I'm 39 and want to become a nurse.

[quinnsite]

After 12 years of practicing law (as a criminal prosecutor) I'm thinking about returning to school and becoming a nurse. After months of working with a career counselor, personal reflection, and research (on-line and otherwise) I'm feel strongly that this would be the right choice for me. (There's a local school that just began offering an AS degree in Nursing making one eligible to sit for the N-CLEX for registered nurses.) I'm fortunate to have a wife who supports my decision, and also works, which lessens the financial impact. Still, there will be a number of sacrafices to be made for the next 3 years (approx.) and we have two young children who also have to be considered first and foremost.

I was happy to find this web site and particularly glad to find this board (Male Nursing Students). I'm hope that in reading the posts I will find: encouragement; positive stories; advice; etc. Any input/advise/encouragement would be greatly appreciated.

Many people in my life think I'm crazy leaving a good paying career at this stage in my life. Fact is, though, that being an attorney so goes against my core as a person. I do not find the work fulfilling at all. To the contrary, the advesarial nature of the work takes it's toll physiacally and emotionally. The idea of helping people; caring for people has always been a large part of who I am. And in fact, all these persoanlity/employment/interest tests I've taken repeatedly reveal nursing as a strong match for who I am.

Continued in the reply post that follows...

[soontobe2011]

Hi there, I am 40, single mom, no support to speak of and just starting my nursing program in Sept. I've worked for years as a Massage Therapist. The accelerated BSN is so worth the drive.. you could use the time to listen to lectures you recorded, etc. The 3 or 4 accelerated BSN programs that i've looked into on the East coast are 1 intense year, no working..and hard studying... You can do anything for a year. :) Then you'll be back at work earning $$,,, and work part time on your MSN. Or if you are inclined/prepared now to spend 3 yrs you could jump into the MSN...

Good Luck.. you'll never be sorry for following your heart (gut) I know one man who was in the 6 figure income range in computers..and just dropped it all to go to school for Acupuncture. He is so HAPPY!!! He said that there are moments he's not making the cash he was, over all he's doing just fine, and he's so fulfilled from following his heart that it's worth all the money in the world to have that sense of self.

[interleukin]

I went to nursing school at 38 having been a teacher, writer, traveler, nurse aid, grave digger, and orderly.

The job has gotten harder with my institution adopted a poorly-designed software package that is central to my practice. Hopefully, your place will have a decent computer software.

If you need to do something important, then nursing will do it for you.

But, be aware, that although you will know that you are the backbone of a place, you will always be considered a financial burden and, as such, will always be subject to micromanagment of practice and cost cutting that will affect the end care you provide. In essence, it will preclude you from doing the type of job you want to do to all patients at all times. And it is that frustration of the reality of in-the-trench nursing that you will have to reconcile with yourself.

Good luck!

[pjb63]

I left a high paying financial career after 27 years to go back to school full-time to be the nurse that I always wanted to be. It was the best decision I have ever made. No job is worth it if you are not happy doing it. A lot of people may disagree, but money is not everything, but being happy is. Life is too short. I was 45 when I started school. I finished all prereqs in 18 mos and was accepted to the College of Nursing for this Fall and could not be happier or more excited. When I told my family and my mom that I was going back to school they were and are all very supportive. If you don't do it now, when will you do it. You are only getting older. I wish I would have done it years ago, but the time was not right. Now it is. You will make sacrifices, but they will be more than worth it in the long run. Go for you dream. Good luck.

[Goodrich]

I have spent 43 years in nursing and I am still working. I have worked with nurses from all genders and backgrounds. Some of the most intutive (can't spell) and thoughtful nurses (LPN and RN) were male (sorry ladies) but all of the very good nurses loved what they do and knew they were in the right field for reasons of heart. Nursing has given me many opportunities, friends, and life expanding experiences. By the way, 40+ years ago, my interests were either nursing or law! I haven't regretted my decision. Go for it!!!

[nursenormaRN]

Hi

I was 39 when I became a CNA. At 40 I started LVN school, graduated, worked and finished some pre-requisites for RN school. I am 45 now and just graduated last May to become an RN. Yesterday I found out I passed the NCLEX in California. I am so excited to start working as an RN.

