Old, but Not Out: The Aging Nurse in Today's Workplace

[OldSquidNewNurse]

Old, but Not Out: The Aging Nurse in Today's Workplace

Laura A. Stokowski, RN, MS

Medscape Nurses. 2008; ©2008 Medscape
Posted 12/29/2008

Age and Nursing
Nearly every article or opinion piece about the nursing shortage recommends the important strategy of retaining our older and most expert nurses. The fact that we must even articulate the need to retain nurses speaks to the sad state of affairs we are facing in the nursing profession. Why are qualified nurses leaving nursing for other careers, cutting back their work hours, or retiring early? And can anything be done to persuade nurses to return to nursing?

The age of the average nurse steadily inches upwards. In 2004, the average nurse was age 46.8 years (up from 45.2 in 2000).[1,2] The age at which a nurse is considered old varies according to different experts. Some define "older" as anyone over the age of 40 years, while others consider workers to be old when they are 55 to 64 years of age. In an interview with Susan Letvak, PhD, RN, from the School of Nursing, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, who has written extensively on the subject of the mature nurse, the older nurse was defined as one who has reached 50 years of age.

The largest cohort of nurses working today consists of those born from 1955 to 1959. We are now experiencing an aging workforce, as this cohort is entering their fifties. By 2010, 40% of nurses will be over the age of 50 years. In about 10 years, as these nurses begin to retire, the nursing workforce will shrink considerably as this large cohort is replaced by smaller cohorts of nurses.[3] The loss of these older, expert nurses could have a disproportionate impact on patient safety and quality of care.[4]

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[Ricu]

Interesting article.

Wouldn't it be insightful to look at the various capacities in which nurses work and the relative age of those nurses? For example, let's break the workforce down into the following arbitrary areas; direct inpatient care, supervisor/manager, clinical nurse specialist, clinical nurse educator, advanced practice, inpatient/outpatient, acute/long term care, home/hospice care, physician office, and so on.

I'm sure there's no clear pattern but it's my sense that those "older" nurses will likely be found at the bedside rather than up the chain of command. Nurses here eventually will retire and many want out sooner rather than later. We like our job but it's taking more out of us than it used to. We're getting older, the work is more challenging than ever, there are sicker patients and more of them to care for and there are fewer of us doing it. It's here, at the bedside, where the shortage is felt, not in the boardroom. Ironically too, it's at the bedside where the fewest new nurses are found.

I'm forty-six so by some standards, fit into that category therefore, feel qualified to comment. Nurses in this category have probably been working for over twenty-five years so have mastered patient care and view it as more relevent activity than the rest of what is referred to as Nursing Scope and Practice. I refer to this realm of nursing as "clipboard" or "meeting room" nursing with truthful sarcasm, probably because I've been in administration. I eventually returned to bedside care because I didn't find admin. as fulfilling.

Don't misinterpret my opinion as being opposed to nursing leadership or advanced practice when I applaud efficient leadership and nursing advancement. What I oppose is the epidemic of ineffective, nonclinical, roles and top heavy bureaucracy which seem to be the fastest growing areas in nursing.

This leads me to another controversy, the preparation of the new nursing workforce and how we come to have so few of them at the bedside consequently; a shortage.

Thoughts anyone?

R

[OldSquidNewNurse]

Originally Posted by Ricu

Interesting article.

Wouldn't it be insightful to look at the various capacities in which nurses work and the relative age of those nurses? For example, let's break the workforce down into the following arbitrary areas; direct inpatient care, supervisor/manager, clinical nurse specialist, clinical nurse educator, advanced practice, inpatient/outpatient, acute/long term care, home/hospice care, physician office, and so on.

I'm sure there's no clear pattern but it's my sense that those "older" nurses will likely be found at the bedside rather than up the chain of command. Nurses here eventually will retire and many want out sooner rather than later. We like our job but it's taking more out of us than it used to. We're getting older, the work is more challenging than ever, there are sicker patients and more of them to care for and there are fewer of us doing it. It's here, at the bedside, where the shortage is felt, not in the boardroom. Ironically too, it's at the bedside where the fewest new nurses are found.

I'm forty-six so by some standards, fit into that category therefore, feel qualified to comment. Nurses in this category have probably been working for over twenty-five years so have mastered patient care and view it as more relevent activity than the rest of what is referred to as Nursing Scope and Practice. I refer to this realm of nursing as "clipboard" or "meeting room" nursing with truthful sarcasm, probably because I've been in administration. I eventually returned to bedside care because I didn't find admin. as fulfilling.

