Any other pre-nursing students over 45?

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I've been working on mostly non-math courses so far and I will be finishing up most of my pre-req's including Mth120 and A&P 1 at the end of Fall. I'm concerned about the NLN pre-entrance test for RNs. Has anyone on this forum over 40 taken it?:eek: Thank you in advance for any responses!

DancingQueen; thanks for commenting....I'm 43 and have been an administrative assistant way longer than I wanted to...twenty years as opposed to two. I never had the means to follow my own path until recently. After I realized the college next month was not for me, I'm back at square one. I hope to start pre-nursing in the fall but I'm going to need lots of financial aid! Good luck to you!

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I applaud all of those over 40 who are going into the nursing profession. I am a 35 year old male who is re-starting my BSN. I started it when I was 27 but had to drop due to job conflict. There were quite a few "over 40" and even "over 50" nursing students in my classes even in 2002. So it really isn't only because the economy has declined. They were the students that were able to cope with the demand of clinicals. I even met a man who was 70 and preparing for med school. How great is that! Good luck to you all!

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HELP! I am 43 and have decided to go back to school to be an RN. I am enrolled at the local community college. To my horror, they want me to take the COMPASS math placement test. I have all my english/writing courses out of the way from 20+ years ago but before I can take the pre-req. Math 109 and my bioscience courses, I have to take this test. I am absolutely terrified. I graduated high school without passing Algebra 1...I do not know the first thing about Algebra, geometry, etc. I have been a medical transcriptionst for 12 years plus had hands-on experience (unfortunately) caring for my first child who was terminally ill so I have placed feeding tubes, given injections, taken care of a central line, you name it so the fact that this math thing could keep me from becoming an RN is giving me an ulcer. Can someone please give me some advice on what I can do to learn this math (while working full-time) so I can pass the COMPASS test and eventually, math 109!!!! Thank you in adavance!

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HELP! I am 43 and have decided to go back to school to be an RN. I am enrolled at the local community college. To my horror, they want me to take the COMPASS math placement test. I have all my english/writing courses out of the way from 20+ years ago but before I can take the pre-req. Math 109 and my bioscience courses, I have to take this test. I am absolutely terrified. I graduated high school without passing Algebra 1...I do not know the first thing about Algebra, geometry, etc. I have been a medical transcriptionst for 12 years plus had hands-on experience (unfortunately) caring for my first child who was terminally ill so I have placed feeding tubes, given injections, taken care of a central line, you name it so the fact that this math thing could keep me from becoming an RN is giving me an ulcer. Can someone please give me some advice on what I can do to learn this math (while working full-time) so I can pass the COMPASS test and eventually, math 109!!!! Thank you in adavance!

S. Braden,

I would suggest buying Algebra for dummies and practice the problems over and over again. There are a lot of good books to study. I was in the same boat as you are and that is what I did, plus I had my teenager help me.

I am now 43 years old and have been in school the last 4 years. I've wanted to be a nurse my entire life but always felt like I would fail, I had no confidence in myself. I didn't go to nursing school when I got out of high school because I failed all my science classes in high school and went into accounting. At 39 years old I hated my job as an accountant and finally decided to follow my dream of becoming a nurse. It was scary going back to school but once I started I realized I was not dumb. I got all of my nursing prereqs completed and was able to maintain a 4.0 GPA while working, attending school full-time, and raising my son on my own. Once I completed my nursing prereqs I got turned down for the one nursing school I applied to, which made me again question whether I was not cut out for nursing, so I immediately started x-ray school. Again, I was able to maintain a 4.0 GPA while working and parenting. I am now in the process of finishing my bachelors degree in pre-law and should also finish with a 4.0 GPA this year. Now I'm FULLY ready for nursing school and have submitted my application to another school, which I should not have any problem getting into for the Spring 2011 term. I realize I am way to hard on myself but I'm finally at a point in my life I finally believe in myself. If I can do it, anyone can!

