Older professional just starting out

Nurses Men

Published

I am a 45 year old man who has been in the legal field for 17 years. After experiencing the great number of individuals who have challenges in life, and how those challenges leave them stuck in hurt, pain and mental anguish, I realized that Mental Health Nursing could be the career for me. Thus, I'm embarking on a career as a Mental Health Psychiatric Nurse. I'm excited, looking forward to the process and I believe I will achieve my goal. I always research any interest that I have so during my research of careers in psychiatric nursing, I came upon this site. I would love to hear from other male nurses and/or male nurses who started the career late in life.

Specializes in Emergency.

A new grad is a new grad.

One of my nursing cohort finished her diploma R.N. program and passed her NCLEX, decided she didn't want floor nursing, and found a job in psych nursing at a facility for juveniles. As a new-grad nurse. She has a baccalaureate degree (I think, but maybe doesn't have a baccalaureate in anything) that's non-nursing, had been laid off from the airline industry, went to 24 month diploma RN school as her retraining opportunity, is over 50, and vows she will never return to school for her BSN. LOL

I look at some of the young RNs (1st career, post-BSN, 22 yr old) that started at my current job with me and I think that older grads have maturity and interpersonal finesse that helps avoid a lot of useless BS with patients and staff -you know, the kind that could potentially snowball into a malpractice or disciplinary thing.

I agree with lxpatterson above. I just turned 42, have been an RN for only a year now, and just started working on my ADN to BSN. I currently work on an Acute Rehab floor but am interested in eventually moving into psych nursing. Don't ever underestimate the maturity and professionalism you bring with you. You've been a professional for many years and that will help you navigate other professional work environments (even nursing), not only that but your life experience will allow you connect with your patients that much easily.

+ Add a Comment