Going to Nursing School at an Older Age

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I have been planning to go to nursing school (direct entry MSN) & have been progressing in that direction. The other day I was having a conversation with a coworker (a non-practicing nurse!) and she said, now at your age (I am in my 40s) you have 10, maybe 20 years of nursing, but if a younger candidate gets your seat they can practice nursing for like 40 years, so why should you get a seat? It's more beneficial to train a younger nurse. I was rather tacken aback by the question & said something to the effect the more nurses the better and it is illegal to discriminate based on age, and she said the nursing shortage is a myth and age discrimination happens, no matter what! While I always believe education is throughout one's life and one should pursue one's aspirations, it got me thinking. (In some countries where their are no age discrimination laws this does happen). Is it really socially more desirable to prefer younger candidates? And does this factor into admissions decisions?

You're never too old to find your true calling in life!

My younger sister has been an RN for 25 yeas and I for the past 18 months... she is 47 and I am 52--we are equally as passionate about our career choices as ever and can't seem to end our phone conversations once we start. =)

I started nursing after a career in the military, starting nursing school at 46 and finished at 50; I've never been happier.

However, what I have learned in the past 18 months is this, technical skills aside, the job is about people and customer service. Do you connect with your patient and family, do they trust you, do they believe in you, do they feel you have walked a mile in their shoes, do they believe you care about who they are and what they have accomplished in their lives?

Bottom line: If you have the personal and moral courage to "March to the beat of your own drummer," it doesn't matter what others may believe about your decision--the most important opinion is your own.

Good luck and hit the books hard!

Semper Fi

- Luis

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Specializes in mental health.

I'll be done with the BSN in December at age 57. Clinical has been great. No age discrimination. I especially like the clinical instructors who throw you into the fire and only help out when you start to choke. I've learned a lot and made some really good friends.

KPA

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Specializes in med surg, geriatric, clinical, pool.
This too shall pass. This is not typical. This sort of thing happens in regular business too. Irregularities for me is the norm and I would journal/document it to be true to myself. I love this field and that feeds a momentum to overcome difficulties. Much good luck finding a path that mets your needs a little better.

You darn its not typical! The problem is not a single coworker will back you even if you are right. When you follow another nurse, you are taking on her problems too, no matter what you are responsible for everything, even the CNAs that work under you. I guess I just had enough of baby sitting instead of being able to go to work, to work.

I was a darn good nurse too. And all of my life's experiences helped tremendously.

But that chapter is over. I always thought until I would work until retirement age too! Things have a way of changing for the better when you don't even realize it.

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i am 47,been a LPN for 2 yrs now...chipping away at the RN program....done with pre reqs,doing co reqs now..just a&Ps and micro then its jus the RN program....no electives or anything....just the program!...will test out of nursing 1 and only have 2,3,4.....doable for sure!!

my sister is 63....has had her LPN lic now for 2 mos!....getting all her ducks in a row for the EC program!

NEVER TO OLD TO LEARN!!!!!:yeah:

:nurse:

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Wow! Now I don't feel so alone...I was feeling like a fish out of water going back to school at 42, but this post has made me feel much better. I start the LVN program in August, but now I'm wishing I'd gone straight to the RN program...My TEAS test score was high enough for it and now I'm kicking myself....What are everyone's thoughts on doing the bridge as soon as I graduate from the LVN program or should I wait and get some experience and do the rest of my pre reqs while working then apply for the RN??

Thank you for this thread!!!!!:yeah::yeah::yeah:

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Specializes in geriatrics.

Another nurseI worked with was 50 and I think has a year left in her Masters. We all have our own path to follow in life, and if nursing is your passion then just do it. When I was debating about returning to get my degree at 32 (I know that is young still, compared to some, but I had a good job, no debt, and responsibilites :)), I realized...."the time is going to go by anyway, so why not just do what you want to be doing?"

Even now, with a pile of debt, and a crappy economy, I know I've made the right decision. I finished in the top pf my class, and. like everything, times change. While it might be challenging for the next couple of years, and I will be poor....that is ok. Nursing is rewarding on so many levels, and once you work for even a few years, the opportunities are endless.

Good luck to everyone. Your stories are inspiring!

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Specializes in Med/Surge, Geriatrics(LTC), Pediatricts,.

Honestly, I prefer to orient new older nurses, they tend to not be so "know it allish" They listen when you tell them tid bits of information, as oposed to, my experiences with, younger nurses, age wise, who have the attitude that they know everything, and anything this old fart has to say isn't worth their time. I agree the younger nurses may know the technical stuff, with computers etc. but us older ones have the people skills that are far more reaching in this field than techy stuff.

