Older Nurses

[oldntiredRN]

I am going to unemployment on friday- they have a retraining program- not for nursing- I will teach computer skills, maybe I'll apply to microsoft.

[oldntiredRN]

I went to unemployment. There needs to be more nurses who are having difficulty with the job search-esp. us Older nurses, willing to go. We need to stop being reluctant ansd ashamed to go. We need to be counted, and the state labor boards need to start taking notice of this, and questioning what is going on. Unemployment now is not the same as we heard yrs ago- long lines, You file on line and in my state you sign up for an"orientation to Unemployment" they tell you what they offer- career counseling, retraining, tuition vouchers, resume and interviewing assistance seminars. If any older nurses out there are unemployed after a job loss- go to you unemployment, you have nothing to loose- be counted, we all paid into this for years. you are not taking anthing from some one else- it's you money, it came out of your paycheck before your bank deposited it.

[heatherln]

Great points, oldntiredRN. I am fortunate to have a job now, but didn't for a long while and at first I was too embarrassed to apply for unemployment. I imagined this dark and dirty office with a bunch of bums and winos waiting for their number to be called. As it turns out, it wasn't anything like that -- especially if you do it online lol. So yes, everyone should do what they have to do, swallow your pride and don't give up!

[oldntiredRN]

I wonder how many older nurses have left nursing and moved on to other careers?, jobs, lines of work because of the never ending BS we are given. Personally, I have never felt the frustration stemmed from the patients- I know they can be cranky, obnoxious, rude, demanding and abusive and almost impossible to deal with at times, but in all honesty, I can't recall having any one particular patient insident stick out in my mind for days and knaws at me the way something a co-worker, administrator or nurse manager's behavior has. I would love to know what made them who have left decide to leave for good, and what that preverbial "straw that broke the camel's back was". Some how I have a feeling the #1 reason is Management - the denial of a nurse's personal and civil rights. I love to hear what runs through mamagements brain when they are doing their management misbehavior/deeds. I also remember, back in my travel nurse days, meeting alot of nurse's who were travel nurses to get away from dangerous spouses- either divorced from or in the process of divorcing. One nurse sticks out in my mind- we were sitting on a bench, talking, never saw each other before nor did we ever meet up again, waiting for the oncology hospital's supervisor to come down and give us our assignment, this was in a big city- her soon to be ex spouse didn't even know where she and her kids were. Another nurse, another facility, received a call from the supervisor one night during our shift, her boyfriend had shaken her infant daughter to death while she was at work that night. When these nurse managers come up with these petty BS targeting nonsense routines of theirs- I just stand there and think It must be nice they have never been exposed to any real problems in their life. Just my rambling.

[victoriashe]

All I can say is thanks for allowing me to whine, cry and vent all over this site. This is the first time I have talked about this other than my physician and family. So, thank you. I am 55 years young, been an RN since 1977. I worked all but 5 of those years. I was fired in 6/2010, my license was placed on probation for wrong doing I did in 2001. I have 13 years in chronic dialysis and can't get an interview in a clinic. I feel my career is over.

[Donald52]

I have been a nurse since 1978, active for the entire time. Had several back surgeries in the last year. Now unemployed. I was terminated over an issue regarding my safety. At which time I tried to report to the Nursing Board and was informed that the nursing board was for the benefit of the public and did not get involved with nurse's safety issues. I really think that they view us older nurses as being obstructionist. We remember the days when we provided care when medical was a service not as a business, like it seems today. It seems that the idea of our experience and "wisdom" would help us maintain a lasting employment in our senior years was a sad belief. These days it's more numbers and warm bodies. We did not need to be drilled and directed to provide excellent care, we did not just talk about it. We delievered it, and not out of the desire to make bonus,points, or trinkets, but as a responsibilty towards our profession. Also the days of face to face selling of yourself/interviews are over. If they don't like the information, or although they can't ask you about your age but can determine your age by your prior employment hx,they know you age. With these major medical centers taking over the smaller community hospitals, for instance I have 6 hospital in my driving range, but they are owned and operated by 2 major centers. So if you had problems with one then your options are slim at the others. Sorry just sounding off.............

[valven]

thanks all...

