Crossroads at age fifty.

Nursing Students General Students

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In the fifty years I have been on planet earth, there are many paths I have taken. From mother, now Grandmother, author, grocery stalker, maid and finally...nursing student. All of my life medical stuff interested me and for almost three years now I have been in college to try and achieve the goal of becoming an R.N. Now it looks like I may have to switch gears and pick another career as my grades are not all A's. A student can probably get into the nursing segment with one B, but the rest need to be A's. It makes me sad and confused because I really felt the Lord was leading me into a career to help people less fortunate than ourselves. It would not have scared me to work with contagious diseases of any kind. My dream and goal was to end up in a third world country helping people to dig wells, garden, and of course, treat the people medically. At age fifty, time is of the essence and I do not know what to do next. I pray God will lead me to wherever he needs me, because at this point, I am unsure.

Thanks for listening.

Connie

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Hello,

I am 47 years old and just graduated from an ADN program this past December. I had always wanted to be an RN but chose a different path, motherhood and marriage, and didn't pursue the nursing avenue. I am SOO GLAD that I did. I have very similar aspirations as you as to what I want to use my nursing career for in the future, medical ministry. My GPA was not stellar (poor college grades from the late 70's and early 80's still hurt me to this day); however, my grades as an adult were A's and B's. I got in to a good ADN program in Southern California. Don't give up this dream if you are basing your decision on assumptions. Talk to the school counselors and share your concerns and see if they have suggestions for you, even if it isn't at there institution. You may PM if you want. I would have contacted you this way but still haven't figured out how...I'm still a little anachronistic about computers! Good luck.

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Why are you talking yourself out of nursing?

(now it looks like I may have to switch gears and pick another career as my grades are not all As)

You don't know that you will not get accepted. Dig in your heels and get what you want!

You can do it!

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

You don't need to have a GPA of 4.0 to become a nurse. If you really want to do it, you can find a school that will accept you. It may not be located in your back yard. You may have to move -- but you seem to want to relocate after you graduate anyway, so that should be a viable option for you. It might be more expensive than you would like -- but that is just another obstacle you can surmount if you really want to.

Where there is a will, there is a way. Don't give up so easily. This is simply the first of many challanges you will face as a nurse.

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I finished my MSN at age 50. Older students usually do better then the younger students. It can be done. 50 is the new 30.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Geriatrics, LTC.

I'm 51 and just started LPN school. I'm at the top of my class, but so what? The kids with 80's are going to be nurses too. You don't need all A's, where is that coming from? Keep at it, if you really want this, don't give up so easily...

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You don't need a 4.0 to get into nursing school. And you don't have to move - unless of course you want to. You may not be able to get into a program in your state community college or nursing school or state university system but you can get into a program. Don't overlook all the private nursing schools that are probably in your back yard or within driving distance. And keep in mind a 4.0 gpa never made anyone a better nurse.

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Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

I'm not one to support the notion that 50 is the new 30---I personally woudn't WANT to be 30 again, and certainly don't wish to be held to society's standards for fitness and beauty at that age.

However, it wasn't until I was approaching 50 myself that I realized how much energy I still had left, and that, combined with the wisdom gleaned from half a century of living, gives one an enormous advantage in achieving our dreams. The trick is to look at things in terms of life's POSSIBILITIES, rather than its limitations.........there are no rules here, only those which you impose upon yourself, and only you can get in the way of attaining what you want.

That sounds like what you are doing here, and all I can say is, don't use the excuse that you might not get perfect grades to let yourself off the hook for not going after your dreams. I tell you, if you let this opportunity pass you by, you will always look back and wonder "what if....?" Living with regrets is what ages people. Going for it and maybe coming up a little short of our own expectations---and giving ourselves an "A" for effort anyway---is what keeps our spirits young and vital.

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Specializes in Telemetry/Med Surg.

Don't give up. I graduated nursing school in 2006 at 53 YO and I definitely did not get A's!!! I'm an RN on a telemetry floor and loving it. Don't talk yourself out of this if this is what you truly want.

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I'm bit a confused... are you in nursing student already or doing the prerequisites? If you're still in the prereqs phase, don't let your transcript get you down. You don't need straight As to get into nursing school. It may take you longer to get in because of the waiting list, but B grades are definitely not something that sqaushes a nursing school applicant. You're going to do great! And if you're in nursing school already... no one cares what your grades are as long as you pass the class. It takes a lot of deciplined effort to get all As in nursing school, something very few people are willing to do. It's A-OK! I would question the difficulty level of the nursing school itself if someone were to get all As through-out their nursing courses. As, Bs, Cs... it's all good.

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connie,

hang in there, i understand. i am at a crossroads also, having worked as an rn for over 20 years, mojority of that in maternal child...l&d. now i am in a rural community that doesn't have a lot of l&d so i feel i am being redirected ...not sure where, but i know god led me here and i am sure he will put me where i am most needed. it sounds like this is what is going on with you also. before you give up on getting into the nursing program go talk to your advisor and see if there are other options, perhaps retaking a class. don't give up, sounds like you have wanted to do this for a long time, and hopefully it will happen. god will get us through this time, and put us where he needs us to be. sheila

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Connie:

Let me echo what everyone else is saying and encourage you not to stop your pursuit of your degree. So what if you don't have all A's? It is not going to matter when you look into the person's eyes that you are treating if you have a 4.0 or a _________ . What matters is where the heart is and what is flowing out of it, and it definitely sounds like yours would be in the right place. Don't stop now, look around for alternatives if you weren't accepted into the program. There are programs all over, so don't get discouraged!!

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