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?
Dear god, I though you were maybe 60 and close to retirement before I read this and wondering if it would be financially worth it or something. But your 32. One foot in the grave. yes it will be worth it. You want to do, do it. You will have many more opportunities for work as an RN and pay is much better.
Do it!! My dad finished his RN in his early 30's; I'm turning 30 in a few months and going back to become a nurse practitioner.You'll find that a ton of people your same age have had completely unrelated careers, and are now going back to either nursing or medical school.
I'm 38 now. Made the decision when I was 37. Will graduate when I'm 39 ~ almost 40. Typing those out feels strange to me. They're just numbers. They "sounded" "OLD" to me when I was 18. I jokingly call myself old around here & at school all the time. But I never, not once, not ever had the question in my mind of whether I was too old to do this. Just didn't even occur to me.
My mom went back to school and got her CPA in her 40's. Best thing she could have ever done for her self-confidence, as well as their finances. I had that example and I've seen it done and done WELL.
I have wondered how I will hold up juggling this with three boys, a rough financial situation, a husband with back issues and a crazy work schedule, a house and a dog and a snake to take care of (lol) ... And I do pray every day for the strength to be able to pull this off. But none of that has anything to do with my age. We all have our own unique set of circumstances, regardless of age.
I would say no. I had classmates over age 50 in my pre-licensure classes. Age is just a number. There are concerns about paying off loans, etc, but you're the best judge of your own situation.
Posted this on a similar topic, but you got about 60 years of nursing left in you... I'm the oldest student in my class, Just means I have more life experience, which I think is worth more than anything you can learn in a classroom alone.
Life experiences carry into the Registered Nurse career. Numerically you are starting at an age greater than many RNs. The critical thinking ability you bring along will make you a strong Nurse.
One thing to think about is.... if you do not take the next 2 or 3 years to become an RN. You will still be 35. Go for the RN!
I would add to the overwhelming "You're not to old" that you should get your BSN. Don't fool around with the associates. It's just a couple more years and well worth it. I started late: older than you. My clsss had a bunch of 30 to 50 somethings in it. I loved school. It is the BSN that opened doors that otherwisre would have been closed to me. Good luck to you.
You need to figure out why you're so worried about your age...:)
This is not meant to offend anyone with an associates; we're all in this together...It's political; just like everything else in nursing has become.
Hi , you are definitely not too old to become a nurse. You probably will be able to practice for twenty years which isn't too bad for a career. My 32 year old son recently decided to become a nurse and he had been working as a construction worker for ten years. Everyone has their own life goals and if you decide to try out nursing go ahead. On the other hand if you should change your mind and become a heavy duty auto mechanic when you are 40 years old that would be awesome too. Go for it !!!
I was 42 when I graduated from nursing school. Best decision I ever made. Now I'm 50, and headed to grad school. I probably *am* too old for that, but I'm doing it anyway.
Creamsoda, ASN, RN
728 Posts
Dear god, I though you were maybe 60 and close to retirement before I read this and wondering if it would be financially worth it or something. But your 32. One foot in the grave. yes it will be worth it. You want to do, do it. You will have many more opportunities for work as an RN and pay is much better.