Registered Nurse Still Kickin at 81!

RN Peggy Morris is a very special individual who takes pride in her work ethic and caring for others. You wouldn't guess the nurse who works 12-hour shifts 3 days a week is actually 81 years old! After Peggy's husband retired and she gave up her first job as a waitress, Peggy's monotonous life led her to a decision to be a nurse and work again. So at the age of 57, Peggy entered nursing school and graduated in 1991 at the top of her class. You can now find Peggy on her feet in the oncology ward at Carson Tahoe Regional in Carson City, NV. She's come to expect patients asking her for her age. "They question me all the time, " Morris said. "They're curious, they know I'm older." "I don't mind telling anybody," she said "Why not? I don't have anything to hide, it's not going to affect my job any." Peggy is one of many Americans working later in life. The reasons for the increase in older workers are varied, including strained pensions and longer lifespans that are stressing personal savings for retirement. The trend is only expected to increase with 2011 marking the first round of Baby Boomers turning 65. Although the nursing field still experiences growth in a younger demographic (24-28), older nurses above the age of 70 are increasingly staying in the profession not only as a financial necessity, but also a social one. For Morris, her job at Carson Tahoe Regional is more than a paycheck, it's contact with people. To read the full article from The Nevada Appeal, please go to: http://http//www.nevadaappeal.com/article/20110329/NEWS/110329584/1070&ParentProfile=1058