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?

Specializes in geriatrics.

Thank you all for sharing. I'm trying to remain positive with the economic situation as a new (old) grad. I'm tired of hearing the negativity surrounding "new grads....not employable....blah blah..." Obviously, it depends on various circumstances, age being a (positive) attribute for employers. In addition, I am also graduating with honours and written reference letters from faculty. We all have something unique to offer.

When a 19 year old remarked, "Why did you get that placement in the OR, and not us? You are still new to nursing. It's not fair!"

"Actually, it is fair," I said to her. "I've worked hard academically. More importantly, I have acquired life skills that you have not, but you will. Nursing is not only about the hard clinical skills. They require maturity in the OR."

She still didn't understand my point. Which is exactly the point....

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Specializes in Liver, lung and kidney transplants.

There is only a shortage of jobs because hospitals are making fewer nurses do more work. It will come back to bite them in the a**, and eventually those jobs will open up, especially after current nurses, tired from burnout and too much Overtime will quit. I'm already seeing it in my facility. :)

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Specializes in Liver, lung and kidney transplants.

It really all depends on the 70 year old. I work in an OR with a 70 year old. She is energetic vibrant, smart and works circles around 30 year olds. Everyone is different. Her mother lived to be 100, you know its sometimes in the genes and the how the health holds up

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Specializes in med surg, geriatric, clinical, pool.
There is a difference between a 40 year old and a 70 year old, though. Forty is still relatively young, whereas seventy isn't. At forty, you still have a good twenty-five years left of working. Seventy, you are pretty much at that age to retire. If I were an employer, I would be VERY hesitant to hire a seventy-something. The forty year old? Not so much.

Sorry to hear so many of you nurses think that in your 40s & 50s is old! I have been thinking about going back to work myself and I am 57 in Sept. so what? I am probably in better shape physically than most of the overweight 20- whatever age.

If you are overweight, you cut years off of your life! Not to mention the quality of life left.

Also, we as older nurses have so much more life knowledge.

I think if you want it, go after it, its only you holding you back.

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I am 55 and entering my last semester of the RN program this fall. No worries! There is much diverstiy in Nursing. I am aware of a 65 year old student nurse. Go forward toward your aspirations, you can do it.

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You know, you'll have that. I'm in my 40s, healthy, and in pretty good physical shape; I can honestly say that my energy level can match that of my younger cohorts. They may have better computer and technical-type skills, but I have greater people skills due to my life experience. When it's all said and done, it's probably a wash!

The most important thing is to remember that while admission to many nursing programs is quite competitive, once admitted we all start on level playing ground and there is no constructive purpose to competition from that time forward. Some people have a hard time switching off the competitiveness, but it's unnecessarily stressful and luckily those of us who are a little older don't get as wrapped up in that.

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Specializes in med surg, geriatric, clinical, pool.
I am 55 and entering my last semester of the RN program this fall. No worries! There is much diverstiy in Nursing. I am aware of a 65 year old student nurse. Go forward toward your aspirations, you can do it.

I already have my LPN license, but I quit working as a nurse just because I got so tired of the hassle coming on shift and things were not done right by the prior nurse, such as admitting a pt as not amitting a pt as a diabetic, and I was bolus feeding her Jevity Plus when her daughter walkes in the door and asked, "how's mom's accu checks?" This was 3-11 so all of the indians were going home. But one had the nerve to literally take the phone out of my hand and "say cancel call" as I was in the process of repaging the doctor to tell him I didn't have what he ordered. There is more to this story, the sliding scale was not written high enough to give this pt coverage with the regular insulin, I was new at this facility and didn't quite know where certain things were, it was a mess! I felt dumb, but really she was the dumb one not knowing what was going on and hanging up the phone.

I quit that job after working an 11-7 one night. A pt went into respiratory distress about 5AM, I could have really used the head RN which was outside smoking, she later asked me "why didn't you give her Lasix IV push"? Well first of all its against FL law for an LPN to do that! The distressed pt didn't get out of the facility until the other AM nurses were coming on duty and I still had meds to give out and didn't get done until 11AM! No one bothered to ask if they could help.

I quit after that.

Then at the next job. This was 11-7 shift, a brand new facility just built. Yes we had orientation , but at night things look different.

When I arrived I found out the DON had scheduled me for 2 floors, against FL law! I didn't know this then. All kinds of things happened, needless to say I quit!

I had to deal with liquid oxygen, had no experience with that. This same pt on that, pulled out his foley and was peeing all over the floor, but I got in trouble for not putting one back in, a lady who had a fresh pacemaker, it quit working, good thing her daughter came into feed her that AM! I was busy on the other floor slipping in urine which had leaked from a foley bag because whoever emptied it, didn't snap in good enough.

And then I got in trouble by the DON herself for asking when I first got there, "you are going to leave me like this?" She told me things would be fine and to, get this, "Wing it"!

What a mess! does me good to write once in awhile because it refreshes by memory!

Good luck! I am not a new nurse either!

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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.

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Specializes in Gerontology, nursing education.
I graduate next May (2011) and when I take, and pass, the NCLEX in June, 2011, I'll be 67. I'm a CNA now and never have a problem finding work, and don't expect to have any problem as an RN. I work per diem, don't require health insurance, never call out, show up when scheduled, and do whatever is required on my shift. Employers love older nurses for all of those reasons. I work long-term care, home health care, and psychiatric care, specializing in Alzheimer's and other dementias: all areas that younger nurses and aides shun. How long will I work? As long as I want, as long as it interests me, and as long as I continue to love life.

WOW! You are an inspiration!

PLEASE let us all know when you graduate. I think an online, AllNurses celebration is in order!

:w00t:

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Yes, I agree. That is a bunch of horse pooh! I think nurses who start their education at an older age have a lot to offer including, but not limited to, life experience, wisdom and emotional/mental strength. I am 41 and will be starting a nursing program next year. I am inspired by women and men who are older than me doing the same thing. There is a woman in my class who is 60 and she told me that she and her friend (also in her 60s) were doing it together until they were done. This woman had a lot to offer in class discussion and brought up a lot of interesting topics that I would not have necessarily thought about. In this day and age, it is not uncommon to have several careers in one's lifetime. Often, as was the case for me, I did not know what I wanted to do for a career when I was 18 years old. I chose business based on other people's input and not what was right for me. I think this was because I did not know myself as well as I do now. Now, at this point, I want to give back to people in need. I want to be part of the medical and hopefully the healing process. Next time, someone who asks you this kind of question, perhaps you can also ask them "And why would they give a seat to a 20 year old who may drop out of the program after quickly realizing that they are not suited to the nursing profession?" or "Gosh, I'm sorry you have such a narrow view of what type of person may be a good nurse or not" or "Well, I believe I have a lot to offer in this profession and I would think for most people, age is not an issue" or "well, I have a secret to tell you.... " and whisper in her ear, "Age discrimination works wonderfully in this field because when I walk into a patient's room, who do you think they are going to trust more? The fresh-faced 20 year old, straight out of nursing school, or the 40, 50 or 60 something straight out of nursing school?" There are a lot of benefits to being an older student as opposed to a younger one and it is about time people realized that.

BRAVO, BRAVO, BRAVO - YOU ARE SO CORRECT!!!!:yeah::yeah:

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We have a class of 60 students, just selected. Only about 10 of them are fresh out of high school. I was very surprised (and pleased) that there are going to be so many older students in my class! Maturity & wisdom are taught best only by time ;)

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i already have my lpn license, but i quit working as a nurse just because i got so tired of the hassle coming on shift and things were not done right by the prior nurse, such as admitting a pt as not amitting a pt as a diabetic, and i was bolus feeding her jevity plus when her daughter walkes in the door and asked, "how's mom's accu checks?" this was 3-11 so all of the indians were going home. but one had the nerve to literally take the phone out of my hand and "say cancel call" as i was in the process of repaging the doctor to tell him i didn't have what he ordered. there is more to this story, the sliding scale was not written high enough to give this pt coverage with the regular insulin, i was new at this facility and didn't quite know where certain things were, it was a mess! i felt dumb, but really she was the dumb one not knowing what was going on and hanging up the phone.

i quit that job after working an 11-7 one night. a pt went into respiratory distress about 5am, i could have really used the head rn which was outside smoking, she later asked me "why didn't you give her lasix iv push"? well first of all its against fl law for an lpn to do that! the distressed pt didn't get out of the facility until the other am nurses were coming on duty and i still had meds to give out and didn't get done until 11am! no one bothered to ask if they could help.

i quit after that.

then at the next job. this was 11-7 shift, a brand new facility just built. yes we had orientation , but at night things look different.

when i arrived i found out the don had scheduled me for 2 floors, against fl law! i didn't know this then. all kinds of things happened, needless to say i quit!

i had to deal with liquid oxygen, had no experience with that. this same pt on that, pulled out his foley and was peeing all over the floor, but i got in trouble for not putting one back in, a lady who had a fresh pacemaker, it quit working, good thing her daughter came into feed her that am! i was busy on the other floor slipping in urine which had leaked from a foley bag because whoever emptied it, didn't snap in good enough.

and then i got in trouble by the don herself for asking when i first got there, "you are going to leave me like this?" she told me things would be fine and to, get this, "wing it"!

what a mess! does me good to write once in awhile because it refreshes by memory!

good luck! i am not a new nurse either!

i have seen things like this and learned quick years back to always question! just because you are new to a job does not mean you should remain quiet; because ultimately, it becomes your fault if something goes wrong. you cannot continue your life quiting jobs. your superviosor/don's are wrong, but remember in the end it's your license not theirs. this is where life experiences comes in :) always ask questions until you feel satisfied; and if something is against your state law, never do it, no matter who tells you!!!

sorry for your hard times, but i do hope whatever job you take in the future question and take charge of what you can, do not let family members dictate to you and always question if your supervisor tells you something that is not right! remember to always remain professional when asking questions.

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