considering nursing school at 45 yo

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Has anyone else starting nursing school at the age of 45 or so? My youngest will be a senior in high school next year and my other two in college. I have waited a long time to go back to school. I wanted to know if others have gone back in mid life.

Specializes in cna/restorative.

this is what me and my husband want to do. do you work for some agency or just pick a state and go.

we want to just pick a state and go.

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Specializes in med surg.

No, I did not think of starting nursing school at 45.... I started at 48!!! I'm in my 2nd year now, and I am loving it. Yes, I am probably now the oldest student in my class (Many didn't pass first semester)...but there are plenty within 10 years of my age. Yes, at times, I feel like a dinosaur, especially when I see these young fresh faces, but then I think, in 5 years, does it matter? I will be a nurse! Follow your dream. Life is a grand adventure and you don't want to be at the end of it wishing you had done something different. Good luck!

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Go ahead....give it a try. I started nursing school at age 54, took time off to care for my mother who has since passed away, and am back in school now. I'll be 60 when I graduate. And I'm not the oldest in my class....there are several of us who are "second degree/second career" students. Good luck!! And be prepared to work harder than you've ever worked in your life. It's no "sunday school picnic". :nurse:

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Oh my gosh, this site is awesome. I'm so proud of my fellow nursing older nursing students. Your are correct it is no Sunday picnic.I'm 43 and will graduate Lord willing in may which then I will be 44 ( Happy birthday to me!!!!!) Happy New year to all P.S. It's funny that because of my age some of the patients think I'm the instructor not the student.

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Specializes in psychiatric, UR analyst, fraud, DME,MedB.
Fort Worth - I like how you think! Sounds like you and your wife are having a blast.

I too got fed up with the insane demands of corporate life and said bye-bye to all that nonsense. This past August, at the age of 46, I started an accelerated BSN program, which I'll finish in July. I love it so much...my ONLY regret is not having done it sooner.

This is such a great thread. I'm very inspired by all of you who have created satisfying nursing careers for yourselves at mid-life. Happy New Year, everyone!

:bow:

It sure is!! I sure would like to do the travel , but my specialty is UR, and I think the travel prefers clinical specialties...oh well , I can not travel w/ my daughter and grand daughter along w/ our 8 pet rats, 1 mice, 2 cats and 1 dog.......well maybe the next life? But I am encourage by these nurses in this thread , positive and just cool to hear from. Lots of Kudos to you all ! and yes, may this year be abundant, pray for wisdom for our leaders and some peace of mind to all ! Oh I forgot the beta fish. I have that too! :wink2:

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

yes, you go for it, get your RN...

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I am so proud of you. Never let age get in the way of going back to school.

I was insulted on a thread, talking about, "Are "C" nurses, good enough nurses like "A" nurses?", and a poster responded to me by saying, "way way way way back in your day when you became a nurse and he insulted me because of my age. Just turned 55, so I reported him and accused him of ageism and age discrimination. They shut the whole thread down.

I won't put up with anyone cutting me down because of my age and you should not either. I am proud of you, and if anyone cuts you down because of your age, report them or get in their face and put them on the spot, and rememeber they will be our age one day. All the luck to you. Love y'all. Dot

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Is it fair to that young person to be denied a first chance when the fifty year old is on the second or third? (particularly if the younger person is going to be of use at the bedside for so much longer)

Pete, I'm 52 and a retired cop. I am currently ranked #3rd in a class of 125, even though HSch was 33 years ago for me. If it were not for I and another older student investing the time needed to tutor one of the many 19 to 20 year old single mothers in our class, she would have failed this last semester and the nursing field would have lost an incredibly caring and competent nurse. MANY younger students are now counseled to train as an LVN instead of entering the RN program, because so many of the 2.5 million licensed nurses DO NOT stay with it but instead have left the field of practice after investing years into schooling.

So, sometimes it is BECAUSE of us gray-hairs that there are young people still training in this field of study.

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Pete, from one gray hair to another I'm pround of you and your other fellow student. Sometimes we older students have a purpose so don't vote us off the island. HA HA HA.

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Specializes in internal medicine and ENT.

I haven't been on the site for awhile...been busy studying and all that! :nuke: If it helps, I will be graduating this May and I'm 43 years old. It is harder to be an older student but I wouldn't trade this for anything in the world. Good luck to you.:up:

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Specializes in IMCU.
If I can devil's advocate here for a moment, is it healthy for the profession to fill it with a large number of second-career folks who will spend a thrid to half the time at the bedside as a conventional-college-age graduate?

Is it fair to that young person to be denied a first chance when the fifty year old is on the second or third? (particularly if the younger person is going to be of use at the bedside for so much longer)

I don't have horse in this race, and am not sure what the right tack is. A thread like this one tends toward circular reinforcement while skiping the hard questions that should be asked.

Happy Thanksgiving,

Pete Fitzpatrick

RN, CFRN, EMT-P

I have spent roughly 43 years paying taxes. Since many programs are public programs I really want to see my tax dollars equally available to others who have already proven themselves as capable and able in another field who for what ever reason have decided to enter nursing. The kids who were in my class (at a private program) did not take the program nearly as seriously as us old folks. I was the oldest of the crew. The youngsters required more help from us old timers getting through something as simple as mental health. Those of us with life experience and in my and another older students case, professional experience, was used to help these kids (not disadvantaged by any means) get through this class. We had 6 in our class who were repeating it from the regular group). Now this was a private school, so tax dollars were not being used. I think it is definately all the more important that those with a proven track record are able to use these resources. There should be no discrimination regarding age if a person is physically and mentally able to do the job. I may be in practice another 20 years, though it probably won't be as a floor nurse. I have found that I am the only one who can hold me back. :D

Mahage

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hi, starting RN pre reqs next week, 49 will be 50 in october. my children are grown, had a great job with hospice as the massage therapist...was called to the main office on sept 27th and BAM, laid off.so now begins a new journey

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