Any other "older" new nursing students out there?

Nursing Students General Students

Published

Hi all! I am new to this site and I am a brand new nursing student. I am a retired NYC police officer and a single mom of 4 (2 at home, 2 on their own.) I am excited and terrified all at once!! I am starting my pre-req's in January 2002. I will hopefully be done with them within a year. I guess what I am worried about is the fact that I'll be going to school with people my older kid's ages and I don't wanna be seen as the "old lady!!" I am doing this not only for myself, but I figured after all these years, I cannot preach college to my children if I've not gone myself! Any advice for the new, old woman?

Thanks for letting me get started...I'm sure I'll be here a lot!!:)

Originally posted by ST_NURSE_MLD

Hi... I'm 36 (I don't feel 36), married with a daughter.

I'm making a major change in my life. I made the decision to quite my full time job and start Nursing School. I've wanted this for so long.... I start clinicals in Janary '03. And, I probably will not stop until I have my MSN.

At 36, I'm still a ball of fire. Glad to know you guys are too...

Way to go Missy, I'm on the same path as you too and I'm over 40, so you CAN do it !!

Good Luck:)

Marie:)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Originally posted by KatWright

You ladies are great !!!!!! I am finishing my masters in the spring.

I have been a nurse for nearly 30 years and at this point, I plan on staying at the bedside, although, you never know.

I just finished orienting a new grad who will be 50 ten days after me (in December) She is doing a wonderful job !!!!!

The beauty of the "Older" student is that you will bring to the profession so much previous experiences that your younger peers could only wish for !!!!!!!

I have loved this masters program !!!!!! I spent so many years writing in abreviations that I could hardly write a complete sentence, much less using punctuation !!!!!!!!

Now I can even write an entire paragraph and it makes sense!!!!

My sister is also a nurse (she's a year younger than I) and she too will complete her masters in May !!!!

She is the head nurse in an ER (can't imagine why she would like to do ER?!?!) My degree is the Advanced Practice Nurse specializing in Oncology!!

Good luck to you all !!!!!!!!

And when you are finished...........keep going!!!!!!Get your BSN or see if your area colleges have the RN to MSN tract and skip the BSN altogether !!!!!!!

What the heck, you will be 40 or 50 or 60 whether you continue or not!!

ALSO CHECK OUT SCHOLARSHIPS AND GRANTS!!!!!!!!!!

There is alot of money out there for people that want to become nurses AND it is NOT based on finances !!!!!!

I have received $$ for the last 2 semesters even though my hospital reimburses !!

Another thing >>>>>>>>>>>>don't forget to have fun while you are doing this !!!

Kat

Great Post I applaud you !!:)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in CCU/ER.

Bronxbaby--

Welcome! I am considered non-traditional, at 27 yrs. Granted, that's not THAT old, but I just wanted to say one thing.

Some of the best students in my class of 60ish students are the older ones! We have one that is 50, and one that won't tell us how old she is! :chuckle

They are the most reliable, ask the best questions, and have so much life experience that we all look to them for help--and not just with the books!

I'm sure you'll do a terrific job!! Just let yourself go and thoroughly enjoy all the work and the experience!!!!

Misty

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Originally posted by TRISHnotyetRN

I am new to this board. I have been a lurker for a while and decided to join in the fun. Some of your posts crack me up. Anyway, I am 29 (well almost, on 12/3). I went to school to be a medical assistant some ten years ago. I then served four years in the Navy as a Hospital Corpsman. It was a great experience and I learned a lot. I then worked for an ophthamologist for a few years and the past three years I have been a stay-at-home mom. I have a 2 yr old and a 6 yr old, both boys. Which for you moms that have sons translates to the energy of about ten children. ;)

Anyway, I am slowly working on becoming a nurse. I'll probably finish in about 6 YEARS!! Oh, well better late than never!

:D

TrishnotyetRN:

I too am a 29 year old mother of two (4and8) and am starting my prereqs this fall. I am doing the LPN first and then doing the bridge over program for my RN. Either way it will take me 4-5 years to get my RN but with the LPN I can already be out on the floor gaining knowledge while I complete the remaining prereqs for my ADN. I wish you lots of luck! I am sure it will be well worth the time for us both!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Welcome Bronxbaby!

I am 30, newly married, still childless, and working on second degree.

My classes have been a pleasant mixture. I LOVE older students b/c I learn so much from them. I have a younger girl that sits next to me and she grumbles under her breath when one of the older ladies asks an intelligent question...whereas I sit there absorbing every drop of the conversation! And 100% of the time it is something that I was wondering about myself but to shy to ask! This same girl stays amazed by my study techniques...and my grades. Sometimes it pays to be older!:D

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Hey there,

Welcome to the allnurses and the nursing student life......

I'm 31 with three children I started off at school doing full time for a year now I'm going part time this semester and enjoying it well honestly a bit of it I could really do without the stress that comes with it.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

What great post!!!...............

I'm a 50y/o Male that will be starting the BSN program after I turn 51!........

I retired after 30 years in the Navy as a Hospital Corpsman.....

I have a B.S. degree but not in nursing so there are some pre-reqs that I have to take even before starting the BSN program..

I want to eventually get my MSN......Old.....Old...I think NOT!!!!

When you reach 50 then you really start livi'n!!!!

Good luck to all you young'ins :chuckle

Mr. L

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I'm 39 and I didn't feel like an "oldster" until one of the youngsters in my clinical group told me that HER MOM was 38 :eek: :chuckle That's okay - with age comes experience, right???

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I'm 49 and have been a nurse since 1974. I started my diploma program two weeks after I turned 18, started working on my bsn at age 36 (graduated at 39) and will (hopefully) finish the np program I just started when I'm 53ish. And I really think I'm a much better student now than when I was 18. So I think anyone who wants to be a nurse should go for it no matter how old they may be. Good luck!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I had my 31st birthday yesterday. Do I count as an older student? My boyfriend (term I'll use for lack of a better description) is the son of an RN who didn't get her degree until she was about 37. He reminds me of that every time I grumble about the age thing...

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I can't figure out if I answered this so I am doing it again...

I am a 37 year old first semester student with 4 little boys (6,5,4,2) a great husband and I am kicking b**t this time around in school 4.0 (for now anyway). I have a BS from 15+ years ago (most of which transfered over - thank goodness) I worked as a computer programer until 1995 when I had my first son - had my last boy in 2000 then decided I wanted to go into nursing last year.

Our class is an evening program and the youngest in the class is 24 and the oldest is 50 (something) so I am average age in our class. We all learn so much from each other...

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I am 34, married with no kids, but three dogs! I am taking my prereq's and hope to start the ADN program next fall.

I have a BA in another field, but that was 12 years ago. It took me a little while to get back into the swing of things. I realized how much things have changed when I had to figure out how to footnote a website. There was no Internet the last time I wrote a term paper!

I am actually doing much better in school this time around. I am spending more time studying, rather than cruising the bar scene with my sorority sisters! I also have more self-confidence and handle stress better than I did at 18.

I am glad to see that there are so many other "older" students.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment