Going to Nursing School at an Older Age

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

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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?

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

?Que` es "Boricua" My Spanish is quite rusty. I'm guessing you live in a busey Metropolitan area, so in that case, being a LP will pay a substantial pay grade.

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Specializes in ICU / PCU / Telemetry / Oncology.
?que` es "boricua" my spanish is quite rusty. i'm guessing you live in a busey metropolitan area, so in that case, being a lp will pay a substantial pay grade.

lol, boricua is the colloquial term (or demonym if you will) that refers to someone who is of puerto rican descent. the prican flag icon by one's username here is an indication. from wikipedia:

"puerto ricans often proudly identify themselves as boricua (formerly also spelled boriquén, borinquén, or borinqueño), derived from the taíno word boriken, to illustrate their recognition of the island's original taíno heritage. the word boriken, some believe to translate to "the great land of the valiant and noble lord." borikén was used by the original taíno population to refer to the island of puerto rico before the arrival of the spanish. the use of the word boricua has been popularized in the island and abroad by descendents of puerto rico heritage, commonly using the phrase, "yo soy boricua" ("i am boricua", or "i am puerto rican") to identify themselves as puerto ricans. other variations which are also widely used are borinqueño and borincano which translated means "from borinquen." the first recorded use of the word boricua comes from christopher columbus in his letter to the sovereigns from 4 march 1493."

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

Thanks for the translation. In this case must be a bit of sarcasm. Like in English using the term: "...if I were rich..."

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nope lol no sarcasm im 100% puerto rican :)

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

Ahh! So you live in Puerto Rico? If so, I"m interested in the differences between US and PR in regard to licensure both nursing and EMT. Where I live, state regs for EMT, even Basic, you have to take course, pass practical exam, and written exam. Can't just "grandfather" in just because of being a nurse already. Same vise verse.

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im originally from puerto rico i was born in caguas, puerto rico i live in north carolina now its a beautiful place to live but just like the us it has its bad places

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

I used to live in Tenneessee, just over the boarder from NC. You are right, even as beautiful as it is, it still has it's bad places. Everyplace does. So, with you in NC, your chances of getting into an ambulance service that pays well is better than where I live in NY state. Any aspect of health care work in the southern states pays better. Also, the laws governing EMS are different in NC than NY. I also found that LPN's were allowed to "do" more, I started my nursing in TN, then came home after a year's worth of experience. When I started working at the Hospital in my hometown, as an LPN, I was told I couldn't do half of what I was trained and had experience to do from when I was in TN. There is no federal regualtions accross the board in the US, it's all state by state. So, if you move to another state, be sure to learn the regs for that particular state.

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Would you mind me asking which program that is?

John

I am in my 40s and starting a direct entry MSN in a month. The program encourages older applicants who desire a change in career. Students in the program come from a wide range of educational backgrounds. Life experience in any field makes for a more well rounded student!
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I agree. That's what I've heard from all my nurse friends.

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i am in my early 50s and just finished nursing school. i did not notice age discrimination in the admissions process, nor did any of my professors appear to think my age was an issue. in fact, most of them liked my years of life experience and my perspective, and encouraged me. however, in the subsequent job hunt, i have noticed age discrimination and it's pretty obvious. especially in this economy, when new grad nursing jobs are hard to come by, younger candidates will get picked, at least in the area where i live. which is kind of funny, because i'm the kind of employee who would stay loyal and who doesn't have fantasies of running off to crna school the minute i have a year of icu experience. and i'm past my baby years. ;) i don't want to say more in a public forum. you can pm me if you like.

unfortunately, you are correct!! so many older graduates do face this kind of discrimination since employers want the young nurses' due to longevity instead of giving due consideration for life experiences. why would any employer pay for internships for an older rn when they can get a "20 something" grad right out of school? this is not my way of thinking, but this "seems" to be a reality with some institutions. i do still believe that there are wonderful hr people who look specifically for men/women with solid life experience and education. keep the faith and remain proud of your "real" life experiences!!:yeah::yeah:

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Specializes in psych, general, emerg, mash.

I am an old nurse, not ancient, but older than most texting young nurses! I was grabbed before i sat for the interview because of my expertise and dealing with adult patients. Some young nurses have no life experience or know how to ask questions and deal with drs. Dont be afraid to toot your horn! Some patients rather deal with someone older or their own age, especailly in ICU, emerg, or psych! where tensions run high!

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I am an old nurse, not ancient, but older than most texting young nurses! I was grabbed before i sat for the interview because of my expertise and dealing with adult patients. Some young nurses have no life experience or know how to ask questions and deal with drs. Dont be afraid to toot your horn! Some patients rather deal with someone older or their own age, especailly in ICU, emerg, or psych! where tensions run high!

I can totally see that! When I was a young 23, in labor with my first baby, the attending doc came in, and my jaw almost dropped to the floor -- he looked to be about MY age! I was NOT happy or put at ease in any way! I wanted an older, experienced doc, not some wet-behind-the-ears resident learning the ropes on my first baby! I was stressed, scared and worried. Afterall, I sure as heck didn't know what I was doing, so I at least wanted the attending doc to know what was what! My worries ended up being unfounded -- it all worked out fine, and I gave birth to the most beautiful baby boy in the world, who will be 25 next month. :)

I share this only to show others how age can bring a knee-jerk reaction in patients.

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