Changing career from law to nursing?

[WDW4ever]

Hi all:

I posted a similar question on another forum, but I think it was the wrong place.

I have always wanted to become a nurse. I majored in politics, got a scholarship to law school, and took it - everyone thought it was crazy not to. I have been practicing law for 13 years and I'm miserable! I keep going back to nursing as an option. I'm 39, with 3 kids - two in elementary school, and a toddler (20 months). DH helps a lot - he works full-time, but can work from home some days.

Yesterday, I applied to a community college that has an associates program / nursing program with a nearby hospital. I really want to pursue this. I am not doing it for $$ but for a career I will love - I want a hands-on role helping people. I am nervous about the pre-reqs - I really haven't taken any science courses since HS. And I would need to work while going to school, though I can possibly do it part-time.

Am I doing the right thing? Anyone with a similar background, or make the switch at my age or older?

I'd love to hear anyone's thoughts / experiences :)

[Freedom42]

I passed the NCLEX at 45. I'd quit my job two years earlier after a very successful career that was no longer challenging me. I was sick of being a manager and wanted to focus on my own performance, among other issues. I did not find it a difficult transition to go back to school, although the job market was extremely tight when I received my BSN last December. I applied for nearly 60 jobs. Most of my applications were not even acknowledged, which I found baffling. It was puzzling not because of how I perceived myself as a candidate but because it would seem a basic courtesy to pop a postcard in the mail or send an e-mail; it was quite an eye-opener to hospital culture, which seems very outdated to me. I think that's what's been most challenging. At 46. I don't expect to work hard and well and, in exchange, I expect to be treated fairly. Floor nurses are often treated like laborers. But management aside, the work has many other rewards.

Since you already have a bachelor's degree, I question why you would go back to school for an associate's degree instead of an accelerated bachelor's or a master's. If you're thinking 15 years out -- after your knees or your back give out -- or whenever you want the option of transitioning into management, you'll be better off with the higher degree. In my case, at least, it was faster and cheaper to go for the BSN rather than the ADN. No, not every institution pays more for the higher degree at the entry-level. (I was pleasantly surprised to find out that mine does, and BSNs are preferred for specialty jobs, including ICU.) But it's important to keep your options open if you're starting late.

Good luck.

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

I know of many nurses who have made the opposite journey - from RN to JD. They are employed in various aspects of health care risk management or organizational legal services. They all seem to really enjoy it and - I'm sure- are well compensated.

For sure - age is no barrier. Go for it! With your background, you wil have career options that most nurses don't have.

[WDW4ever]

Thank you for your responses and encouragement! :)