Survival Tips for Nurses over 50

Posted by in Healthcare •


In the U.S., approximately 850,000 registered nurses (RNs) are between the ages of 50 and 64. If you’re one of these hardworking individuals, you know what a challenge it is to maintain your energy level and avoid RN burnout.

 

The good news is conditions are improving for older nurses. Donna Herrin, RN, MSN and senior vice president at Martin Health System notes that more hospitals and healthcare centers are improving work place conditions to encourage experienced nurses to stay on the job.

 

To help you not only survive but thrive, consider the following suggestions from peers and experts alike:

 

Reduce Workload. Ask your employer for accommodations that will make your work a bit easier, says Joan Borgatti, RN, MEd, author of Frazzled, Fried...Finished? A Guide to Help Nurses Find Balance. Some employers may reduce your shift from the grueling 12 to a more manageable 8 hours. Older nurses suffer job-related back pain more than workers in any other profession. In fact, one survey revealed that two-thirds of all orthopedic nurses and more than half of all ICU nurses suffer debilitating back pain at least once in their careers. It’s not unreasonable for you to ask your employer to provide hoists and lifts to help move patients.

 

Reduce Eyestrain. Squinting to read tiny type on computer screens can pose a challenge for older nurses. Herrin suggests that nurses ask for larger text and readouts on computers and other medical equipment to ensure accuracy and reduce eyestrain. Simple steps like these can maintain productivity and improve morale for aging workers.

 

Switch Units. Ask to work in pediatrics or outpatient surgery, which are typically less physically demanding than orthopedics or rehabilitation, says Debbie Hatmaker, PhD, RN, Board Member of the American Nurses Association that provides workplace advocacy for nonunion nurses.

 

Survive Night Shifts. Eat a full meal before your shift. As you well know, the cafeteria can be either closed or offer paltry leftovers at night. So carry some healthy snacks to get through the night. And get at least 8 hours of sleep during the day to avoid those 3 a.m. naps. When you get home at dawn, don’t go to sleep immediately. Relax for a while. Read or watch TV. Allow your body to tell you when it’s time to sleep. If you work multiple shifts, try to gradually ease into the night shift, segueing from evening shift to night shift to allow your body to adjust. Don’t rely on alcohol or sleeping pills to help you sleep. Allow your body to establish normal circadian rhythms for restful sleep.

 

Making life easier for older nurses is not rocket science. Employers want to keep you since you are an experienced and valued asset. So ask for things that will take the load off your workload. You may just get what you ask for.

 

