How many of you were older when you went into nursing?

[ohcomeon]

Hi all. Just curious as to how many people went into nursing later in life. I am getting ready to start A&P I Tuesday and will hopefully be getting into nursing school next fall. This will be a second career for me. I graduated with a BS in 1999 and worked as a social worker before having kids. Now, three kids later and 5 years have passed since I quit my job to be a sahm, I am getting ready to go back to school. I was just wondering if I am going to be the only old one in my classes. I am sort of nervous about going back to school after 9 years, but also so excited as it has been a dream of mine for a long time to become a nurse. I am excited that I am taking steps towards that.

Anyways, just curious about your story, that's all. :)

Carrie

[lynne08]

I started nursing school at age 37 and graduated when I was 40 (1 year of pre-req. and 2 years of nursing school. Though I had always wanted to go into nursing after graduating school, I was not able to because I was married with children. I worked at a medical clinic for 13 years as an office manager. During this time I got a divorce with 2 children at home to raise and decided to go ahead and do it. I was very fortunate to work for 2 great doctors who allowed me to cut my hours to 32-36 hours a week in order to go (less when I was in my last 2 semesters). The experience I had from the clinic helped me tremendously in school. I was also fortunate to be able to attend my nursing courses at night, my clinicals were during the day. I look back now and wonder how in the world I did it, but all I can say is dedication and hard work.

[amjowens]

I will finish my LPN at 31. My goal is to be a nurse practitioner, so lots of schooling ahead.

[pattylpn54, LPN]

i am a 54 yr old sahm who just got her lpn licence last friday. there were three 17 yr olds in my class. two of them and three others in their 20s didn't graduate--got the boot for grades. everyone in my class was 30s & younger! i was the grandma(& i'm not one @ home yet!!).

[MainelyMe]

I was 48 when I graduated from Nursing School and I was not the oldest in the class, the oldest was 58, she graduated from LPN school at 48 and RN at 58. I did run into a lot of discriminatiion from the Instructors but that was many years ago and the culture has changed somewhat now. The instructors at that school at the time, Bucks County Community College in Newtown, PA thought that you were not dedicated if you worked and went to school at the same time they thought you should be a dedicated full time student. But I survived and have worked for 25 years so now you know my age.

[rn-jane]

I was 35 when I graduated and I was one of the youngest in my class. I went to a eve/weekend program and the oldest was 56.

[sharondalynn]

I was 30 with 3 small children when I finished my ADN program. I was surprised to find that the average students in my class were 30-ish and divorced and a couple were in their early 50's. Very few were right out of high school. I found it interesting that the young ones were always complaining about having too much work to do, when all of the "older" students had SOOO much more on our plates. The maturity and time management skills that come with those few extra years is quite an asset.

Good luck with your new career!

Sharondalynn

[Piki]

Another second careerer here. Have a BA from 1987 and a M.S. from 94, and went back to nursing school in fall of 2004 and graduated last spring, 2007. 41 when I graduated. I thought I'd be one of the oldest when I went back, imagine my surprise when I was more in the middle. Like the others mentioned, with age comes maturity, time management, critical thinking (and being a Mom of 3 kids doesn't hurt either!) and prioritization. As a general rule, the "younguns" in the class tended to be the poorer students and the majority of the drop outs were the younger ones (who probably didn't know what they were getting themselves into, or who didn't have that requisite C average from each term to be allowed to progress).

Now out on the job a year later, I have had co-workers who were absolutely flummoxed to hear that I am only a new nurse of one year! I guess age does have some advantages - self-confidence, professionalism, work ethic, etc.

Good luck to you!