You have to love working with patients and you have to be ready for the hard work and still love nursing. I worked in the marketing dept. for Panasonic and had my own flower shop for 6 years. One day I realized I wanted to help people that struggle with cancer. It is in my nature to want to help people, but I was not ready to be a nurse until now.

Good luck in whatever you do.

[HathawayToGo]

Hello!

I left a federal job with a nice salary after 17 years, to return to school for nursing. I became very unhappy in my old job and as I thought of what else I could do, all roads pointed to nursing. It sounds like you are putting a lot of thought into your decision, so you will make the right choice! Don't let your age stop you at all! I returned to school when I was 41, and I will be finishing soon at 43 years old. By the way, I have heard that the average age of a nurse presently is 44, so we are doing OK! One of the things that helped me decide to make the decision to return to school, was thinking about what it would be like to stay in a job where I was unhappy for many more years. You need to be happy, and nursing is a place where you can find plenty of reward in helping people.

Just a few things to keep in mind, if you don't mind me offering a few suggestions. Nursing school is difficult! You have been through law school, so you already know what it is like to spend a lot of time studying, but you also need to spend practical time in hospitals, and learn a whole new way of thinking. If you have a family, it will be hard on them as well, as your social time with family and friends becomes very limited.

I feel inspired by people like you, because sometimes, especially during difficult weeks, I still question whether I made the right decision. I am glad to know that not only are there plenty of 30 and 40 somethings out there that are making the decision to become nurses, but also making some sacrifices to do so. Good luck! You will be great!

[busphob]

Here is another career option for you. This is a posting I got from a friend about quality Managment:

]Admin. Dir. of Quality role available:

This role reports to the CEO and has Patient Safety, Quality and Regulatory Compliance beneath it - the role also serves as the Patient Safety Officer. Risk Management, Performance Improvement, Medical Staff Development, Infection Control and the Education Dept. and Case Management are also under the administrative leadership of this role.

A Bachelor's degree is required but a Master's is preferred. You will need to have 5 years plus experience in the above areas - with an acute hospital environment. An RN is required, Risk and/or CPHQ preferred as well.

This is a great role for someone looking to take on the next step in their career - are you up for a challenge?

With your background in law, a career in quality management that utilizes nursing training and legal issues might be a great option for you as well. I am currently 49, went back to school to get a BS in business and have worked in Pathology for 23 years - Am I ready for a career change? Do it now while you are still young. I think there is a lot of descrimination out there for older individuals - hopefully not so much in nursing - I totally agree with the others who said, there are a lot of career choices you can make with nursing experience - I am taking the pre-reqs right now for nursing and would like to move into the quality management side of things. Good luck to you.

[Tracey55]

Hi there..I'm 57!! (yeah, I DO like saying that! ) and will begin school in August. Quit 20 years in Office Mgmt two years ago to return to school and take my prereqs. I still don't know how my husband and I are making it on just his salary for the past 2 years...except that this was DEFINITELY God's plan for me.

I agree with those who have written about the "transition" I am going to face. I'm sure my first day I will be tempted to offer a quicker, more pratical approach to whatever is going on!

But I assure you that I will not...

I have a goal in mind (and not much time right?)..and am smart enough to know not to ruffle feathers and bruise egos...and after all..I heard that they for sure EAT THEIR YOUNG!!

I'm excited ..and trust me..anybody who says "you're a fool" is simply green with envy. Be a shining example for your friends and family...we all need encouragement to do the right thing.

God Bless and Good Luck

[CountyRat]

no, you are not too old. do not give your age a second thought; it will not be a problem either in school or when interviewing for nursing positions.

same on being a guy. i am a male nurse with 28 years experience, and i do not believe that i have ever experienced any discrimination (positive or negative) because of it. you are correct that only 7% of nurses are men, but so what? this will not be a problem for you. i do not think that hospitals care how many of their nurses are male; they care whether they are doing good work, and (i think) could not care less about their chromosomes.

i do not know what your income is now (and it is none of my business) but i encourage you to take an icy-cold look at nurse's salaries in the place you want to live. remember, entry level pay will probably be lower than average pay in your area. talk to a hospital hr person. find out what they are really paying new grads. how does it compare with your current income? if a change to nursing required a significant change in your lifestyle, are you o.k. with that? there are a lot of myths about nurses, and one is that we bring in lavish salaries. not true. not that i am complaining. i have always been able to earn a good living. i am currently the sole income earner for a family that includes four children, and we are living a comfortable middle-class lifestyle. however, it takes a while to work your way up to the better jobs. and, comfortable middle class might not be your goal.

