Much Older People Going Into Nursing

Nursing Students General Students

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iread the forums and see alot of really older people who are like 45, 50, nearly 60 talking about taking pre reqs to be a nurse. If you are that old, you only have about what 10 years left to work or less for those who are older. Why chose such a physically demanding profession when you are in your twilight years? nursing needs people who are young and still in their prime. Thats just how i feel. When I"m 50, I want to be retired, planting flowers, and relaxing looking after my grandkids. Not on the floor looking after sick people with crazy demands.

Specializes in ICU/ER.

I don't usually bother to respond to threads of this nature but in your case I'm willing to make an exception. I thought about quoting you but saw that many others had beat me to it and probably more eloquently than I would be able to so instead I'll take a different avenue.

Not everyone heads down the highway of their life without having to "detour" and as everyone knows detours take time. These detours are sometimes blessings in disguise, like my two who are sleeping down the hall right now, or unwanted, like the having to take time off of my studies for over a year for treatment for cancer or having to turn down a program as soon as I was accepted to a nursing program because my husband got a job halfway across the country.

Not everyone rolls out of high school up to the college or university gates beating on their packbacks screaming "make me pre-nursing, please!!" More commonly, they attend school and get degrees for jobs their parents wanted them to get...but they never truly warmed to the job...it wasn't their hearts desire but rather a paycheck for they could settle down and start a family.

It bears remembering that in nursing school you're taught NOT to judge an individual's functionality based upon their age...that is ageism, a type of discrimination.

You'll want to be careful about that...if you're willing to judge your peers based upon their ages...one might assume that YOU might do the same thing to your patients.

As the oldest person in my BSN program at the ripe old age of 39, I wanted to let you know the advantage of the older nursing student is that the patients don't seem to question how we practice as often...must be because we look "experienced".

I wish you luck...but more than that I wish you wisdom.: D

Beautifully said, Dragonfly.

Specializes in LTC, MDS Cordnator, Mental Health.

Well said dragonfly... I find that the MD"s down to housekeeping takes the older student / nurse more seriously.

I was an RN for just a year the medical director of our facility asked me to apply for the DON position. I did not due to the fact that I didn't think that I could the position justice D\T my inexperience...

The life experience that the older nurse brings to the table is unmeasureable.(Is that a word?)

The culture i'm from, 40 and 50 is not considered young its old age and the women are grandmothers by then. The women in my family would not even consider going back to school at 50, they say its too old. American culture is so different

:lol2:

Specializes in ER, ICU, Education.

Some of my best and brightest students are my second career students. If they are there with you in nursing school, then they are equally qualified, if not more qualified to be in that slot. There is certainly something to be said for what life experience and maturity can bring to the table. The ages you mention are hardly too late to start a new chapter in your life. Dead is too late.

And by the way, my father just completed a triathlon in his 70s, and the huge majority of my peers and I are very physically active. I have no desire to lay about doing as little as possible. I will have plenty of flowers over my grave when I am dead, but until that time, every day is what I make of it.

Your post shows a lack of understanding of nursing. It is more than just hospital nursing. There are so many facets and areas of nursing that one could explore. I must say I do hope you don't go into any area that deals with geriatrics since you have such a limited view of their value and worth to society.

I am also curious why it concerns you so much. When I was in school, I had enough to keep me occupied with a family, job, studies, and volunteer work that I didn't need to worry about what others were doing or the choices they were making.

Specializes in Emergency Nursing.

I was so, erm, disengaged in my twenties. I had nothing like the ability to commit and apply myself to subjects which, at the time would have had little or no interest to me. My interests and the things I was willing to give my time to were much more, well, basic.

Now, in my forties, I find that I can locate an interest bordering on fascination for anything.

I realize that everyone will not have been just like me in degree but I think the pattern is solid. Mature people are, generally, capable of a much higher level of concentration than younger folks. They know which battles are worth fighting in life and they know the simple but very important rule of life that in order to get what you want you must make sacrifices proportionate to and sometimes maybe even in excess of your objective. The pay off for the work one does cannot be seen as an entitlement and its postponement isn't an affront. Younger folks may be able to grasp this cognitively but until they are older I don't think it can be said that they really know it.