Image courtesy of stockimages/FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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  • Mary F
    Mary F •
    Excellent article as always, however, I am a nurse working in an office (CM), so most of it does not apply. Good suggestion regarding eye strain; will have to make that happen, as I have noticed decline in my visual acuity drastically since working on the computer.
  • Kandice M
    Kandice M •
    I haven't heard from any LPNs! It isn't bad enough they dont hire LPNs in hospitals anymore(we have more experience than some RNs) now we can't find a job if we are over 50. I have been an LPN for 20+ yrs. and know I better keep up or get out. Pathetic.
  • Priscilla S
    Priscilla S •
    So not true.  I was forced to resign from a job because they wanted to hire a younger employer because they could pay them less.  I am 62 years old and am very depressed because my career is over because I can't find a job.  Young managers do not think the way older workers think and have different work ethics than the baby boomers.  It's a shame a lot of older nurses have a lot too give but are being put out to pasture!
  • SANDRA S
    SANDRA S •
    This article approaches the plight of the older nurse who has already been hired.  What about the discrimination encountered when hiring nurses over 50 ?  I'm 54 and have been looking for 5 months.
  • Lavonya B
    Lavonya B •
    would like to get Certified again for CNA my certificate expire 3yrs ago. Most facilities do not hire if your certificate is not updated. Any suggestions as to where I might accomplish this mission with out enrolling into a one year class training which mean taking on an education loan, which is not necessary because I have years of experience as a CNA. I just  got out the field for two year because I want to do truck driving.
  • Katherine M
    Katherine M •
    so negative comments are not allowed right ?
  • Katherine M
    Katherine M •
    you call you talk about accommodations for older nurses but the TRUTH is they get our younger counterparts for much less and will continue to do so! I've been looking for almost a yr and no one is interested!!! experience is not worth the xtra 7 or 8  dollars an hour! end of story      
  • Kathleen A
    Kathleen A •
    My experience has been like Sharon S.  Employers do not value your experience as you can be replaced by younger workers coming in.  and they do seem to bully you.  Have been looking for another job for 5 years with no luck.  too young to retire.
  • Jeanette W
    Jeanette W •
    What about c.n.a's
  • sally k
    sally k •
    I'm60 my manger: took me off day shift place me on 12 hrs nights in icu my first week 4 nights in a row and the following week on one off one and so on I'm very upset.
  • Marion R
    Marion R •
    I am 61 and have been let go as they can hire 3 new grads for my salary, and now no one will hire me , I have been a RN since 1979, management is no support on the job!
  • Barbara F
    Barbara F •
    That was absolutely useless. How about opportunities that our available outside of the traditional hospital shifts Less stress and less physical need.
  • Wendylynn N
    Wendylynn N •
    I was forced into resigning due to an injury that I had at work, when I finally had to have the spinal surgeries. I have found that being older and at the top of the pay scale also seems to be an issue with finding a new job now. I have tried to request shorter 8 hour shifts, but find that most hospitals do not want to return to those shifts. When I became a nurse, the field was doing everything it could to recruit nurses, and I completed the ADN program. I can honestly say there is nothing that I haven't done caring for patients in the hospital for 30+ years. I have to ask though, is it reasonable with all my work hands on experience, for hospitals to prefer BSN or MSN only? When submitting applications is done online, all that is looked at is your degree.So I know that I will not get a call back. We as a profession, need to get away from the technology involved with the hiring process, reinstitute the nurse recruiters, and have them find placements for all nurses.
  • Luanne G
    Luanne G •
    No special accommodations are available for older nurses at the community hospital I am working at now.  Nepotism is the rule as it is a small town and many family members and friends of administration are working there.  Very frustrating.  And they want us older diploma grads to take out huge loans to get a BSN, so I can leave my kids debt when I die.  Ridiculous.  If it is the new standard then pay for it.
  • Cara L
    Cara L •
    I disagree with this article regarding employers wanting to keep older workers. In my area of the country, older workers are laid off at a higher rate and have a much more difficult time getting gainful employment.  Employers in our area are looking to replace older higher paid skilled workers with inexperienced cheaper labor.  They only whine about not being able to get skilled workers because it is the PC thing to do.
  • Jean S
    Jean S •
    I worked in the ED for over 35 years and things just got harder and harder. There was no appealing to our thirtyish manager who didn't care if we even got lunch breaks much less shorten shifts or decrease our workloads. I was completely burned out and ready to leave when I finished my MSN and became a Family Practice APRN. This job has its stresses but the days are shorter and I get lunch breaks and there is little lifting involved.   
  • VERA S
    VERA S •
    Sharon, I know how you feel.  Bullying is alive and well in nursing.  I am 51, strong and hard-working.  I worked non-stop taking good care of my patients while younger nurses played on their I-phones and bought things online, ignoring their patients most of the night.  Management loved them because they got out on time; I was criticized for not being as fast.  It was so severe I started doubting my own ability.  I am now working outside the hospital setting and thriving elsewhere.  The problem is we are forced out and lose the long-term benefits we worked so hard for.
  • Julie M
    Julie M •
    I agree, older nurses should slow down on their own and take on jobs that need nursing experience and not so labor intensive.
  • VERA STANDISH
    VERA STANDISH •
    Unfortunately, hospitals in my area have no interest in making life easier for the experienced nurse, although they claim to value us.  The truth is, all they value is money.
  • Heather F
    Heather F •
    Thank you for the information. These steps will definitely help experienced nurses be more productive,  reduce burn-out and lengthen our working lives.
  • Regina C
    Regina C •
    Good advice for someone on the cusp of 50
  • Philomena S
    Philomena S •
    I am having difficulty finding a full or part  time regular job.  I have not been in the hospital since 2004, but have been actively working in ASCs in LA.
  • Mari P
    Mari P •
    Stress management integrative interventions need to be offered to RN's by employers. Massages for alternating shifts in the same week. Acupuncture for chronic back pain. Aromatherapy on the job in a diffuser in nursing center, energetic Rosemary oil during night shift.  There is an oil blend called "Burnout Reviver" made by Linden House.  
  • Kimberly W
    Kimberly W •
    I don't think you are living in the same world as I am. I have been an RN for 36 yrs and find I better keep up with younger nurses and act young and stay healthy. I am at the top of the pay scale and my employer would love to replace me with a new grad for less money. In my world they could care less about experience and want young nurses who make no demands and they can give fewer benefits. I wouldn't think of asking for special treatment. The hospitals here view older workers as a liability.
  • Madonna S
    Madonna S •
    Information seems unrealistic in todays Health Care enviornment.  Senior nurses are getting forced out for less expensive newbies and if you ask for any of the considerations or special treatment discussed in the article it's adds to the opinion that you can't keep up.  

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