[oldntiredRN]

Haven't been on this forum for a while- Glad to see that it is still around. I think it's important that us older nurses have a place to post about what is happening to us older nurses. Our challenges are not the same as the new grads, new nurses or younger nurses.
I think it's profound that never before has nursing been hit with unemployment and it's especially challenging for us because we are older. For me, I got lucky, finally, but I don't know for how long. Being terminated from my hospital perdiem position because I found a temp fulltime position and wasn't at the beck and call of the nurse mananger, then when that ended it was unemployment, then another temp fill in position and outof that, now a year long contract with an agency there. It has forced me to look into different nursing settings that I would not have considered if there wasn't so much age discrimination in nursing now. In these other settings, I am meeting older nurses who have come up against the same ageism, so I know it's not all in my head. It's just done very covertly and more difficult to prove. Some one once told me " the best revenge is living well". Well to all the nursing managers, nursing administrators and CEO's out there that refuse to hire us older nurses and/or give us a hard time on the job so we will quit to save YOU some money for your big salaries and bonuses- I love the venue of nursing I'm doing now, I'm not running my rear end off on a short staffed inpatient hospital telementry/stepdown unit- no call bells, no bed pans, no stats, no IV's, no IV meds, no meds at all,no infighting breed by the management for their profit and amusement- It is nurse heaven and I'm earning my rightful salary doing it.
To all you older experinced nurses who are running into road blocks in finding employment- think out of the box, outside those 4 toxic walls of a hospital- let those hospitals continue to fail and crumble- and they will. Don't fall with them- get out as soon as you can and don't look back.

[jmsrn159]

I am reentering nursing after a 5 year sabatical and am certainly a serior nurse at 72! I would love to work where my age is not the "conversation of the month". I thought seriously about a NSG home. The pace is a little slower and my "look" fits the atmosphere. What do you think. What can you suggest?

[NURSEDETROIT]

I'm new to this site; however, not new to Nursing. I've practiced for 27+ years; in more settings and areas than I care to mention. Finished reading all the threads in this discussion. The one thing that strikes me here is the overwhelming theme that most of the "older/seasoned/greying" nurses are feeling used and abused. . . Not only by management/administration, then also by those that will be taking care of us one day. . .the "new" nurses.

What does all this actually say about the Profession of Nursing? We all need to take a long hard look in the mirror; do you like what you see? Are we truly a profession? We're considered by most as one of the most trusted of professions; yet, we need to and must ask ourselves, can we trust one another? To those who would choose to judge any older nurse; keep this in mind; the only thing that lies between the young and old, is "time." You will reap what you sow. . . aka, Karma; or call it what you will. . .

We need to reconsider consciously the cannibalistic attitude/mindset that appears to be so entrenched on all levels. This will and is having adverse effects for all those affected. . .

[utopiasmith]

NURSEDETROIT...well said.
Let’s stop categorizing ourselves and others, old, young, computer literate and computer illiterate, RN BSN LPN AD.

Employers, coworkers, patients, family, educators all want the same thing…professional behavior, competence, physical ability to perform the tasks of the job and a caring, empathetic and confident carriage and demeanor.

Whether old or young the requirements are the same; pre-judging someone based solely on their age, their Alma matter or any other category is unfair and not an accurate indicator of each individual person’s ability.

If we must name the more experienced nurses, I vote for W & M….Wise and mellow.

[NURSEDETROIT]

Thanks for the positive stroke. . . I do like your term for "more experienced nurses. . .Wise and Mellow." Kind of describes the sense of comfort one arrives at after years of practice; no need to "prove it" any longer. . .Find it quite interesting the responses received by some for having a more relaxed attitude . . . I always say, if it's not life altering, it's not worth getting upset about. People, lighten up, life is too short. . .

[jmsrn159]

I am just returning after a 5 year absence from telly. I share your apprehension completely. I plan to approch what I lack head on.
I will work where ever they put me, take a cut in pay, trail for as long as my supervisor needs me to and show that I am a greatful teamplayer and blessed to have been accepted in the first place and that I am willing to do all that it takes to gain the respect of my coworkers. Basically, this is all we "start backs' can do. Am I wrong in thinking that any other course of action would defeat my purpose? Please feel free to email me at JMSRN159@yahoo if you want to contact me directly.

[NURSEDETROIT]

Another thing that struck me in this thread is also a sense of "shame" that some seem to have expressed; for being older? Having had experiences that the "newbie's" are yet to have? Failures? Wins? Regrets? Yeah, everyone makes mistakes, no one gets this far without any; learn from them, dust yourself off, get up and move forward. Every experience is a lesson; impart that to those that will benefit; give it to em' good and bad or indifferent. . . I find this sad coming from such an "educated" bunch. . . People, there isn't one person on this earth, part of this crazy "human race" that is absolutely perfect. . . Those who make or lay that claim are lying. . . Yes, we are all a part of this profession. "Own" what you have. . .forgive your own transgessions first (just as you would do for others), scream/vent, then let go. . .