[SoldierNurse]

RN Wannabe, please give us an update since you started this thread back in November.

IMHO, once you pass NCLEX and start working as an RN your patients will probably think you have been doing nursing for a long time.

[RN Wannabe]

Update.

Sorry for the very late response!

I have finished all of my prerequisites and have been accepted into nursing school at Oakland University. That's the good news.

Tha bad news is, I will have to wait until the fall of 2010 to start nursing school. That's how long the wait is at most nursing schools here in southeast Michigan. I'm guessing it's not much better in other parts of the country...

In the meantime, there are a few required classes I can take before I start nursing school. I will finish my microbiology class in about 3 weeks (can't wait for this class to be over).

Assuming I complete nursing school on schedule, I will be 54 years old when I earn my degree.

Thanks for all your replies and sorry for the delay.

[stellar]

I went back to school when my teenage daughter got to the age that she didn't want to be seen with me in public and I needed something to fill my time I was in my late 40's. I finished my BA in Interdisciplinary Social Sciences (anthropology and sociology) at age 51. I worked fulltime as an ICU nurse and never felt tired. Actually it gave me the direction and intellectual stimulation I needed. I then went through about a third of my MA and decided it just wasn't what I wanted to do. I will admit it was something I loved and that made all the difference. I would not have been able to do it if I didn't like the material or the setting, which ultimately was part of my decision to leave graduate school. It stopped being fun. Sometimes I had to deal with the age discrimination issue with my fellow students, but that was more in graduate school and it was ideologically driven, at least in their imaginations anyway, not to mention that social sciences involves a lot of intense debate about ideological and theoretical issues. I say go for it!!!

[lukemacwan]

There are many many nursing
students your age and older.

The main thing to consider is your overall health. How is your back, your knees, physical stamina? Do you have issues with chronic pain? Can you handle high stress?

Good luck to you!

[RN Wannabe]

Originally Posted by lukemacwan

There are many many nursing
students your age and older.

The main thing to consider is your overall health. How is your back, your knees, physical stamina? Do you have issues with chronic pain? Can you handle high stress?

I excercise 6 days a week and am in pretty good shape for my age. I have a history of minor back problems from my previous line of work, which involved some heavy lifting, but my workouts help keep this to a minimum.

School stresses me out occasionally but I'm sure I am no different from anyone else in that department...

[Nurse_Advocate]

"Sorry for the very late response!

I have finished all of my prerequisites and have been accepted into nursing school at Oakland University. That's the good news.

The bad news is, I will have to wait until the fall of 2010 to start nursing school. "

----

Well, RN Wannabe, my first reaction to this GOOD NEWS/BAD NEWS post is...consider it good news. Take advantage of the time to get really, really clear on what you want to do with your life. You sound very smart, physically fit and even mentally fit too! Good for you! The sky is the limit for you.

Clarity is always a good thing. If we're not clear about what we want, then that's what we'll get in life. You'd be surprised at how clear you can become with the use of a 79-cent notebook. The best thing that could happen for you over the next year and that your vision for the life that you want becomes crystal clear.

Getting clear relieves my stress and that's what I enjoy blogging about and teaching others about.

[cougarnurse]

This seems to be a big topic.... Here's another thread, too! Is 37 to old to work on a nursing degree

I continue to support you more mature students.