It's not your age, it's your experience. How long has it been since you worked in acute care (if ever)? What part of the country do you live in? How bad is the shortage where you live?

If you want to do something else in nursing, you are going to have to step out of your comfort zone and take a few classes to get your skills updated. Maybe an RN refresher course would help.

Why are you looking?

You failed to mention your age. That would make a great difference. I am 55 years old and continue to work 36 hours per week. These are three 12 hour shifts in a fast paced environment. I hurt like crazy but I hang in there all the way.

jobs for older nurses
hi, I agree with the others, its your experience. What type of job are you trying to find. I am 56 and still working in ICUs all the shifts I can. There are plenty of jobs out there. If you are looking for a staff job, check with hospitals that have preceptor programs to get you back up to speed. Stop sending resumes and walk into the hospitals and fill out applications there, let them look at you, most with interview you and call the head nurse to see you while you are there. There are loads of private duty jobs, home care jobs and visiting nurse jobs which are less strenous for older nurses.

Hi, I'm 52 y/o with 30 years of nursing experience. When I had difficulty finding an LPN job in my area, I decided to look into travel nursing. My recruiters were more impressed with my years of experience than my age AND I get to travel with benefits!

Older Nurse
I doubt its your age, from personal experience. I'm 58. Are you applying for jobs you are really qualified for? Have you had a recent acute care experience? With all the BSN's out there it is difficult to get supervisory jobs in hospitals, without one. Other settings are more accepting of the nurse with vast exprience. Try going over 1. What you have experience in, 2. What education does the job want.

"need nurses in VA?"
I have been out of the clinical/acute care setting for about 18 years, and here in VA there is precious little available to "refresh" you to get back into nursing. Sentara, the big employer here is not interested, they would much rather hire a new grad or foreign grad. I'm thinking real estate may be great!!!

older nurses
Sue, I can't imagine why they don't want to "refresh" you. I live in VA and I spend alot of time teaching new nurses, because they don't have any clinical experience. sounds like it should be six of one half dozen of the other. I have no idea if any of the community colleges have courses or not, never having been out of nursing I never needed it. Frankly, nursing has deteriorated since you worked, real estate sounds like a good idea.

Saddened by your response
Matina,

When you say nursing has deteriorated, what exactly do you mean? Could you be more specific? Before I head off into a totally different area than one I spent so much time preparing for, I'd like to know I'm making a reasonable choice and not a decision made when upset.

jobs for older nurses
When I started in nursing, nurses were respected. They weren't cursed at, struck, or spit on. Healthcare has become a business, and of course bottom line in all businesses is money. We work harder and longer and are expected to do it all, while we have to put up with patients who are impossible, and we have no backing from administration, indeed the patients are encouraged to act that way, by being told they can have it the way they want it. You start getting the feeling that all you are is a robot to them, and you have no feelings or life outside of work. The regulations are getting so bad that it is making the job more difficult, and in some cases they keep us from doing our job adequately. The paperwork has become unbelievable. Then there is the other side of it, benefits are being cut to the bone in alot of places, you have to be so careful if things like health insurance are important to you. I went into nursing to take care of people, with all the paperwork and the other stuff, I don't get alot of time to do that. I recently left the rat race and took a job taking care of patients at home. I get to take care of one patient, the family appreciates that you're there, and the paperwork is minimal. This may be my niche until I can retire. You might want to consider that. I work 12 hr days fri, sat and sun, and have 4 days off. I now have time to stop and take a deep breath. I would say probably, try to get into something so you could see what its like now, then make your decision. Have you searched the internet to find out about refresher courses? When I was a student, we had one at the hospital. When did you graduate from school? So you don't feel old, I graduated in 1968. lol

Re: "need nurses in VA?"


You know, no profession or business is without its problems. To an even greater extent, you will have to accept that real estate is a business, and your success will depend on developing great business skills.

Not saying you shouldn't do it. I've been working my way towards that myself, and I was reading just yesterday that Assisted Living facilities are in great demand (the aging of America, you know). Now what better business for an RN to get into? And I'm talking owning and operating one, not working there as the "Wellness Coordinator".

work for older nurses
You have a great idea ginger, I've often thought of that too, if I had the money it takes to get started, there is money in it and its doing something good for people.

Well, owning an Assisted Living facility is much like owning an apartment building or developing condos. You can either sell each unit or rent them out. If you are willing to take Medicaid, you can serve a much greater clientele.

These are just like other real estate transactions. Come up with the down payment and arrange mortgage financing. Decide what services you will provide, and the types of clients you are willing to serve (this is where your RN assessment skills help --- you can make much better judgements about who is appropriate for your building), market your business, and start collecting rent.

Older Nurse
God Bless you for having the strength to do what you do.

older nurse
I am an older nurse too with 25 yrs. experience with 22 of it being med-surg. I quit my longtime employer to move to Florida for awhile. I had no trouble finding a job there, but decided I would not do hospital nursing there because of the pt./nurse ratio. Anyway after coming back to Or. it took me a yr. to get employed!! I couldn't believe it, but then talked to a couple others with good experience also & they were having trouble. It is definite discrimination because their payscales state they have to pay us so much more than a new grad. So if Or. starts to experience a BAD nursing shortage--to bad, it is your own fault.

I work pool at an HMO and we have several "older" (young at heart) nurses who do all of our health fairs and just love it. They take blood pressures, give flu shots, stuff like that. The pays pretty good and the works easy enough. Maybe alot of standing sometimes but for the most part it's fun. I would do the fairs all the time but there is not always enough space, and they are seasonal.

I, too, am an older nurse. I was looking on the internet to get an idea of what might be out there in my future. As it is, I currently work 36 hours weekly in an acute care hospital setting. At age 55, I believe that my options are narrowing with time. The hospital in which I work is not stipulating that any new ADRN hire must sign a contract that he/she will be pursuing a BSN as a requirement for employment. LPN's are not hired at all. Any current RN's that are not BSN are grandfathered and LPN's are being eliminated by attrition. Kinda makes me want to look at other options since I don't plan on pursuing a BSN in my next few years. Really.....I always hoped I would be an Ask A Nurse nurse toward the end of my career.....I don't even think that is out there anymore.

I am also an "older" nurse (62 now) and I have been feeling the age-thing since I got out of nursing school (45). I live in a state that has always had a glut of nurses and have had to become a traveler to get work. Experience has nothing to do with it, it is purely age and it is ongoing. I am actually in good shape and look younger than my years but I have still overheard myself being described as "that older nurse."

Hi,
Happy to read your comments. I would love to try Travel Nursing as an LPN (with a BA), what company uses Travel LPN's? PS I live in Washington state.