Nursing as a second career

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Hi,

I'm a 38 y/o guy who started his career as a Paramedic. After doing that for 12 years I went into the corproate world. I made it to a high level management position but always think about returning to medicine. Now I'm thinking about leaving all this and going to school to be an RN. Anyone have any insights to share about going back to school after so long? Anyone doing it now? Drop me a line

Originally posted by BioRN

I am also on the waiting list for an ADN program. I am number 119 for fall.

Oh my god! And what there are probably only 30 seats per class?

Hey Seltzerguy...

I am completing my first semester of pre-req's, headed toward my ADN. I am 39 yrs old, single mom and this is the start of the second chapter of my life. I agree, the corporate world, which I was a part of for a long time, is just not where I wanna be anymore. I am a retired NYC cop, got injured, blah blah blah...my older children wanted me to work a normal job, I have been miserable ever since. I had family members involved in Sept. 11th, my brother is a current NYC cop and has been working at ground zero ever since. I have decided that life really is too short and I want to be happy for the second half of it.

I say...go for it! If it's something that you've been thinking about for a long time, your mind is trying to tell you how your heart feels. Sign up for school. I am having the time of my life and wish I could have done this years ago, but the opportunity only just recently arose. Yes, it's hard, I am tired (I currently still work full time, attending school at night and all day Saturday) but I wouldn't miss it for the world. I can visualize myself on graduation day, with my family there and knowing that I accomplished what I set out to do. My 7 yr old daughter writes me notes on how proud she is of me. How can I go wrong with support like that?

Go do it...you'll never regret it.

Have a great day!

Christine :)

PS-Go Yankees!!!

I forgot to mention that the ADN program only takes 50 students per semester (I am 119 on the list for fall). Should I just go into debt for the BSN program or wait for the ADN program?

Hey-Seltzerguy- I believe age doesn't matter in fact school will keep you young.

Well I just spoke with an admissions counselor who has her Masters in Nursing and said I should probably go for the ADN. She said seeing as I am not that interested in the management aspects of nursing, plus I have to get all my pre-reqs, that the ADN is the way for me to go. She said if I want to do the BSN later, I could get my employer to pay for it and that the ADN should not keep me from going into a special area like ER nursing, OR, etc.

I asked her about whether they will eventually make it mandatory for nurses to have a BSN and she told me that they have been debating that since the 70's and look where its at today!

Hi, Just like you, this is my second career. Im 32 y/o and had my Bachelors already in a different field. After graduation 10 yrs ago, i decided to travel so i worked in cruise ships for 5 years then decided i had enough of it and started working in a fine dining restaurant as Maitre 'D. I like my job but it lacks job satisfaction ....

I just started the ADN program this spring after completing my pre-reqs last fall. Im so happy to get in coz there are only 36 slots and over 100 students applied. I'm still working part-time and its hard considering the fact that im still taking bio 2 and microbio but i want to finish the program so i can apply for the bridge program. I think ADN is the best option for those who have bachelors coz it is fast, less expensive and practical. Once youre an RN, then you can start planning what you want to do next....

Goodluck to all...I hope this helps

wow, great thread!! as i was reading thru the posts i was thinking that the manditory bsn has been talked about for at least 20 years, then rory beat me to it. lol also, as other have mentioned, there is usually little to no pay difference for the bsn, the most i have run across was $1/hr. so let's just figure this out, someone mentioned $40,000 for the bsn, my adn program is $8,000 (for everything including support classes, books, uniforms, ins, and even a couple "extra" books) so at $1/hr, 40 hr/wk, 52wk/yr that is $2,080 a year difference. it would take me over 15 years just to break even.

i am also a 2nd career student, was petrified to leave a job i loved, but dh's job moved us. so at the ripe old age of 42 i started college for the first time in my life. i had always wanted to be a nurse, but fell into dental assisting in the navy, then ended up working for an oral surgery practice for the past 12 years. so, in the fall of 2000 i started college. took 1 year to do all the "support" classes, so i wouldn't have to worry about taking anything else along with the actual nursing classes. currently i'm finishing the end of my second semester of an adn program, and will graduate may 2003. lord willing and the creek don't rise.

but the biggest reasons to me for not going for the bsn, are the bs classes, i hate writing papers, in almost all of those "extra" classes involed with the bsn, you have to write term papers, research papers blah, blah, blah.

good luck to all !!!!!!!

Hi, I started intro-nursing this semester,second carrer 20 yrs. sales. I really love the school enviroment Im 39 yrs old, Ive been treated great so far. Really looking forward to this carrer.

I am one of 5 males in a class of 40, believe me your not to old, there are several people older than me. good luck, I know you will love it.

At this instant, I am still the oldest person who replied to the how old are you" thread. I worked 30+ years as a manager for a national communications firm, am 52, have an MBA and got a buy-out. What an opportunity to do something different, and nursing is what I chose. I am pleased that this will be my second career as I can do it for all personal reasons and not necessarilly for $$ or advancement. Our ADN tuition is reasonable; the curriculum is manageable and my also retired businessman husband is undertaking his second career as a farmer. I am excited to be joining a profession making a difference in peoples' lives after so many years trying to make a difference in the stock price.

But I must admit, the fact that when I start my first RN job, I will be earning +/- $60 000 less, does bother me some and wonder is it worth it. Anyone else who is in the field who had also taken huge paycuts, your opinions would be very welcome!

Selytzerguy, Rory535, and to whom it concerns,

It is definitely worth it.

I was a production manager in a motorhome manufacturing plant. Made more money in 1982 than I've made any year since. Quit my job and went back to school, at 30 y.o.

I innitially thought about medicine. Councilor suggested I get my bachlors in nursing, and then if I wanted to I could go to med school. I took the bait. Did my associates. (3 years) Followed straight up with my bachlors. (another 3 years - I didn't have the advanced degrees already)

Graduated in 1989. Have never been sorry. I work in ERs in southern California. There are people alive today because the team I worked with was there. Great feeling! The money isn't as good as it was way back then, but I am a lot more satisfied with who I am.

GO FOR IT!

just my $ .02

ken :devil:

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