Displaced Autoworker Wants To Be A Nurse 46yrs old

Hi, I am currently enrolled in Baker College in Clinton Township. I went back to school at 30 and will be 33-34 when I graduate if I can make it into a program. I can tell you the schooling itself with children is rough. I have a disabled 5 year old and I can honestly say that even the pre-req classes alone are 10 times harder than working full time and being a mother.

I am not sure about being older keeping you from getting into the field but my suggestion to you would be to go for the LPN, start working, then do your RN as a continuation. There are schools that offer the rest of the RN online I believe so that way you can get into the medical field and work for the RN while you work as a LPN. The RN program is almost 3 years at Baker and that is if you go full time. I would talk to a counselor and see what the options are and the best way for you to go about it. My hubby works for the big 3 so I understand how hard it is to have to move into a new career after working in the auto industry for so many years. Also make sure you attend the new student nursing seminar, I think they can talk to you about if being older would hurt your chances at employment after school.

BTW I do not know if you are willing to drive to Dearborn but HFCC has a nursing program that has a wait list, you do your pre-req classes and the go on a wait list and you are guaranteed a spot in the future as long as you have the minimum GPA they require. The problem with Baker is that you have to keep a very high GPA and score high on the NET test to get in and take it form me it is very hard to keep the grades high when you are a mother and a college student. Good luck to you!!

At HFCC you have to score high on the NET, as well, and once you are in you must maintain an 80% or better. Also, if your GPA falls below 2.7 you will be taking extra classes (patho, etc...) that the dean "recommends" to get that GPA back up!

I worked in the auto industry years ago (Dodge Caravan, Mercury Sable) and I can tell you that nursing is harder physical work than the assembly line!

Well, excuse me.

I have been a nurse for 18 years, and your reply to my post certainly does not convey that you have "a lot of respect for all of you nurses."

Hopefully, some one here will respond in a way that is acceptable to you.
Good luck to you.