New Student, Old Bag going back to school! Could use some encouragement!

Hello everyone!

I'm going to be 52 years old sometime this month, and am proud, pleased and excited to announce that I am in the midst of completing my prerequisites for the ASN-RN program at my local community college.

This isn't my first time around. I entered an RN program back in 1990. I was doing fabulously well, but had some personal issues going on in my life....my mother, who was a severe alcoholic, was dying, plus, by luck of the draw, my clinical rotations were scheduled at a hospital about 100 miles from my home. I ended up withdrawing from the program.

Before and after that time, I've worked as a medical assistant, most of my experience in OB/GYN. Then in 1999 I became self-employed (I started making jewelry, then progressed to selling beads on the internet)

Well, my business did beautifully for awhile but it's starting to become a victim of this recession. I recently realized that my best option at this point is to go back and complete the program I started. I'm currently working on establishing "recency" for my A&P and microbiology courses which I took 20 years ago. I NEED to do this-not so much because we need the income, but because, more importantly, I need to experience the sense of self-respect I would (will!!) get from finishing what I started. I believe my age and my experience as a medical assistant will make me an asset to the world of RN's....I love interacting with people on a very personal level and believe I have a good head on my shoulders. I also have been through many dire medical situations myself (already had breast cancer and a heart attack, at my age!) My patients as a medical assistant would often seek my advice before they would actually ask the doctors, because they knew they could trust me and that I cared.

I know just enough about the RN program to know that while academically I think I can handle it, I know for a FACT that it's hard work, early mornings, lots of physical activity and a fair amount of stress. I'm scared to death that a bad week or month might derail my enthusiasm. That's why I joined this forum....it seems very supportive and I already feel at home here. So I hope to meet a lot of you, and greetings from yet another new....old....hopeful student!!!

Andrea
DewB)