Am I too old to start a career in nursing in Omaha?

[skhorse]

I have one more night of clinicals for my CNA certification and then state testing at the next class. At 42, I'm the oldest in our class and after speaking with one of the CNA's at clinicals I'm worried about getting accepted into MCC's LPN program and finding a job. I am taking A&P 1 this winter and plan on studying for the TEAS over the next few months and applying for the LPN program, but I hear it's hard to get accepted. I had 2 C's and that brought my GPA down. I wanted to take the evening and weekend program, but I won't have A&P or TEAS test done by the December 1st deadline. I work full time 8-5 everyday and have been taking prereqs at night since 2010. I had to take the COMPASS test and had to start from the beginning on everything again, because it had been over 20 years since I took any college classes. I make more than CNA's now at my job (not in the medical field) so I'm worried about having to take a job for the experience and cutting the needed income of my family. Somebody please tell me there are evening jobs out there in the medical CNA field that start at $14, the TEAS test and getting accepted to Metro is easy!

[cateyite]

I say go for it!

[chuckster, ADN, BSN, RN, EMT-B]

There were at least 3 of us in my evening/weekend program who were considerably older than you are now. All of us successfully completed the program and are now RN's.

The tough part is not nursing school - it comes later in overcoming the often considerable and all to real age discrimination in the hiring process.

You can do it - good luck with your decision.