Am I too old to become an RN??

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Hi, I'm 32 years old going on 33 I'm a few months. I'm an LVN in California. I'd like to go back to school to "challenge" myself & get that RN title. I'm happy with my accomplishments so far and my work & hourly wages. But inside, i just want to get that extra piece of the pie since it's available for the taking.

The bridge LVN-RN or LVN-BSN are all available at the public colleges, they require the prerequisites, which at this point will take me over a year to get, that's not including the other extra year of school.

Since my aim is to get that RN title for my own accomplishments, i don't mind if it's ADN or BSN. At this point, i might as well go to a private school for my ADN, which will take less time than a public school.

But by the time I'm done, I'll be 35 years old. Am i too old to go back to school? Will i be too old to get the RN title by then?

Just thoughts, thanks for reading.;)

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Yes you're too old.

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-just kidding by the way.

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Specializes in Hospital medicine; NP precepting; staff education.

I had 60ish year old class mates in nursing school. Many coworkers have been or are second career nurses. Go for it.

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Yes you're too old.

Totally agree with PRN, you are way too old to be asking such silly questions especially on a forum! Hate to be so harsh but it must be wonderful to live a life where you can contemplate if you wish to be a RN? It's not a whimsical notion, it takes time, effort and commitment and involves life saving decisions sometimes. You are too speculative to be an RN and I actually feel insulted and I'm not being dramatic, when I see questions like this. Ask instead the question, how difficult it was for others to become RNs. Read some of the posts where people struggled through multiple jobs, horrible spouses, horrific situations, immigration and traumas whilst getting their RN's and then take my advice and not become a RN.

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I don't understand the reason to choose the expensive private school route over the cost effective community college route. It doesn't matter if you graduate in three or five years, you will be working as a RN for two or three decades, there is no reason to throw money away, especially if you require loans to pay tuition.

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Specializes in ER, Med/Surg, ICU, DOU, Respiratory.

Not at all, I became an RN when I was 34 years old. Keep going. Good luck

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Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).

I got my ADN from cost effective community college when I was 38. While I was in school I also got married and had a baby. Age is only a number.

Hppy

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Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).
Totally agree with PRN, you are way too old to be asking such silly questions especially on a forum! Hate to be so harsh but it must be wonderful to live a life where you can contemplate if you wish to be a RN? It's not a whimsical notion, it takes time, effort and commitment and involves life saving decisions sometimes. You are too speculative to be an RN and I actually feel insulted and I'm not being dramatic, when I see questions like this. Ask instead the question, how difficult it was for others to become RNs. Read some of the posts where people struggled through multiple jobs, horrible spouses, horrific situations, immigration and traumas whilst getting their RN's and then take my advice and not become a RN.

I'd say this answer is cruel and unwarranted! to clarify many of us career change nurses started out simply speculating if they could do it. Was it worth the time and cost involved. I came to nursing after a series of life events that proved I would never be able to accrue retirement savings doing what I was doing. I was faced with at least a year of prereq's plus a two year program. A therapist I was seeing at the time told me to understand that no matter what: In three years I would be three years older and I could be that with an RN or without an RN. So I buckled down and got to it. It was tremendously difficult at times especially when I had to take a semester off due to a high risk pregnancy - but it all turned out for the best. I have been a nurse for a decade and a half with a bright future and with judicious savings am on track to retire to a simple life on the farm by 65, and it all started with me wondering if "I was too old to become a nurse."

Hppy

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I don't understand posts like this. Do your own due diligence and figure out if its for you or not. It's up to the school to decide if youre too old, not an internet forum.

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Specializes in LTC, Rehab.

Sorry, but I have to laugh at that question. I got my BSN at 54.

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It is true, this answer and other answers on this thread, are unwarranted. Is this the type of bad-itude we want to display as RN's, to those who want to join our awesome crew of intelligent people? No question is a silly question, and this is not at all insulting.

That being said: You are not too old! I graduated when I was 29, and most of my best friends from nursing school were 35+ years when they graduated! Don't listen to the elitists. Whatever your reason for wanting to go back to school to become an RN (unless they are malicious ones), you should do it. If you're doing it because you like the challenge of going back to school, and you want the added benefit of making more money, who is to say that is a silly reason?

People say they went in to nursing because it is their calling, and hell yes it probably is, but at the end of the day, we ultimately have to put bread on our table.

You already know what healthcare is about, and it is great that you want to step up your game as a healthcare worker :D I welcome you to the RN crew!

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