Early 50s Too Late?

Quetzalcoatl · Aug 2, 2015

Nope. Go for it.

I've seen a few new doctors in their 50s. Several new nurses.

It's only too late if you're belly up.

Jules A, MSN · Aug 2, 2015

If you truly want an honest opinion, nothing more than my two cents not substantiated by any research, feel free to continue reading. If you want cheerleaders, blindly encouraging you to do whatever your heart desires no matter how hairbrained skip this over and trust me there will be plenty of the "you are never to old to follow your dreams even if they are totally inappropriate" posts to satisfy that. :)

In my anecdotal experience anything past 40yo can be dicey. Not that there aren't excellent older new nurses but there is a definite delay in both physical dexterity/reaction time and stamina. Again this is just my experience working with many new grads and also as a now 50-something myself. If you are a young, fit 50 that is a huge plus but I'd really emphasize the physically fit component and a bit of a cool factor to more smoothly fit in with the majority of your peers who will be younger. Throw tomatoes if you want because I know a job isn't about a popularity contest but fitting in and being liked is far easier than not.

I also think there is definitely some ageism regarding the powers that be wanting the young ones, not the total babies, but late 20s to mid 30s being the most desirable. Again just my observation nothing scientific about it. It might be tough landing that first job depending on your professional contacts and the climate for nurses in your area.

My other huge concern is the cost of your education, unless you have plenty of money and are kind of doing this for the experience more than the need to support yourself. That is a lot of money especially because depending on your area you will probably only be making in the $50,000 range when you first graduate. That is a ton of money to recoup in the reasonably expected 10 years you have before retirement. Best of luck with whatever you decide and I think you are wise to think this through before jumping in.

Quetzalcoatl · Aug 2, 2015

In my anecdotal experience anything past 40yo can be dicey. Not that there aren't excellent older new nurses but there is a definite delay in both physical dexterity/reaction time and stamina. Again this is just my experience working with many new grads and also as a now 50-something myself. If you are a young, fit 50 that is a huge plus but I'd really emphasize the physically fit component and a bit of a cool factor to more smoothly fit in with the majority of your peers who will be younger. Throw tomatoes if you want because I know a job isn't about a popularity contest but fitting in and being liked is far easier than not.

I'm in my mid 40s and about to start an ADN program. It's not an issue if you regularly exercise yourself, specifically muscular strength. I do free weights and some machines at least twice a week. I especially have to because I have a knee structure issue which makes me prone to pain if I have weak quads. I've also come to learn that wearing support hose (at any age) goes a long way in fatigue. I've also found good shoes that work well with my arthritic toe.

There is no cause to assume someone in their 50s can't do nursing. Zip.

Of course it also depends on the type of nursing. If one were to work in a physician's office, it would be much less taxing than a hospital or nursing home.

Fitting in? I dunno - I really don't socialize with coworkers outside of the job, and I'm older than most of them, including my supervisors. Age isn't really an issue.

NurseGirl525, ASN, RN · Aug 3, 2015

Your age won't be the issue, it will be that you went to a for profit college first and foremost. $50k is an awful lot of money that at your age, you won't get the type of return on the investment before having to retire. I'm not saying your old or anything, just being realistic.

Research the the schools in your area and the options. You need to look at things like accreditation and cost along with pass rates. I'm sure this school brags about how fast you can be a nurse through their short, yet rigorous program.

You our may have to go about this a different way. You may have to start in a part time LPN program. But jumping the gun and shelling out $50k is crazy.

I will be 40 when I graduate next May. I will have to be realistic when looking for my first nursing job. And although I don't really look close to turning 40, my body knows it. I take care of myself and keep fairly active and eat well also.

Look at pursuing your education as an investment. And just like with investments, the older you get the more conservative you should be. My ASN total will cost around $10k. I'm adding my nursing school supplies in with that. Get started on your prereqs and see where to go from there.

s2bLuluRN · Aug 3, 2015

As for CU, yes 50k is a lot, but have you looked into their scholarships? If you transfer into their program with an associates you will get a scholarship of $3400/semester, $1700 for attending the nursing program, plus if you get any pell grants. My sister graduated the traditional nursing program owing 15k to CU (she also received the lottery scholarship) and my brother that went to MTSU has a little more than 35k for a criminal justice degree. I have other friends and family members that graduated from CU with less than 20k and 2 of them actually owed nothing because of scholarships. I will be attending the nights and weekends program at CU next fall. Good luck!

sheilam426 · Aug 4, 2015

Thanks to all for the honest feedback. You've made great points and given me a lot to think about. I really appreciate you taking the time to reply!

Nienna Celebrindal · Aug 4, 2015

My classmate was 72, no joke. She wanted to end her LVN career finally getting her RN. And let me say, she often kicked our butts on tests, she was great. Go for it!