Going into Nursing after age 50

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

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I am 52 I would like to go into nursing. I have no experience at all in this field. I would like to get into this area of work due to the number of jobs available, Am I too old for such a drastic change and where do I begin? I have a bachelors degree in business but no job.

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Too old? NO

number of jobs available? depends on the area of the country you are in... many areas {especially metro areas} are very over saturated with RNs -- do your research...

Where do you begin? find a program that you are interested in attending and make an appt to evaluate your transcript.. they will give you a plan on the prereqs that you will need to take to apply to the program... I also had a business degree and it took me 2 semesters to take the prereqs for the nursing program.

Best of luck.

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Specializes in Hospice, Palliative Care.

Hugs:

I started working on my pre-nursing classes shortly after my 50th birthday; I'm now 51 starting RN clinicals this coming January. We are young; don't let age be a barrier.

Thank you.

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Specializes in Hospice.

I sure hope not! I'm graduating in May 2015 at age 51. Wait, am I 51? maybe I'm 52. See, age is just a number better forgotten. Just do what moves you. Good luck.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
I am 52 I would like to go into nursing. I have no experience at all in this field. I would like to get into this area of work due to the number of jobs available, Am I too old for such a drastic change and where do I begin? I have a bachelors degree in business but no job.
You have talked about this before. I don't think age is the deciding factor. But before you get into nursing school please consider where you live. Right now there is NO nursing shortage. Some areas of the country are worse than others...like California which has an approximate unemployment rate of nurses of 47% with an overwhelming majority of them new grads. There is also an increasing requirement by hospitals that they only hire BSN graduates. While there may be jobs posted...facilities are not hiring due to hiring freezes and many are hiring only BSN grads. You have mentioned Florida in previous posts....Florida is one of those areas that are saturated a small sampling Nurses Schools, Salaries, and Job Data

Florida

[TABLE]

[TR]

[TH=align: left]City and Area[/TH]

[TH=align: right]Median Salary[/TH]

[TH=align: right]Employees[/TH]

[TH=align: right]Job Density[/TH]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Cape Coral[/TD]

[TD=align: right]$64,000[/TD]

[TD=align: right]4,800[/TD]

[TD=align: right]+25%[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Deltona[/TD]

[TD=align: right]$55,000[/TD]

[TD=align: right]3,370[/TD]

[TD=align: right]+12%[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Fort Lauderdale[/TD]

[TD=align: right]$67,000[/TD]

[TD=align: right]13,300[/TD]

[TD=align: right]-7%[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Fort Walton Beach[/TD]

[TD=align: right]$50,000[/TD]

[TD=align: right]1,040[/TD]

[TD=align: right]-27%[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Gainesville[/TD]

[TD=align: right]$62,000[/TD]

[TD=align: right]5,240[/TD]

[TD=align: right]+124%[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Jacksonville[/TD]

[TD=align: right]$65,000[/TD]

[TD=align: right]13,010[/TD]

[TD=align: right]+6%[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Lakeland[/TD]

[TD=align: right]$58,000[/TD]

[TD=align: right]4,150[/TD]

[TD=align: right]+11%[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Miami[/TD]

[TD=align: right]$69,000[/TD]

[TD=align: right]22,970[/TD]

[TD=align: right]+14%[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Naples[/TD]

[TD=align: right]$68,000[/TD]

[TD=align: right]2,650[/TD]

[TD=align: right]+24%[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Ocala[/TD]

[TD=align: right]$59,000[/TD]

[TD=align: right]2,310[/TD]

[TD=align: right]+40%[/TD]

[/TR]

[/TABLE]

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

You have a Bachelors degree....I would look at Accelerated BSN programs like the one at FSU.....http://nursing.fsu.edu/content/download/53522/439417/file/ABSN_FAQ.pdf

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thank you for the encouragement

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Do not go down this path without a realistic view of your employment opportunities. Many late start nurses face thinly veiled age discrimination.

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Specializes in CCM, PHN.

I wish I could be all "you go girl," and encouraging but I'm going to be realistic instead. There are no jobs. The market is horrible, pretty much everywhere for new grads. Especially for older new grads. Sorry you bought into the popular opinion and TOTAL lie that there is a shortage. There is not. Search this forum and you'll see. Sorry. Go into coding, there's jobs in that.

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I do not agree with the above post.

I wouldn't say that there is a shortage per say, but there are most definitely jobs available. In my area, there are a ton!

I agree with the comment that entering into an ABSN program would probably be your best bet with an existing bachelors.

My roommate is 55 years old. She and I are in a nursing program together, and I appreciate her expertise in areas I lack, due to age.

Don't let other posters scare you away from the idea. It is true, that some areas are very saturated, so do your research.

I think there is potential to be satisfied and successful if you choose this profession. Just be willing to make sacrifices to reach them.

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I am worried about age discrimination, also. But I won't let it stop me!

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Specializes in CCM, PHN.

Well then my biggest tip to you all is to PLEASE be open to technology. Too many peers of your age group are not. The tech side of healthcare these days is fast, complex, and 1000% necessary. Far too often it is older nurses who stumble over the tech learning curve that have the most difficulty in this profession and create the most problems for their patients and co-workers. It's an unfortunate but truthful observation.

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