Career Changer with LOTS Of Questions

I worked in the health insurance industry for 26 years before becoming an LPN at age 52. My child was grown and out on her own, I was divorced with no obligations and was able to sail through school. It requires alot of studing and out of the starting class of 53, 22 of us graduated and the two "oldeis", me and another woman aged 51 both graduated near the top(well,,,she WAS at the top of the class!). If the desire is there,,age should not be a factor! Go for it! It's one year of your life, and where will you be in one year if you DON'T go to LPN school and get your degree?

My program was a year long program, a week off between semesters. Older students did better in my class cause they knew it was a career change, it was some of their last chances to make a change in their life. And they ended up some of the best dedicated students even making honor society cause they gave up their jobs and everything to dedicate their time to school. You will become friends with the older students in your class that are in similiar situations and you will bond. Cliques for in classes no matter how old you get.

If you can read well then you will do good in LPN school, cause there is ALLOT of material to read in lpn school. It is broken down to trimesters

The first trimester you learn the basics:
Vocational relations, A&P, Medsurg 1, Skills and the last four weeks of class you spend tues, wed, thurs at 6 hour day clinicals in a nursing home practicing basic nursing assistant skills and some sterile procedures. other times Mon-Fri you are in class 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tests during this semester you have weekly and you have to make above an 81 average to pass the class.

the second trimester it's all medsurg and pharmacology. You have 3 weeks were you are in class all week mon-fri 8-2:30 p.m. and tues,wed,thurs, you are at medsurg clinicals taking patients, giving drugs, and practicing your skills and assessments/charting and you spend every Mon & Fri in class all day, where you can expect a test each week.

The third trimester
you have Emergency medicine, L&D, Peds, Psych, and nursing management. You will have class every Mon&Fri, two test a week. and Every two weeks you rotate through Emergency medicine, L&D, Peds, Psych and Nursing management clinicals. many of the courses are short, and you only do two courses at a time. Emergency medicine course is only two weeks and then you pick up with another course like psych.

and most of all if you think becoming a nurse is the thing for you, then go for it. This program is only a year, and a great way to get your foot in the door. Anybody can do ANYTHING for a year Goodluck.