Older Nurses

nursing is a profession challenges you mentally, physically, emotionally, intellectually and spiritually.
being middle-aged definitely has its' advantages.
you will undoubtedly handle many of nsgs' stressors, with much more grace and maturity.
now go show them what you're made of.

leslie

At 46 years old and just starting my RN profession,
I find it opening up many doors, that I never dreamed possible.

I have prior health-care experience, but never as a professional.

I work in the ED at my hospital, which at times can become very busy.

I compensate by teaching my clients something that they don't already know. Many times it is in their discharge instructions.

By teaching them something that they did not know before is such a reward for me!

I can't wait to find more rewards in store in my new profession.

I say go for it! May-be over a century ago 50 might have been old but look around you today. 50 is young! Medical advances and the knowledge of how to care for our health has given us the ability to live longer and for some 50 will become the new middle age. You have alot of life ahead and you might as well spend it accomplishing YOUR GOALS and doing something you love!

I read many posts describing psychiatry as no stress no lifting, no bodily fluid involved type of nursing. There is definitely less physical aspect in the psych nursing however this may not be a totally accurate picture.

I was in psych nursing many years and I had to do IVs for terminally ill HIV patient, had to care for an actively hallucinating patient who will constantly pulls out his O2 tube, urethral catheter, IV line. I had also a quadriplegic who had BMx3 in your shift. You will be wondering why do psych nursing even have these IVs, O2, catheter etc... Well they are so short of nurses in medical-surgical or ICU units plus these patients are depressed or have other mental problem. They ship them to psych unit.
Typically psych unit is not eqipped for these almost ICU level care so it is very difficult to care for these acute medically and mentally ill patients. It is a primary nursing setting so it is up to a RN who is assigned to tht patient to take care of the situation. If you can get nurse's aid or another nurse's help it will be great but somehow they disappear when you desperately need them. (not always) We had one nurse's aid on the floor so she does VS, deliver lab, supplies, answer bells, take residents to smoke break or escort appointment, hand out diet trays etc.... Somedays no nurse's aid.

I don't want to discourage any prospective psych nurse but I thought it is fair to show more realistic picture. I hope I did not discourage anyone from pursuing psych nursing. In the end I will say this that you will have less physically taxing duties and many days you may be able to practice your ideal nursing such as couseling, researching, teaching just simply caring and loving.

Oh my gosh.. this is my same concern. I'm 40 and recently started in a nursing program at a local community college. Without going into detail, I dropped out because of a schedule conflict. I am thinking of revisiting the nursing idea but at a University this time around (because they offer more day programs than the Community College I was attending). I am very worried that the University will have a much younger student population and I will be extremely intimidated. Someone please encourage me to pursue this... I do not want to be the "old lady" in the class.
To answer the original poster.. you are not alone....Go for it...

I'm in pre-reqs for the LPN program at my local tech school and the classes are made up of people of all ages. And only one guy who looks to be in his early 20's. I don't feel intimidated at all because I'm very focused on what I'm doing this time around and so far all my classmates are very friendly and have all the same fears I have. I turned 40 this year and will be almost 42 by the time I graduate from the program (assuming I get into the spring admission). I'm always encouraged when I read about others of similar age also just now starting a nursing career.

I'm hoping to "get in" 2009 and I'm already worried if I can handle it. LPN school at age 23 was a breeze for me, I enjoyed all the activity and extra curricular stuff. I will be 50 entering a program and just hope for the best. I keep telling myself it's like riding a bike............I hope so.