I think this is a classic example of not understanding the "platform" of nursing. The field is wide open. There are so many things you can do in nursing that does not require bedside nursing. Case Management, Visiting nursing, telephone nursing, I could go on.... when you consider that, its is not limited to physically demanding positions. As for the age, its only a number, and people are working later and later.

OP, I am 42 and just graduated with a BSN magna cum laude. Sheesh if I thought I was in my "twilight" years I would not have put my family through such a grueling experience for 6 long years, 3 of which I worked full time and went to school at night. Do you know what the average age of nurses is? I went to school with people of all ages and had people who were much younger fail out. Age made no difference. Everyone comes to nursing with their own unique experience and sometimes being older is an advantage. I hope to be a nurse for the rest of my life and who knows how long that will be.

Specializes in Psych.
I think this is a classic example of not understanding the "platform" of nursing. The field is wide open. There are so many things you can do in nursing that does not require bedside nursing. Case Management, Visiting nursing, telephone nursing, I could go on.... when you consider that, its is not limited to physically demanding positions. As for the age, its only a number, and people are working later and later.

At first, when I responded to this post, I thought it was just a matter of the OP needing some real life experience. Reading her subsequent clarifications, it is a combination of that and culture. I work with pregnant teenagers through the school system. In any given year, I work with approximately 60 girls... I think it's probably a 50/30/20 split between students who are predominantly hispanic / african american / caucasian - with an occasional asian / american indian student thrown in.

The only time I lost my ability to speak was when a 14 year old hispanic student told me, "I'm so glad your program is here - I want to finish school, but I couldn't wait too much longer to "START MY FAMILY". " OMG. Talk about culture shock. It's a sentiment I've heard repeated fairly often, and always by the same cultural group.

If a culture plans to start a family at 15, I suppose 50 would be the twilight years - because by then I'd be bald.

Specializes in Psych.

Well here's an interesting twist for you. When I was barely 18 and out of high school, I started nursing school. I did horribly, barely passed everything. I was intellectually far above average and could have handled the work fine, but emotionally and otherwise very immature and had NO business in nursing school because frankly, I had my head up my butt and was only worried about my hair and makeup and boys at the time. I THOUGHT I was a serious student at the time, but looking back on it, I can't believe I couldn't see how NOT serious I was about the situation. I ended up failing out of nursing school in my 4th quarter. I was in shock :icon_roll

Now I'm one of those "much older" people in nursing school. I'm 45 and have returned to the same program at the same school I attended so many years ago. I am pretty sure from everything I have heard that I am somewhere near the top of my class of 180 students. I know I make high A's in everything I do now. And I'd much rather have the 45 year old "me" as a nurse than that 18 year old "me"...if I conceivably could have ever squeaked through school back then.

One of my instructors even admitted to us (group of "much older" students) that she hoped when clinical assignments were made that she didn't get many of the young ones because many of them are just too difficult to deal with. I can already see what she's talking about...late to clinical, texting on their cell phones, unprepared in terms of reading, drug cards, equipment (always needing to borrow penlights, etc.), hungover, talking about their personal lives right there in clinical...normally I try not to make generalizations but I just haven't seen this in my fellow "much older" students. There are a few responsible, conscientious, serious younger students in our class...but surprise...they hang out with us "much older" students ;)

Hopefully, these students will be "sorted out" much like I was when I was young and irresponsible...they certainly have no business in a life-or-death profession until they can get their heads in the game.

