Dealing with Generational Differences

I recently got asked by a younger nurse how she could avoid dealing with older nurses when she travels from one facility to the next. She said she found them difficult and wanted suggestions on how best to deal with getting along with them.

When I was younger, I used to think that I had to quit nursing by a certain age to avoid turning into an older nurse with an attitude! However, now that I am fast approaching their age, I think differently.

First, it really helps if you can put yourself in the shoes of someone else and, in this case, it’s the shoes of a mature nurse. These “old time nurses” come from a different generation and have a different work ethic to younger nurses. Many of them have aches and pains, they may have parents that they are taking care of at home as well as commitments to their children—such as putting them through college or helping with grandchildren. They no longer fit in with the crowd that is younger than them and they may feel threatened in some way by nurses who grasp technology and new systems a lot quicker than they do. Furthermore, as an experienced nurse, they are often bogged down with added work responsibilities.

One mature nurse whom I spoke with said that the best thing in dealing with her is to say something like: “I can tell you are having a bad day…is there something I can do to help?” Showing respect, concern and tenderness toward your older coworkers could go a long way in helping to bridge communication gaps and generational differences.