We need an icon with a cane or walker (I am trying to laugh). What does everyone think of this? Is anyone feeling the effects? I work in surgery and a great majority of our staff are in their fifties. We do not mess around and our schedule is heavy. It really makes a difference when a majority begin to get hurt a work due to fatigue,etc. The pool of experienced nurses is nil. Just wondering if this challange is being met elsewhere. Thanks!
Well, I'm 42, and about half of our staff is in the 40-ish range, with the rest being newbies.
What we have done is split the staffing up, about 50/50. Half veterans, and half newbies. Doing this serves two purposes...it helps the new nurses by giving them some more experienced nurses to turn to in a crunch, and it gives us old farts a chance to teach (and learn, for that matter!).
There is a high turn over rate in our unit, I guess because it can get pretty intense (duh...MSICU!), but there is an abundance of new nurses who want to become ICU nurses, or at least they think they do. Some move on to PICU, NICU, CVICU, etc...
At this point, I don't believe that any of our veterans are planning to retire, although I often dream of it!
TracyR
www.nurseserver.com
I will be 60 in June with 31 years of Nursing behind me. Not too many stay with it that long but there are some out there.
Hi Fay,
sounds like you're still going strong! Welcome to the forum!
I'm 30 and I feel the effects everyday.. There are so few nurses out there it is scary!! I dont know what is going to happen when all those 50 and over retire?
I guess I am the baby here, I am 26 and have been working as and RN since I was 21. Most of the nuses that I have worked with on most of my assignments durning my travels have always been a great deal older. With their experiences I have learned alot. Keep going strong you give us younger nurses someone to look up to.
I am an RN of 32 years duration, age 62. I am on the nurse educator track for an MSN, almost done.
I find that there are many nurses in their 40s and 50s but few have been at it as long or longer than I.
Jim
Los Angeles
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