another myth is that, as a nurse, you will engage in extremely rewarding work every day helping grateful and appreciative patients. wrong! we work with people during the worst times in their lives, and they are often very difficult and unpleasant to work with. we also have to endure a lot of frustration when the limits of medicine or of the nurse's scope of practice, place harsh restrictions on how much we can do. and, we very rarely hear the words, "thank you." also, while people talk about how much they respect nurses, in practice most people think of us as over-paid waiters and waitresses. many people do not even know that becoming an rn requires a college education, believing that we spend a few months in on-the-job training, and then get to call ourselves rns! to be a nurse means to work very hard, learn an extensive body of complex information, and then be treated like a kid at the local hamburger joint. how do you feel about that?

in making this decision, i suggest that you consider whether there is some area of law open to you that would satisfy your need to help people, without requiring transition to a different profession. since your current work "goes against the core of who you are," i urge you to leave it. doing work one doesn't believe in is a terrible way to live, and i want better for you. if entering a different kind of legal practice could allow you to be the helper that you are, rather than the adversary that you now only pretend to be, that might be a faster, easier, road that requires less of a lifestyle change. however, if your heart is in becoming a nurse, then i leave you with the advice that i always give to anyone expressing interest in a nursing career: volunteer a few hours a week at a local hospital. tell the nurses about your interest in the profession, and ask them if you can follow them through their day and help out. first, they will love you for offering to help! second, you will see what real nursing in the real world involves. do this for a few months, replace your fantasies with hard, cold reality, and the answer will become clear to you.

good luck and best wishes.

[graysonret]

I was 37 when I decided to enter nursing. Never regretted it.

[83studentnurse]

I admit I haven't read all of the responses, but I wanted to definitely encourage you to go into nursing -- I'm sure you'll be great at it!

I agree that male nurses are often have an advantage over females ... you bring attributes that only 7% of the workforce have! Some patients are more comfortable with male nurses too, so they're very useful on floors.

Every new nurse has to overcome the hurdle of being "new" when searching for that first job. However, older career changers have an advantage ... a lot of experience. A lot of people say that whether you have an ASN, BSN or MSN, a new grad is a new grad (not entirely true, I think, but close. We have varying degrees of inexperience). You, however, will have years of work experience, experience working with and relating to others, great communication skills, etc. while all set you apart from the other new grads.

I had a BA when I changed careers and decided to get a diploma (hospital-based ASN-level program) rather than an accelerated BSN. A lot of people thought it was crazy not to go to for the more prestigious degree, but I have to say, it was clearly the right choice for me based on my life situation. You can always work on your BSN or MSN online or part-time later (with a BS/BA and an RN, you can usually take a couple of "bridge" courses and go straight into an MSN program). All the managers I've spoken with have been totally supportive of this decision and didn't seem to care if I had a diploma (ASN-level) with a BA as opposed to a BSN. I'm not saying this is everyone's experience everywhere, but those with other careers and other skills have a lot more than just their degree to sell themselves for a nursing job. Do what's best for you and your family!

My one caveat is that nursing is a physically demanding career. 12-13 hour shifts, mostly on your feet takes some adjusting and physical strength. You sound like you're in great shape and will do just fine (I know several nurses in their 60s who are OK with the days), but it's something to think about.

Good luck to you!

[Maloney]

I agree with Freedom 42. Even before I read that reply, I was wondering why you would put your family through 3 years of belt tightening to get an ADN when 3.5 years of belt tightening would produce an MSN and twice the salary plus many more work options. Not only are you not to old, you are at the lower edge of the average age of nurses practicing now. Men are a welcome addition to Professional Nursing, and valued by all the nurses I know.

I want to commiserate with your failure of satisfaction in your current profession. My passion is with nursing. I have been an entreprenuer in other fields, and I just couldn't muster the same passion. I have to believe that what I am doing benefits others, not just me, and that it has intrinsic, not manufactured value. I like a good income as much as the next person, but I have a soul which isn't satisfied what just monetary reward.