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SBraden,

I am preparing to take my test also. Study everything from a GED book to Algebra for Dummies or the Idiots Guide to Algebra and practice, practice, practice. The worst that can happen if you score lower on the test is that you would have to take a few remedial math courses before the college math. Maybe you could hire a teen that is really good in math (if you know one.) The fact that you already have some nursing skills is a plus. Hang in there, we will get there.:)

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HELP! I am 43 and have decided to go back to school to be an RN. I am enrolled at the local community college. To my horror, they want me to take the COMPASS math placement test. I have all my english/writing courses out of the way from 20+ years ago but before I can take the pre-req. Math 109 and my bioscience courses, I have to take this test. I am absolutely terrified. I graduated high school without passing Algebra 1...I do not know the first thing about Algebra, geometry, etc. I have been a medical transcriptionst for 12 years plus had hands-on experience (unfortunately) caring for my first child who was terminally ill so I have placed feeding tubes, given injections, taken care of a central line, you name it so the fact that this math thing could keep me from becoming an RN is giving me an ulcer. Can someone please give me some advice on what I can do to learn this math (while working full-time) so I can pass the COMPASS test and eventually, math 109!!!! Thank you in adavance!

I had to take the Compass test because I was in the exact same situation as you (working single mom going back to school in my 40's). I studied from Cliffs Math Review for Standardized Tests, and also bought the For Dummies Algebra books. I learned more from the Cliffs Review book, to be honest, and it was cheaper. The Compass website has a practice test, which I would also suggest taking a look at. The Compass test is mostly word problems using basic math and algebra skills to find answers. The Compass test isn't a timed test, so you can spend as much time as you need to work the problems out, and being real here, they aren't all that easy. But, if you take the time to teach yourself basic math and algebra, you can save yourself one to two semesters of developmental math and be much closer to getting your pre-reques out of the way. I studied math about an hour a day, and practiced practiced practiced every free online math test I could find until I felt confident that I was ready.

From what you are saying about yourself, and what you have managed to accomplish, I don't think you will have any problems learning Algebra. I would however, check and see if your credits from so long ago will be accepted. I am not 100% sure, but I think I was told that schools don't take any credits older than 5 years ago.

Good luck!!

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look at it this way you have a long time still to work and tons of lives to save, You are fine!!! so what if you are that age, anyways they say the new 20 is 40-hmmmm i still haven't convinced myself with that one lol :D

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I was in the same boat regarding math. Total phobia. Took the minimum to get by. Taught myself online before I took placement test. Got placed in Algebra 2, passed with an A-. The best advice someone gave me regarding algebra was don't try and make sense of it just follow the rules and the steps. I did that and in the end it makes sense, go figure!!

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This is such an interesting topic for me. I am 37. I started school when I was 29. I had to leave 2 semesters before I was done because my hubby wanted me to be home with the babies. My babies are old enough now for me to go back but.... one. I have an 11 month old now so I think that I will have to wait til I am about 45 til I can go back to school and start all over again. (worst part is that I was a straight A student. arg) I was wondering the same thing....if there was anoyone that woudl go back in thier 40"s. I am glad I will not be alone. :D

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I just turned 47 and start the ADN program in the fall this year. I will be turning 49 soon after I graduate as well.:lol2:

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Specializes in Critical Care.

I'm 45 and just accepted into the Fall 2010 program at our CC. I did my pre-reqs over the last 2 years and took remedial math (practically) in my first semester back to college. I've managed all Mostly A's a couple B's and am darn satisfied with that. I think it is an advantage to go back to or to school at our age. We know it will be hard but we've done hard. My kids are grown and my youngest being out w/friends so much triggered the time for me. I have a very supportive husband and now my two girls think this is the thing for them too. In fact my SD is in my starting class. We'll graduate together...

Go for it!

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of the 24 new students at SVCC Sobo, 6 are LPN to RN.

3 students under 20. 10 are 20 to 30. 7 are 30 to 40. 4 over 40.

I am 43.

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