Don't misinterpret my opinion as being opposed to nursing leadership or advanced practice when I applaud efficient leadership and nursing advancement. What I oppose is the epidemic of ineffective, nonclinical, roles and top heavy bureaucracy which seem to be the fastest growing areas in nursing.

This leads me to another controversy, the preparation of the new nursing workforce and how we come to have so few of them at the bedside consequently; a shortage.

Thoughts anyone?

R

You bring up some good points. Most nursing jobs I know of require at least two years on the floor before moving up.

Also, where my wife works the senior nurses get the pick of assignments so she (being a nurse with almost 10 years experince) get stuck with all the highly acute patinets while the senior ones get all the easy ones, becuase the senior ones don't know how to care for the acute ones. I know this isn't how it is everywhere, but also there are two sides to every story.

Finally I think most things the article listed as was older nurses what I would think that most nurses would want.

[Ricu]

Originally Posted by OldSquidNewNurse

You bring up some good points. Most nursing jobs I know of require at least two years on the floor before moving up.

Also, where my wife works the senior nurses get the pick of assignments so she (being a nurse with almost 10 years experince) get stuck with all the highly acute patinets while the senior ones get all the easy ones, becuase the senior ones don't know how to care for the acute ones. I know this isn't how it is everywhere, but also there are two sides to every story.

Finally I think most things the article listed as was older nurses what I would think that most nurses would want.

Yeah, there are enough fossils
out there who try to sidestep the more technically complex patients but in general, they seem to keep pace. I don't think I've experienced a situation where the assignments were picked by seniority. What type of facility does your wife work in?

R

[OldSquidNewNurse]

Originally Posted by Ricu

Yeah, there are enough fossils
out there who try to sidestep the more technically complex patients but in general, they seem to keep pace. I don't think I've experienced a situation where the assignments were picked by seniority. What type of facility does your wife work in?

R

A Rehabilitation Hospital

[ruby43]

I must agree that the more experienced nurses are leaving early, and there is a difference in the atmosphere and work ethics of the younger generation. We, the older ones, are tired. But mainly I find that we don't see the love and caring of the craft, so to speak...that drew us in and molded us to who we are. It proves to be challenging to find a job where we can actually do our job and still remember the basics we were taught. I can't remember the last time I saw a nurse actually shave someone, or turn and reposition a patient like we were taught, or even give someone a back rub. It just isn't personal anymore. We are so overwhelmed in paperwork and documentation...and "time management"; that we cannot spend the extra time doing the little things that make a difference. Even the aides and techs are more overwhelmed with what is expected from them. I always tell my aides and techs that I work with, come get me so we can actually take care of this patient like we are supposed to.

[cougarnurse]

I would suggest reading this story: Companies may be laying off, but nursing industry desperate especially the second part I posted.


The shortage has been operating since World War II on an eight- to 10-year cycle, industry experts say. Each time the number of nurses reaches a critical low, the government adds funding and hospitals upgrade working conditions. But as the deficit eases, those retention efforts fade and eventually the old conditions return, often driving nurses into other professions.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts about 233,000 additional jobs will open for registered nurses each year through 2016, on top of about 2.5 million existing positions. But only about 200,000 candidates passed the Registered Nurse licensing exam last year, and thousands of nurses leave the profession each year.

I heard this 20 + years ago in LPN school, and it's still there.

[WinterInED]

WOW, don't get so comfortable with the idea of job security...I have heard rumor of hiring freeze here in Phoenix for some of the hospital facilities and am aware of a ?? freeze within the VA system here. I think this can be verified with the change in the number of positions being posted.

[cougarnurse]

I never mentioned job security. We had a hospital or two close here (one was bought by another group, and re-named...). Imagine the fall out from that.

[Ricu]

Several hospitals in my area have imposed hiring freezes, two have halted construction projects and one has laid off (nonclinical) positions. We're supposed to be on a hiring freeze and one of our full time night nurses has just given notice. We have NO surplus of staff on our unit so I'm looking foreward to finding out what the plan is. We have a wealth of Clinical Nurse Educators at our disposal so perhaps I'll recommend that they take assignments. How do you think that idea will be received?

Yeah, the more things change, the more they stay the same.

R