Am I too old to become an NP?

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  1. This is a discussion on Am I too old to become an NP? in Pre-Nurse Practitioner Inquiry, part of Advanced Practice Nursing ... I'm 43 y/o and thinking of becoming an NP. I will be an NP by 50 y/o. uhhh! Is that too old to...

    by Aug 1, '12
    I'm 43 y/o and thinking of becoming an NP. I will be an NP by 50 y/o. uhhh! Is that too old to make all the hard work worth it? I would do Family Practice. That gives me 10-12 yrs to work, then it will be time to retire and travel. What do you think? Its not about the money I will be spending on school or the income I will earn. Just the time. 7yrs of school for 10-12 yrs out of school.
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    by rnMomm Aug 1, '12 5:54 pm
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    hgrimmett, Joe V, grownuprosie, and 1 other like this.
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  3. 26 Comments so far...

  4. Aug 1, '12 by
    i think you're going to be 50 in 7 years no matter if you're in school or not....sounds to me like you'll be saying at 50 " I wished I'd started this 7 yrs ago"
    rnMomm, hgrimmett, demylenated, and 5 others like this.
  5. Aug 2, '12 by
    who says you have to retire when you are 62? If you enjoy your work, you may want to continue to work into your golden years. I say go for it!
    hgrimmett likes this.
  6. Guide
    Aug 2, '12 by
    I became an FNP at 47....believe me, you're not too old!
    rnMomm, hgrimmett, nursegirl2001, and 3 others like this.
  7. Aug 2, '12 by
    Is your retirement influenced by how much you need to pay for school? More and more people aren't going to retire so young anyways. Also, you could travel as an NP.
    nursegirl2001 and Tragically Hip like this.
  8. Aug 2, '12 by
    RNmom

    Heck no! Go for it! I think it is great when us 40 year olds go out and get even more education. All your years of experience with more education - your patients will be so blessed.
    rnMomm, hgrimmett, nursegirl2001, and 1 other like this.
  9. Aug 2, '12 by
    How long does it take to become a NP? I'm an ADN right now with a former BA. I will be working on BSN in fall of 2013.
  10. Aug 2, '12 by
    Your definately not too old! I was 43 when I became an NP. Why is it going to take 7 years though? What level degree do you have now?
  11. Aug 2, '12 by
    If you're interested in that area of study and would like to practice as an FNP, then, without a doubt, go for it. By the time you're reach what is now a customary age of retirement, it may not be financially practical for you (or most of us) to retire. And if you're healty and you enjoy what you are doing, why would you want to? (The last sentence is my personal bias. )
  12. Aug 2, '12 by
    Nope not too old. It's not like your brain will fall out at 50 or some age related tragedy. Go for it. When you say its going to take you 7 years do you mean part time or starting from scratch?
    texasmum likes this.