People commonly have preconceived ideas about who works certain jobs. When you think of a doctor, a lawyer, a construction worker or a teacher, the brain may conjure an image of the typical age, sex, race and demeanor of the profession. Unfortunately, these assumptions are often rooted in biases and stereotypes. Unconscious assumptions can quickly become problematic when people begin to discriminate against those who do not match preconceived notions.
Unfortunately, older nurses are common targets of such discrimination, and we refer to this as ageism in nursing. For registered nurses (RNs), learning to combat ageism is an important aspect of developing skills and knowledge surrounding ethics, equity and leadership. These components of nursing development are central to studies in the online RN to BSN program from The University of Texas at
Arlington. By completing dedicated coursework, nurses gain the tools to help address ageism throughout their careers.
Understanding Ageism and How It Impacts Nurses
Ageism is discrimination based on age. This discrimination may come in the form of unfair treatment or negative attitudes toward people based on their age. Not only is age discrimination illegal, according to the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, but it also has serious detrimental effects on the workplace.
It is easy to forget that hospitals and clinics operate much like for-profit businesses. They try to cut costs and maximize revenue. Unfortunately, one way many hospitals try to cut costs is by forcing older nurses into retirement.
With decades of experience and years of pay increases, older nurses may earn more than nursing graduates just entering the field. In some cases, an employer can afford to hire two new nurses for the same price as an experienced, older nurse. This is a major financial incentive to push older nurses out using various questionable tactics.
The fact that ageism often goes unnoticed by nurses’ peers exacerbates the problem. An older nurse who is a victim of discrimination may endure accusations from other nurses; they may claim that the older nurse is being too sensitive or exaggerating the circumstances. This often leads to poor morale, job dissatisfaction, burnout and early retirement, all of which fuel the ongoing nursing shortage.
How Ageism Affects Patients
Often, older patients feel more comfortable with nurses of a similar age. As we age, our bodies go through a variety of changes, some of which are difficult to talk about. Having nurses over the age of 50 on staff who understand what ageing patients are experiencing improves patient experiences. Thus, comfort and engagement for older patients may decrease if nurses leave the profession due to ageism and its effects.
Not only does age discrimination affect quality of care and comfort for patients, but it can also leave a healthcare facility understaffed. Forced early retirement, the attrition of older nurses, or a hostile atmosphere can significantly reduce nursing staff, which can easily translate into poor patient outcomes and experiences or even death. If our ageing nurse workforce begins to dwindle due to discrimination, we will lose valuable personnel with lifesaving experience.
Fighting Ageism in Healthcare
In order to combat ageism, one must first understand the misconceptions that fuel age-based discrimination. One common misconception is that older nurses are not physically strong enough to do many of the tasks required on the job. Tasks such as restraining a patient, helping a disabled patient into a wheelchair or catching a falling patient require physical strength.
However, that does not mean that older nurses are incapable of the job. In fact, many older nurses are more aware of their bodies, abilities and weaknesses; therefore, they take care to perform physically demanding tasks safely. Also, due to changes in how nurses perform certain tasks and improvements in safety equipment and assistive technologies, brute strength is not as necessary as it once was. Moreover, the increasing adoption of telemedicine and advancements in remote patient monitoring may decrease physically demanding, in-person responsibilities for nurses.
Another damaging misconception is that older nurses are unaware of new medicines, procedures and technologies. This belief — offensive to many — assumes that older nurses are incapable of learning new material.
Nurses of All Ages Continue Learning
In the healthcare field, every professional must stay up to date on the latest medical information, regardless of their age. Older nurses are just as capable as recently graduated nurses. Indeed, older nurses have years of expertise that make them sources of valuable information. Furthermore, due to continuing education requirements in the nursing profession, many older nurses are lifelong students with efficient methods of learning and applying new information. Online nursing degree programs also provide more access to education for older working nurses.
As the population increases and Americans enjoy longer lives, our older adult and elderly populations will continue to grow; therefore, understanding older populations will be critical to the nursing profession. Older nurses are vital resources with special insight into this population. Unfortunately, ageism threatens nurses’ abilities to help patients, serve communities and save lives. Deconstructing ageism should be an important goal for any nurse, regardless of their age.
Learn more about UTA’s online RN to BSN program.
