[therese]

I am 40 years old and back in school to become a nurse. My goal is to keep working full-time for the next two years while I go back at night and get all of my pre-reqs. out of the way (I have been an accountant until now, and need to take all of those sciences I missed the first time). I have spoken with several nurses in my area (Jackson, MS) who have all recommended that I go for the RN at the local community college and then work at the state hospital here in town. The University Medical Center will pay for my tuition in their RN to BSN program (which takes about a year). The only other really good nursing program in our area is with a private college, whose tuition is upwards of $1000 per course, which I cannot afford. Once I get into nursing school (2 years), I will have to quit my job and go to school full-time. I will be around 45 when I finally get my BSN. Is this too late to start a career as a nurse? I think that my age and my level of maturity and responsibility would be a plus in the nursing field. What are your opinions?

[JuliaS]

I am 44 and finishing my pre-req's. I started at 41 with LVN, then working my way upward. Go for it. You will be the same age in the same amount of years whether or not you pursue your dream.

[therese]

That is exactly what I tell people when they ask why would I start another career at my age! In my first class, I had to buy a TI-89 graphing calculator, which they didn't make when I was in school the first time. I was having so much trouble with it, the kid next to me asked if they even had calculators back in the old days! I told him that we had to use an abacus back in the stone age. I look at it from the perspective that at my age, my level of maturity and responsibility will be much higher than some 21 year old just getting out of school. We've had children, had surgery ourselves, our children have had surgery, etc. We know what WE want from the nursing staff, so we are in a better position to provide that kind of care.

[nursinghumor]

I don't think it is too late at all. I know people graduating from nursing school well into their 50s. For people who worked in corporate america and then got downsized, etc. Nursing offers a stable, well-paying career with excellent job prospects into the next few decades.

You make a good point about knowing what you want from nurses yourself. That will help you identify with your patients and give better care.

Going back to school later in life usually results in a more serious student. My mom taught college for several decades and always noted the difference in the quality of students that had just graduated highschool vs those that were going back for a second career.

My main advice would be to get your pre-requisites out of the way and apply to your nursing program as quickly as possible. Students are routinely being turned away due to a lack of available nursing slots. Waiting lists of up to a year or more are becoming commonplace.

Wish you luck!

Andrew Lopez, RN
http://www.4nursing.com

[therese]

I'm working on the pre-reqs. now and am applying to nursing school now because there is about a two year wait in my area. I'll be done with my required coursework by the time my number comes up for nursing school. My family is very supportive of me doing this, and in my book, that's half the battle done.

Therese

[Carterhse]

I am in a similar situation, I am a Business Manager with a local business and decided last month to go back to school at the age of 31, though it has been 7 years since I graduated with my AA, I am going for my ASN, I have 4 prereq to take in the process I have been trying to find a job with one of the local hospitals that way I can get a little bit of "knowledege" about what I'll be doing, however what I am finding is that I am going to have to take a serious paycut if I choose to do so, with daycare, car payments, etc to make have you found any way to supplement your income while getting thru the program? My goal is to finish the prereqs and be able to do the program fulltime since at this point the community college does not offer evening classes, plus the amt of time it would take to complete.

[nursinghumor]

Getting a job as a nursing assistant or patient technician would give you some invaluable insight into Nursing. Even if you did it part-part-time, I'd recommend it.

You seem very enthusiastic about going into the field and I wouldn't want to discourage you. However, not everyone is cut out to be a nurse. It would be better to find out early on, if it is or is not going to be for you. Working in the midst of nurses and patients will help you make that decision very quickly.

Andrew Lopez, RN
http://www.4nursing.com

[Mare531]

I had a very good job and gave it up to pursue a career in nursing which I started back in 1989. Well, I kept going back and forth between both worlds until Sept. 2003 and that's when I started nursing school (transferred) I was doing great - received scholarships from faculty and had a 3.5 GPA. Well, that changed because in my Level III nursing course I was failed clinically and received a grade of F (would have had a B in the course if I wasn't failed clinically.) I never jeopardized a patient (ie. wrong meds or anything) the teacher singled me out and I was told to shut up - constantly belitted, etc. But that's neither here nor there. The point that I want to share is that NEVER GIVE UP - I could have walked away from nursing but didn't I am not about to take my NCLEX-PN and will definately pass it. I have also been looking online for LPN-RN BSN programs. So that all my RN classes won't go to waste. I will be 41 years old in May and have been unemployed since August after completing a nurse externship in ICU which gave me the confidence I needed to continue - I received wonderful reviews and a letter of recommendation. At this point, I'm going to take my boards, get a job and finish up online!

Follow your dream!! Be a nurse!!!

[tigerRN]

Your never to old to become a nurse. I have always strongly agreed that you need to love your job. With the demand for nurses increasing you will not have to worry have age discrimination. Good Luck!

[lam]

when I was in clinicals the instructor failed a girl the very last day of clinicals, she also failed 5 out of 7 care plans I always wondered if that girl ever went back