Are people less likely to congratulate older or younger students for getting into RN?

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

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Amen! When I tell people that I am majoring in nursing, I either get "good for you!" or "why don't you just become a doctor?" That questions irritates me so much! Like people who assume nursing is for people who can't become doctors. No, its a whole different ball game. Its definitely one of my pet peeves. I have no desire to become a doctor, but I love nursing!

I believe some people are well meaning when they ask this, but for others, there might be a little envy at play. No better way to squelch feelings of envy than to try to one up a person, even if indirectly w/ a comment like that. While I realize it is much more difficult based on prerequisites and testing to get into medical school than nursing school, in sheer raw numbers based on the number of applicants and spots, I would venture a lot of nursing programs around the country have lower acceptance rates than some medical schools. And there are many nursing students who absolutely have the drive and the intelligence to make it in medical school, but have chosen nursing instead for a variety of reasons.

I agree that it's a whole different ball game. I am older and it would be crazy for me to even think about becoming a doctor because of the time involved, and I don't even know if I could get though all the prerequisites w/ As and do well enough on the MCAT -- all very big ifs -- to even get in, but I do know that many aspects unique to the profession of nursing w/in the health care realm appeal to me. I will graduate debt free from nursing school, something I could never say about medical school, and I appreciate the extreme flexibility the profession offers. With the high degree of specialization in medicine, doctors are much more locked into a field or specialty.

I know many nurses who have really enjoyed and appreciated being able to work in quite diverse areas of health care over their careers. How nurses are employed also opens up the door to so much flexibility and opportunity. I know three nurses who have been doing the traveling nurse program for over five years and LOVE it. Such employment schemes are much less common w/ physicians. Anyway, you probably get my point. It's really too bad people have to make comments like that, but what can you do but chalk it up to either being misinformed, slightly rude, or even a little envious...

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I get mixed reactions. If all goes according to my plan, I will start my ABSN program next year when I am 36. My parents support my decision about going back to school, but they are not really excited about it. My mother is always worried about what I am taking away from my kids while being in school. But, on the other hand, my 3 kids are so excited for me and even write their school papers on how mommy is going to be a nurse and they are very proud of me (along with my husband), and that is all that matters. But, honestly, now that I am older, I could care less if people congratulate me - I am not doing this for them! I right now have a 4.0 and have all the 20-somethings in my class wanting to study with me because I am focused, driven and organized, which may not have been the case 10 years ago. I have chosen to surround myself in my life with people who encourage me and will be more than happy to come and celebrate at my graduation party!

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Boxer Mama I'm right there with you in the sense of not caring about the congratulations. I'm 33 and will graduate from a BSN program in NYC in May of 2013. This was a decision that I made for my own life and sense of accomplishment, it doesn't need to be judged by others comments or quick recommendations when they don't work in the medical field and probably have no clue on what it takes to becoming a nurse! While my family and loved ones DO support what I want to do, my close friends come from such a different world that it has been hard to transfer the support.

While I do work hard for the best grades possible I have found it hard to identify or become close friends with younger people in my program. I've tried, but I think the 'older' label has been applied and has created a border. Believe it or not, 30 is not an average age in my program, I'm a rare one as I think nursing is becoming popular again with a younger generation. The average is probably around 25 or 26. I wish that age wouldn't matter but sometimes it does when everything plays out in social circles and study groups. I live with my boyfriend and have lived in NYC for over 10 years so I already have a separate life. This may play a part being that I don't hang out at bars with everyone and once I didn't want to 'hang' the distance became bigger. In short.. or long :) this has been an interesting experience in age related relations and how accomplishing your goal may take different paths depending on where you're at in your life.

All that said, if you want to become a nurse - DO IT. While it may be hard during nursing school you'll be working with a wide age range of nurse's while working after it.

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My mom flat out told me "You aren't going to make it. School is easy for you, but you aren't cut out to be a nurse". Needless to say we have relationship problems and I haven't talked to her since. It's been 3 years. My dad was overly proud and my grandma is trying to send me to NP school :/ LOL my husband and kids are more proud than I am. Friends are thrilled!!!!!! My MIL (who is more of a mom figure) was ECSTATIC!!!!

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I am 30 and will not even start my pre reqs until Jan.......and not to be rude by no means....just something to ponder....why do you care what other people do or do not do? Your school and career are for YOU NOT THEM.......although it feels nice to get them. congratulations are not required to go to nursing school......you just have to hold your head up high and do it for you and no one else and your friends and family can row or get the heck off the boat!!!

But in the meantime HUGE CONGRATS and HUGS!!!!!

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Well that's just plain sad!!! Congratulations!!! Getting into the program is VERY hard work!!! You must have kicked some serious butt in order to get in!! It is a great accomplishment and you are due every congratulations in the world!! Good Luck in the program!!

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WOW. It's good to know I'm not alone. Hopefully, I will be 28 when I start my RN program. I'm one of those 2nd career changers too. I wanted to do nursing back when I was in undergrad school but my family members are the ones who talked me out of it (didn't allow me to do it) and gave me a lot of crap for it (even though they didn't pay for my education), so I stuck to my science major.

I'll tell anyone: DO WHAT"S RIGHT FOR YOU! IT"s YOUR LIFE AND YOUR CAREER! FORGET YOUR PARENTS! I hate when people who've never worked in the field (like my family), say "Become a PA/MD instead" or "you're going to be burnt out" (this happens in a lot of fields besides nursing). I can tell you my family is pretty ignorant. They're from the old school where they think of attorneys, doctors, etc as the only respectable, good-salaried fields. I ended up proving them wrong when I got my current job. Now they're hush hush about my nursing plans.

After a few years working in corporate America, I am still set on becoming a nurse!

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Specializes in OR.

I'm another older student -- when I'm accepted to nursing school (thinking positive, here), I'll be 45. My parents are both extremely excited I'm in school (I didn't go when I finished high school), my husband is very supportive, and my friends cheer me on.

Don't forget, though, there's a generation of parents out there who didn't need college in order to get a job good enough to support a family. Nowadays, that's not so easy, but a generation ago, it could be done. Could that be the reason for the responses of some parents?

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My parents are not that supportive. I'm 24 and they think that I'm too old to just start the RN program. They say I'll be almost 30 by the time I get a job as an RN. They feel like I should have accomplished this by the time I was 21/22.

And when I tell people I got into a program they never congratulate me. I think its because I don't look fresh and young like i just got out of high school

Are you serious?! Wow. I'll be 23 when I start clinicals and I'll be one of the youngest.

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I am 39 and just finishing pre reqs for nursing program. As a previous poster said there is a generation where a high school diploma was sufficient to get a good paying job. I use my experience going back to school to tell my 16 and 17 year old kids that they need to finish high school and think about either college or a vocational program because gone are the days when a high school diploma was enough for a good job.

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I'm 33 and have been taking prereqs for 2 years. My mom has been pushing college for years so I "don't end up in a dead end job" like she did. I got accepted to nursing school for this spring. She is over the moon lol. My husband (who is supporting both if us as I won't be working) is behind me 100% as he knows its a few years of hell for a better possible future for us) and my friends/ family are all supportive. It's cute- my 90 year old nana is thrilled. She was in nursing school at 17- but left to get married so I think I'm continuing her dream lol. No one in my life has ever questioned my desire for a degree. Congrats to you and good luck!!!

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