At what age did you decide on nursing?

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

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I am still young, 25, but need some stories of encouragment. I have a 2 yo son and am due with my 2nd little one in December. I am registered for fall classes at my local college and will continue to take my pre-req's until I am done. I always kick myself in the butt though for not getting right in after high school graduation and taking my classes seriously; I was definately a slacker and can't afford to be that anymore. I have always wanted to be a nurse and can't imagine myself anywhere else.

So I am curious to know the stories, as I am sure they will be encouraging, at what age did you decide to start taking classes to become an RN? Did you have children? etc.

Thank you.

I'm 23 and I've wanted to be a nurse since I was 16 and didn't seriously pursue it until I was 22. I am a father to a 18 month old baby boy and a Fiance. I love my son and fiance more than life itself. I work full time and go to school now part time. I just recently finished all my prerequisites and took the HESI and now I've applied to five schools here in Arizona and on the waiting list. Hopefully I will be 25 when I start the program. I love my life right now. I am pursuing a career that I love and can't imagine doing anything else with my life. I can't wait for what's in store for me in the future. Good Luck!:yeah:

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Specializes in Psych, LTC/SNF, Rehab, Corrections.

I'm 29 and just decided to switch majors this Summer. Should be done with science pre-reqs by next spring or Summer 1...then it's off to nursing school to get my BSN.

I'm not knocking the corp world but I see what my friends and exes had to go through....SMH

Day in/Day out...same old crap. What are you REALLY accomplishing?

I just didn't want my life to be like that. It can't all be about work and money and 'toys' and pretentious titles...y'know? I wanted to contribute to more than a company's 'bottom line' or my networth.

I've always felt most comfortable in the hospital ( I shot xrays and performed ct's).

Even if you don't particularly enjoy what you did that day -- you get this sense that you really did something worthwhile.

The pay is great (once you can get over the experience hump)

Plus nursing and hospital professions in general tend to be well-respected.

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I am 39 and just finished my first semester of nursing school! I went back in the Fall of 2008 and took 2 classes per semester to finish my pre-reqs. I am also not the oldest in the class. :D

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Specializes in cardiac-telemetry, hospice, ICU.

I'm 58 and this will be my 4th career. I am done with pre reqs and waiting for an acceptence letter. I missed out on medicine when I was young, because I didn't buckle down and get the grades. No regrets, but I think I have it right this time around!

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Specializes in Pediatric Pulmonology and Allergy.

I started to think about nursing when I was about 32. I'm 36 now and about to graduate with a BSN. I used to freak out over blood or any injuries--now I'm the first person to come running and saying "lemme see!" (Most injuries are far less gross than we imagine--although I've seen some truly gory stuff by now.)

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Specializes in Nursing Education, CVICU, Float Pool.

I flipped back and forth with it for a longtime, but I finally decided to stick with it when I turned 15. I am now 17 and will be graduating from High School on June 11th and will continue my prereqs this summer. I say continue because I took some college classes through dual enrollment throughout my junior and senior years.

I have all faith that you can make it.l I had a girl that went to nurse camp last year with me that was 17 and had a 2 or 3 year old son and she is still going strong. You can do it. I will hopefully get into one of my desired n ursing programs fall 2011 and will finish a few months before I turn 21.

Hope all goes well with you.

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I'll be 40 in two weeks and just finished my pre-reqs. Took me two years, but the time has flown by and I'm enjoying the process. I'm a single mom - my children are 10 and 17. My 17 year old is in 11th grade and is considering nursing. :) So, I'll be around 42 when I'm an RN but that's fine with me. I look at it this way: I've got at least 20 years left of working before I can retire, so I might as well spend that time doing something I love.

Don't let the fear of the time it will take to accomplish something stand in the way of your doing it. The time will pass anyway; we might just as well put that passing time to the best possible use. ~Earl Nightingale

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I used to freak out over blood or any injuries--now I'm the first person to come running and saying "lemme see!" (Most injuries are far less gross than we imagine--although I've seen some truly gory stuff by now.)

Isn't it funny how we can change that way? I used to be the same way. A few years ago if someone had told me I'd actually enjoy working on cadavers I would NOT have believed it! It's funny what we can overcome when we really want to! :)

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Specializes in None Yet.

I am starting Nursing school for my lpn this fall... I'll be 21.

I had originally never even considered nursing or anything in the medical field for that matter, as a career. I was in and out of hospitals so much as a child, I despised the whole institution.

I ended up going for my animation degree straight out of highschool and I hated every minute of it. I ended up leaving, and while looking through the colleges available courses, I came upon nursing. It just seemed to click, and now that I've grown up a bit, my dislike for the medical field has turned a complete 180.

I do feel kinda foolish for not figuring it out sooner, and for wasting so much time in high school, not getting my pre-req's... but what can you do? I'm glad I'm starting.... and even though I'm 21, I still feel like I wasted A LOT of time. Ironically enough though, I am the youngest person in my class :D Ah well, best of luck to everyone, no matter what age you are!

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I turn 44 this year and will be starting the actual nursing program this fall at south suburban college. I wanted to be nurse for a while but it took becoming a stay at home mom for my 7th and 8th child they will almost be school age by the time I graduate, so here I am starting a new future. From computers to people I'm excited! I was a cna way back in the day and should have become a nurse back in the 1980's

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I am going to top all of you!! I was 43 years old when I finished nursing school in Indianapolis. I had 4 kids while going through the nursing program. I had a 6 year old and 1 year old triplets, plus a husband. When I was finally done with school and passed the NCLEX exam, I told myself that I would never go to school again. That was in December 2000. I would love to go back to school and become a forensic nurse, but I work full time and can not even think about going home after work and having to study for a master's degree. I wish I had the energy to do it again, but I am now 54 years old. Good luck to all of you who visit this site. :yawn:

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Specializes in PACU-general.

I was 23 when I started nursing. My initial plan was to start at age 17, if it weren't for my grades to be too low. I'm glad I wasn't accepted, way to young! I could never have dealt with the heavy stuff you run into in a hospital. Here, in Europe, students are accepted at age 16! Can you believe it? Not good, if you ask me. We finish school early here and can start a career. I think you've chosen a perfect time in your life. You're mature enough to be able to handle nursing. I have to admit I had a difficult time dealing with terminally ill clients, even at age 25. But I did great and so will you!

Hope this helps. Good luck to you, I think you're ready. Have faith in yourself!

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