Re: How old is too old?
Hi there,
I turned 61 in January. I work ER, and have been an RN since 1995 and a Paramedic since 1988, have worked in university hospitals and small hospitals, have ten years of flight nursing, rotor and fixed-wing. As far as the age thing goes, if you are in good health and can take the physical pounding of the job, you will be fine. I'm fortunate to have always been pretty healthy, so i get through it just fine, although I'm very happy to go home at the end of the sift and put my feet up, haha.
The issue with me is that the ER is always so hectic, and some days you really get beat up bad. I have really started to think that I don't need all the stress anymore. There are tons of rewarding things about the ER and nursing in general, but as time goes on, hospitals expect us to do more and more, with pt's getting sicker and sicker. I'm on a travel assignment now in vegas, and although i like the place pretty well, this might be my last job when i leave here next month. I'm 10-30 years older than anyone I work with, and i think I might leave it all to them. It's been fun though.
Go for what you want though, get some experience, try some travel nursing, and see how you like it, find your niche. Nobody says you have to do it forever.
RJ
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