A recent article begged the question - Can Aging Nurses Take It? To me, whether or not they can completely depends on the individual. I know plenty of lazy young people. What does everyone else think? Does a nurse's age affect his or her abilities?

As a middle aged nurse, I wonder about this myself. I've seen nurses in their 70's too work circles around me and I don't understand why or how they do it. I've also been taught by nurses more seasoned than I am about pacing myself. I'm trying to apply that all the time. I always say that unless somebody is coding, there is no reason for me to run, so I won't. I won't hurry just because my work load is overwhelming. I believe it's safer for both my patients and me if I take my time, or go at a normal rate of speed instead of the breakneck rate of speed I think I should maintain in order to get all my work done. I've tried to go at a constant breakneck speed, because it looked like I needed to to get every thing done. I did not ever once get an ounce of appreciation for that. I got more work loaded onto me. Now I work at the pace I feel comfortable with, to insure my safety and the safety of my patients. There are those who still try to rush me (specifically: surgeons and nursing supervisors--at various times), but I go at the speed I deem appropriate and safe, and just think that apparently the people who rush me need a life lesson in patience. Even though I work very hard and try to get all I can get done, I don't mind leaving something for the oncoming shift now. That might sound bad to some, but I've had to work long and hard to make that be OK with me to do. And when I say long and hard, I really do mean long and hard. I've worked where every nurse, every shift always had to work at least 14-15 hours every day just to finish 12 hours worth of work, and I did that diligently to spare my co-workder. But guess what? My co-workers were not spared because administration saw how diligent we were and just kept adding to our work load. I leave places like that now early on.

I think the people who sit at a desk for 7-8 hours a day and get regular lunch breaks and can always get up and go to the bathroom when nature calls, and make the decisions that nurses should work only 12 (or in reality 13-14) hour shifts because it saves the hospital money, should be forced to stand up at their jobs and run for 12 hours a day, too, just like we do, without any breaks at all. Because after all the hospital can save money if they can get 5 days work done in 3 days, and after, they'll have to work only 3 days a week. The fact that 3 other days a week get used up just resting up from the 3 days on makes no difference. Maybe if the execs had to work 13-14 hours a day, running literally, in addition to commute time, without breaks, sometimes at night, and give up the time with their families, give up thier health (stats prove that working at night equals a health decline and possibly shorter life), give up their days off to rest up for the next go round--or just be willing to come in on their days off anyway because of shortages.....maybe then there would be more consideration for aging nurses. I don't really even think young nurses should have to work the way we work. How in the world can anyone wonder why there's a nursing shortage. Giving a tiny llittle grant or scholarship to help new nurses come into a field that will burn them out in a year is no solution at all. I've heard so many new nurses (at around the year point) come to me and ask me how in the world I've tolerated nursing for so long--because they can't stand it anymore. Nurses' work enviromnments and work load demands really need to be addressed and re-aligned. but what's the liklihood of that with the ever-increasing nursing shortage. Nurses need to be treated like professionals instead of work horses. But guess what? The only way that is ever going to happen is if WE MAKE IT HAPPEN. Don't count on anyone to do it for us.

I know of one hospital where the nurses got so fed up with overwhelming and impossible work load demands and impossiblle working conditions that they actually went on strike. They could because they were already unionized. The hospital lost millions of dollars getting nurses to come and work through the strike (at $100.00 and hour plus travel expenses and local hotel bills) (because after all patients still need care even when nurses have to stand up for themselvses in a strike). After the hospital lost millions and millions to provide adequate nursing care, suddenly the hospital was much more appreciative of the nurses who work there all the time. In this one hospital, the nurses didn't like how the strike was handled by the teamsters (who are the ones who usually administer or orgainze nurses into unions) and so the nurses in that hospital "fired" the teamsters and formed their own union, with the ability to make their own decisions about what is good for nurses and what isn't. It's a beautiful thing, but at the time, it was an agony and a half. As a profession I think we need to be willing to go through the agony of establishing our strength. If we don't we''ll always be perceived as weak enough to be run over, railroaded, manipulated by those who have no idea of how hard we actually work and what we have to give up to practice our beloved art and profession of nursing

meblessedbyu said:

As a nurse who has just come out of retirement at the ripe old age of 54. Young nurses don't move as fast it seems.
They even have time to converse on the telephone. I guess its all about work ethics.

There is something about the older more experienced nurses that always (I fortunately haven't had a bad experience) improves me. I always leave a shift (after working with them) tired but satisfied that we gave great care and worked as a team for a better outcome. However, lately I have had the unfortunate experience of seeing the new nurses (not necessarily younger but new to the field) who abuse the support staff and manipulate the older nurses into doing their work for them and that has enraged me. I am still trying to figure out how or if I can report this without retribution as I am currently only a CNA but have plans to start nursing school soon. Is this a situation that I leave to the licensed people and just do the best I can until I am one of them? This kind of steps off the topic of this discussion so forgive me.

On topic: I think that the older nurses are the biggest assets we have in the healthcare field. These nurses deserve better distribution of support staff and more realistic work loads so we can give them career longevity. Just a wishful thought but hopefully the field of nursing will unite and work towards this goal and against those mentioned in earlier posts who just don't have a clue nor do they intend on getting one.

There are all kinds of nursing. As we get older. we can concentrate on areas of nursing which are less physical and less demanding but still remain n the scope of nursing.

How about making the work place more ergonomic for those of us in 5th and 6th decade?