Also, for us older nurses returning to school, remember, it isn't the grade that ultimatly determines how good a nurse you are, it's your hands on knowlege of the job, and your people skills. So, the score of 100% doesn't always mean the better nurse. It just means that person know's how to take a test and pass. Book smarts don't take the place of good bedside manners, and old fashioned nursing care.

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I turned 50 this year and just started a nursing program. I feel that I am in good health, am looking forward to a rewarding career. My life experiences will help me throughout a nursing career in understanding others and being aware of things that possibly a younger person hasn't experienced. I did hear comments such as these, however, I am paying for nursing school just like anyone else and I really don't understand why anyone would try to discourage another from furthering education. Finally, I wonder just how many years a typical nurse works in the field? Is it 10, 20, 30, 40 years? I'll have to research that. My experience is that many people change careers at some point in their life and it is possible that even "younger" nurses may not make nursing a 30-40 year old career.

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I think that if you want to become a nurse, then go for it! I have definitely needed to read these posts due to my doubts that I've had lately too. I have five kids at home, all under nine! I am finishing up my prereqs and have asked myself if I should be doing this at the age of 31?! I have to start volunteering at a hospital, get the kids back to school and start A&P1/lab in the fall. I feel crazy, but hey everyone has to have a hobby! Good luck and keep going.

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Specializes in med surg, geriatric, clinical, pool.
Wow! Now I don't feel so alone...I was feeling like a fish out of water going back to school at 42, but this post has made me feel much better. I start the LVN program in August, but now I'm wishing I'd gone straight to the RN program...My TEAS test score was high enough for it and now I'm kicking myself....What are everyone's thoughts on doing the bridge as soon as I graduate from the LVN program or should I wait and get some experience and do the rest of my pre reqs while working then apply for the RN??

Thank you for this thread!!!!!:yeah::yeah::yeah:

If you don't have any prior experience in the health field, especially in the hospital or nursing home scene, the LVN or LPN is a much better place to start to get your feet wet. Which is not what I wanted to do, but NO, my husband said, "if you are going to it, do it big"! For me, anyway, because I didn't have the prior experience, LPN would have been so much better.

I failed the RN pharmacology math by .03 of a point! I was out of the program, but had all of my other RN pre reqs done, that witch who was head of nursing program told me "we all can't be astronauts", and "you thought you passed,, didn't you?" She was a mean one and out for me and she got me.

I even had answers erased on my final in pharm! Oh yes, I wrote up all of the incidents that happened along the way with her including all of things which were on the test that hampered a person to even pass her test!

Later I ran into one of the students that took the class with me. She had to repeat the class and told me the test had be cut in half to only 25 questions...from 50 when I took it and the last question was worth 6 pts, so if you missed any part of it, well...do the math.

The first day we all met as a class of at least 30-40 students she called on me twice, 4 times in a row, just hoping to stump me, but she didn't!

I guess where I messed up too was another student asked if she could list the size syringe or kind used on the test, well for some dumb reason I was thinking ( prior experience would have saved me here) ALL syringes were marked off in increments of 2..a lot of the answers were 1.5 cc, and I was not thinking there was a 3cc syringe, so I rounded it off to 2cc. I admit really dumb.

Later, she said the syringes were in the same cabinet as all of the Nrsg 1 practice items, I went back to the cabinet, they were not there! They were over a sink which I had to climb to even get to it!

You don't want to hear what happened the first and second go around with this test. Believe me, it just wasn't meant to be for me.

So just because you have passed the pre reqs don't get comfy. The game is not over yet!

Just a word of advice.

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Specializes in geriatrics.

The game is never over, and nursing is truly life-long learning. I recognize that there is a wealth of information I do not yet know, because I have not worked in the field long enough. However, if you are eager and willing to learn, and willing to spend the time to review on a regular basis, or research areas, shadow other experienced nurses, etc.....your knowledge and judgement continues to develop.

I also agree that just because you do well academically, that does not mean you will succeed clinically. However, a good balance is essential. Because those people who just scraped through school do not have even the beginnings of a knowledge base, they usually fail the RN exam, and, if they do pass....well, it's challenging to try to market yourself in this economy with mediocre grades.

I am excited to get going, and keep learning. Also, I've always thought that the human body is fascinating to study.

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I've had a passion for the medical field for over 20 years...I wish I had followed my heart back then, but I was too busy having kids and getting into the wrong kind of relationships...however....now, I KNOW I'm on the right track. I've heard some horror stories about the nursing program at the college I'm attending, so Queen777, I totally hear what your saying....I hear what all of you are saying...wish me luck:)

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