Specializes in Med/Surg, Acute Rehab.
i don't usually bother to respond to threads of this nature but in your case i'm willing to make an exception. i thought about quoting you but saw that many others had beat me to it and probably more eloquently than i would be able to so instead i'll take a different avenue.

not everyone heads down the highway of their life without having to "detour" and as everyone knows detours take time. these detours are sometimes blessings in disguise, like my two who are sleeping down the hall right now, or unwanted, like the having to take time off of my studies for over a year for treatment for cancer or having to turn down a program as soon as i was accepted to a nursing program because my husband got a job halfway across the country.

not everyone rolls out of high school up to the college or university gates beating on their packbacks screaming "make me pre-nursing, please!!" more commonly, they attend school and get degrees for jobs their parents wanted them to get...but they never truly warmed to the job...it wasn't their hearts desire but rather a paycheck for they could settle down and start a family

it bears remembering that in nursing school you're taught not to judge an individual's functionality based upon their age...that is ageism, a type of discrimination.

you'll want to be careful about that...if you're willing to judge your peers based upon their ages...one might assume that you might do the same thing to your patients.

as the oldest person in my bsn program at the ripe old age of 39, i wanted to let you know the advantage of the older nursing student is that the patients don't seem to question how we practice as often...must be because we look "experienced".

i wish you luck...but more than that i wish you wisdom.: d

beautiful post!!

Specializes in Gerontology, nursing education.
Well here's an interesting twist for you. When I was barely 18 and out of high school, I started nursing school. I did horribly, barely passed everything. I was intellectually far above average and could have handled the work fine, but emotionally and otherwise very immature and had NO business in nursing school because frankly, I had my head up my butt and was only worried about my hair and makeup and boys at the time. I THOUGHT I was a serious student at the time, but looking back on it, I can't believe I couldn't see how NOT serious I was about the situation. I ended up failing out of nursing school in my 4th quarter. I was in shock :icon_roll

Now I'm one of those "much older" people in nursing school. I'm 45 and have returned to the same program at the same school I attended so many years ago. I am pretty sure from everything I have heard that I am somewhere near the top of my class of 180 students. I know I make high A's in everything I do now. And I'd much rather have the 45 year old "me" as a nurse than that 18 year old "me"...if I conceivably could have ever squeaked through school back then.

I also started nursing school at age 18, right out of high school. I graduated two years later, took my boards and was working as an RN at age 20. When I look back at that period in my time, I wonder what on earth I was thinking! Like Zookeeper44, I had my head in an anatomically difficult position as well and my priorities were, well, pretty much the priorities of most twenty-year-olds at the time.

Sure, I had the stamina of a horse back then. In my mid-twenties I worked on the eighth floor and took the stairs up before work and after breaks. I didn't understand why the "older" nurses didn't share my enthusiasm for expending physical energy. Now, at age 50, I move a bit more slowly due to a chronic pain condition. However, the life experiences that I have had make me a far better nurse now than I was when I was younger. I'm more empathetic, have a better understanding of grief and loss and am not afraid of disease or death. I have a strong faith that sustains me and healthy relationships that support me. When I was in my twenties, I was painfully shy and had a hard time communicating with patients and families; now I can talk to almost anyone about pretty much anything. Like Zookeeper44, I too would rather have the 50 y.o. "me" as a nurse over the 20 y.o. new grad I was way back when.

I have to be realistic; particularly with my chronic pain condition, I realize that I can't expect to work full-time, twelve-hour shifts on a busy floor. However, I still have a lot to contribute to my profession. Next week I start graduate school with the eventual goal of getting a PhD. When I reach my goal, I plan to work as a nurse educator until I am 70, God willing.

Yes, people do need to be practical and realistic. However, none of us knows exactly how long our careers will be or in which paths we will eventually go. When economic times are better, many new graduates leave nursing after less than five years. Some leave after a year or two because they're disillusioned or burned out. Some nurses leave the bedside when they're injured, particularly if they hurt their backs. Others leave the profession or decrease their hours due to family obligations. Looking at all these scenarios, one can ask if nursing education is a waste of time and economic resources if the nurse works for only a few years.

BTW, definitely not doing the grandkids and flower planting thing. My kids are only 19 and 22, so they can wait a while before starting their own families. My older son has two kittens. They're the closest things to grandkids that I might have for a while and that is quite fine with me. And I pretty much kill every flower I see---my flower bed is such a disaster that I might beg the local garden club to please do SOMETHING with it, otherwise I might just have someone dig it up and I'll plant catnip. That I can grow. But the picking and planting business is not for me.

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