Re: Mid Life Change in Career

You sound just like me... I was in the mortgage business for 20 years and was laid off...I decided to start going back to school for my RN license. Right now I'm working as a CNA while in school. I just turned 40 myself.

Re: Mid Life Change in Career

I think that you to do what your heart is telling you to do. If you feel a calling to nursing then you need to go to school and become a nurse. Life is way too short to spent wondering, what if? I agree with the user who said to shadow a nurse in the NICU which will give you a better idea of exactly what a NICU nurse does and it will help show you if the NICU is right for you. Sure, after you go into nursing school you may find that NICU isn't for you and you may find a calling in another specialty of nursing but either way you owe it to yourself to go out and give it a shot.

!Chris

Re: Mid Life Change in Career

I'm finding reading all these stories wonderfully encouraging! Thanks for sharing, everyone. I'm 27 and haven't yet had a career; I've just dawdled around, lived in a few countries and worked administration jobs. I'm in the process of trying to decide if nursing is the thing for me, and I did wonder if I would feel like the odd one out in any classes, given that I'll be almost ten years older than some other students. Reading your stories helps me really just not care about age! To all career-changers, way to go!

Re: Mid Life Change in Career

Originally Posted by Pedestrienne Ellie

I'm finding reading all these stories wonderfully encouraging! Thanks for sharing, everyone. I'm 27 and haven't yet had a career; I've just dawdled around, lived in a few countries and worked administration jobs. I'm in the process of trying to decide if nursing is the thing for me, and I did wonder if I would feel like the odd one out in any classes, given that I'll be almost ten years older than some other students. Reading your stories helps me really just not care about age! To all career-changers, way to go!

I've actually heard that the average age of nursing students is either mid-thirties or higher. You're not gonna be the old one out at your age.

Re: Mid Life Change in Career

Changed career at age 47 to become NICU Nurse.
Second bachelor's RN/BSN, from good school = very important to get into good NICUs.
My goal was to be an NICU RN by age 50, met goal.

Will likely still be in the NICU when I am 70.