Jacquie works as an educator at a NSW Hospital and chatted to us about mature workers, technology and stereotyping issues she has noticed in the public and private sector.
What is the general feeling toward older mature nurses/midwives in your workplace?
“The general feeling is usually neutral in most wards but some staff accept that the older midwife or nurse tends to move a little slower, however their knowledge base is usually very deep.
The area we tend to fall down on is IT skills, we tend to be a little slower in accessing results and unless taught these skills and allowed to practice we do not retain them as well as other old nursing/midwifery skills.
However in face to face communication and verbalisation with the patient, the older midwife and nurse far out exceed their younger counterparts. This is how they were trained. They can still do the physical work while engaging with the patient and extracting information and detail with the greatest of easy.
I am aware of instances where the older nurse or midwife has felt victimised by their ‘younger NUM’. On investigating the allegation and looking at facts, the problem seems to be that the older nurse is not confident with using computers and has difficulty accessing results off the system. Many IT programs are not user friendly.
Education in private sectors is extremely limited. The discriminatory behaviour is less overt, often a group of older mature workers are left manning the floor while the younger generation attend training and education programs offered by the companies that run the private sector.
However, some of this older generation do not see the need in attending training or education…there is a “that’s the way I was taught so that is the way I will do it” mindset. This work group do not see or respect the advances of midwifery or nursing training, research or evidence-based training or care.
CPD system now in existence has been the best practice introduced to the registration system.”
Do you think older/mature workers are under pressure to prove that they still ‘measure up’?
“This really depends on the hospital and the facility you work at. However trying to keep up with mandatory training is very difficult, plus do all the work in the ward. Sometimes you feel so overwhelmed and unsupported.
As an aside, the older nurse and midwife today seem to be doing more night duty/ late shifts /and weekends so that the younger nurse midwife can have time off for pregnancy, breast feeding , child-minding, and school holidays. I acknowledge that yes this is progressive and better for young mums in the child rearing years, and yes I was a trail blasé for this change. But when do we get the easier shifts? When do we get to spend quality time with our families?”
Do older/mature workers have a larger workload?
“It’s depends on the circumstance and patient acuity. In my case, I am an extremely experienced midwife and childbirth educator. It is not uncommon for me in the private sector to be running an education session and doing some patient care on the ward. We do tend to get the heavier/ more complex patient load usually the same number of patients allocated.
We are also left to teaching the students, the new grad on rotation, or even the new residents, new registrars on the how the ward or unit works. The practical day to day routine or stuff we do and oversee as well as look after our patients. Most of us when the NUM, MUM, or Team leader steps off the ward we run the ward and still do our patient care. Yes we do have a larger workload than our peers.”
What would help these older/mature workers feel more valued?
“Gaining a CNS2 status for years and experience noted especially if extra training and education was continued throughout your nursing/midwifery career. All extra qualifications over and above our hospital training have some recognition. Fairer allocation of shifts & holidays (especially festive period) the younger nurses and midwives who are young mums working some evenings, nights and weekends not just day shifts.
Have some sought of recognition of years of registration &/or years of working in our chosen profession. Perhaps the NSWNA could have a story or film event telling of the development of the modern Australian Nurse/ Midwife throughout Australian nursing history.”
What special skills would help older/mature workers feel more confident?
“All available IT skills, all training needed to become aux with knowledge and expertise required to work in the modern nurse/midwife area, power point presentation; and perhaps we can give patient communication (person to person) interaction sessions.”
Does stereotyping happen in your hospital? Or are older workers well respected for their wealth of knowledge?
We’d be very interested to know your comments. Leave them below or email us at admin@nurseuncut.com.au
Image credit: NSWNA
We ‘older, mature’ nurses haven’t been written off yet. Many of our complaints re computers are that they are inappropriate in the hospital setting in certain areas, eg ED, where computer systems only slow down efficient care, and open the doors to complications, especially when the patient is transferred to the ward. Better to use the old charts systems, and have a clerk scan the data into the computer for reference and later storage. Charts in ED are the result of idiocy.
As for being ‘slower’ ??? – what hospital was this in? Nursing to us is not work, but habit, so tends to be more fluent. Patient care comes first, but the patient and their families know we are from another era, and usually thank us for it.
I’m a 52 year old male nurse working in the public hospital system and have had no problems what so ever using the I.T. systems utilised in the modern work place. But then, prior to joining the nursing ranks I did work in I.T. and have an I.T. Degree, Diploma in Systems Administration and various other Microsoft and Cisco qualifications. I guess my point is that computers have been around for a long time now and most mature age workers moving into nursing have had extensive experience with I.T. systems in their past occupations.
Cheers
Tony Evans
Hi, 52 years here and I have worked for 33 years full time (did not mean too it just happened). My peers love me, excellent on the computers and with experience and I make myself avaliable to help other nurses unsure of what to do, but unfortunately the younger management don’t always appreciate my knowledge (and good memery) of what has been tried in the past and not worked as they still want to go ahead with “their vision”. So, I am left with the attitude of “go to work and do the best that I can and go home”.
I am 53 & computers have been around for at least 20 years in the workplace. I am comfortable using all data systems but please give me a computer that is up to the job.
I concur with the allocation of unsocial shifts being given to the predominantly older workers. It is also our time when we should be able to be with our families so start giving us more day shifts, less weekends and less night shifts. We all struggled with child care needs in the past so just ensure older workers start to be given equality in better shifts.
Well written article.
I am also a older RN, and have worked with computers over the years ,particularly in a few ICU I have worked in but the new system that NSW health department has introduce is not user friendly particularly the format used in the Ed’s
My other comment is I am also fed up working around the young mums , I worked rearing 4 children so I am aware it can be tough, but I have a life also and a family, so fair is fair
When I was manager I made sure all my staff were rostered fairly, but I think what is happening some of the managers are young mums also so they sympathise with their staff and roster the accordingly.