, most importantly...I'd only want a competent nurse that understood what they were doing and cared about their patient. Age/experience wouldn't matter to me in the realm of nursing, but honestly...it would and DID matter to me when we are talking about brain surgery (my son had brain surg 5x and abd. surg 3x), so I had a little paranoia on board with the new residents...

~J

[rehab nurse]

Maybe a lot of laypeople don't realize that many older nurses are brand new grads, while some younger staff may have been nurses for several years. I don't think you can make a blanket statement either way. I have worked with some young and old "go-getters" and "chair-warmers" of all ages.

very true!

[rehab nurse]

I am over 50 and just graduated as an LPN this week. So I haven't even taken the boards yet. I've already had the experience in a number of clinical settings of patients preferring me just because they think I'm an "experienced nurse". From my short experience working in clinical settings, I've learned to completely ignore age in evaluating nurse competency levels. I only "evaluate" in terms of who I go to for answers or help and that person is usually the closest nurse (LPN, RN, young, old, male, or female) that I can catch. As a patient, I think I tend to lean toward the nurse who presents a professional, yet down-to-earth demeanor. That can be achieved or not achieved at any age.

Congratulations! and you're right, professionalism can be reflected at any age. good luck on your boards

[PedsER-RN, BSN, RN]

it all depends i wouldn't mind a young nurse, say around 25 or so, but i go to school with some young women and we are going to be graduating in may and they are only 20 years old. personally, i wouldn't want that young of a nurse, but it depends on their maturity level. i would hope that being in a profession such as nursing, they would grow up fast, but i don't know...[/quote']

i agree, there are many factors to consider, but how do you determine what's too young? i'm not trying to be argumentative, but i was 20 when i graduated from my diploma program (after 2 years of undergrad), but then again i think i was more mature/responsible than the average 20 year old (i'm 22 now). i just think there's really no right or wrong answer to the original question; i think it depends on each nurses' skill level, maturity, experience, common sense, and ability to critically think and provide appropriate interventions rather than how old/young he or she is.

for example, in my department there's a couple nurses with over 45 years combined experience. would i want them to take care of my child (if i had one)? absolutely not. they are lazy, work slow, unorganized, don't use critical judgement, and simply don't have good clinical skills. otoh, there's some nurses i work with in their 20's with

oh, i almost forgot, you do grow up fast in nursing. i feel like i've aged a decade in the last 2 years....

[zacarias, ASN, RN]

One cannot always discern this in a short encounter, but a nurse who obviously has deep clinical knowledge of disease process, pathophysiology, and appropriate interventions is the nurse that I want taking care of me, young or old.

[vamedic4, EMT-P]

I just want one that's competent. Young or old, doesn't matter. I've worked with young LVNs whom I'd let care for my kids any day, and older RNs that I wouldn't let near my child if they were near death. The reverse is also true. For me, it's about competence...not about how many trips around the sun you've seen.

Have a gr8 day.

vamedic4