[targa]

Hello all. I am a 48-yr-old guy who is about to begin a new career in nursing. I have been accepted into a highly-regarded accelerated BSN program which begins this summer. I am waiting to hear from another school, which offers a direct-entry MSN in various fields, including anesthesia, and I have applied for that track. However, I was told that the anesthesia track is highly selective, and that if I'm not accepted into it, I would be offered another track, say, acute-care nurse practitioner.

I want to work as an anesthetist. I won't bore you with complicated details about my background, but I know that a career as an anesthetist is the right one for me. I am highly motivated, did exceptionally well on my prerequisite courses, and had a very successful career in a professional line of work where I made enough money to move on and finally do what I've always wanted to do, without concern about income in the future.

However, I am also a realist. If the direct-entry MSN declines my application for anesthesia, should I: (1) pursue the accelerated BSN, then work and apply later to an anesthesia program?, or (2) pursue another track in the direct-entry MSN program? I ask because, at my age, I want to work as long as possible, but I also want to be challenged to the fullest. If there is no likely chance of an anesthesia program accepting me in the future because of my age, then I would like to know this and pursue, at the beginning, something equally challenging (like an acute-care NP track or a clinical-specialist track). I will be 50 when I finish the accelerated BSN.

Thank you all in advance for your thoughts and consideration. No matter the outcome, I have to say that I have never been so excited about life as I am now, poised at the beginning of a new career in a profession I have long wanted to be a part of.

[Trauma Tom]

Targa,

This is a post I posted to some time ago concering someone who asked a similar question to yours concerning their age and CRNA school. Hope this helps.

After twenty years in the restaurant business, I changed careers and started Nursing school at 46. I had a previous bachelor's degree so I went through an ADN to finish and get working as fast as possible. After 4 semesters in an ADN program I passed my boards and started working in a SICU at a Level One Trauma center. While working full-time I worked on my BSN. I finish my BSN next month. I applied to 5 schools, interviewed at all five, was an alternate at 2 and accepted at 2. I will be starting my CRNA program a few months short of my 50th birthday! Can you do it? Absolutely! You just have to decide this is what you want to do. Forget worrying about your age. I was worried about it all during school until I interviewed. It was only an issue to me. They did not care. I have been in school for the last three years non stop and will soon be going full time for another 7 semesters. If this old ....
can do it at 50, you can certainly do it at 43. Good luck!!!

I am about to finish my 7th month of anesthesia school and love it. I do not consider my age to be a disadvantage at all.

Originally Posted by targa

Hello all. I am a 48-yr-old guy who is about to begin a new career in nursing. I have been accepted into a highly-regarded accelerated BSN program which begins this summer. I am waiting to hear from another school, which offers a direct-entry MSN in various fields, including anesthesia, and I have applied for that track. However, I was told that the anesthesia track is highly selective, and that if I'm not accepted into it, I would be offered another track, say, acute-care nurse practitioner.

I want to work as an anesthetist. I won't bore you with complicated details about my background, but I know that a career as an anesthetist is the right one for me. I am highly motivated, did exceptionally well on my prerequisite courses, and had a very successful career in a professional line of work where I made enough money to move on and finally do what I've always wanted to do, without concern about income in the future.

However, I am also a realist. If the direct-entry MSN declines my application for anesthesia, should I: (1) pursue the accelerated BSN, then work and apply later to an anesthesia program?, or (2) pursue another track in the direct-entry MSN program? I ask because, at my age, I want to work as long as possible, but I also want to be challenged to the fullest. If there is no likely chance of an anesthesia program accepting me in the future because of my age, then I would like to know this and pursue, at the beginning, something equally challenging (like an acute-care NP track or a clinical-specialist track). I will be 50 when I finish the accelerated BSN.

Thank you all in advance for your thoughts and consideration. No matter the outcome, I have to say that I have never been so excited about life as I am now, poised at the beginning of a new career in a profession I have long wanted to be a part of.

[mwbeah]

I bid you well in your quest, but the programs for which you speak require work in a clinical setting (as ADN, RN without BSN, etc.) I hope you have taken that into account when you applied.

Mike

[emtmoon1]

Targa,

I am a 44 year old male who also changed my career to nursing. I've finished my BSN and have just recently been accepted into a CRNA program that starts in May. I also had many concerns about the time invested in anesthesia, but the time will pass whether your in school or not and look at the return on your investment. Trauma Tom mentions a thread some time ago. I suggest you read it, he does an excellent job of putting your fears and concerns to rest. I say go for it!