How old is too old to become an APRN? I am 57. is that too old?

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I have been an ADN RN for 25 yrs; raised and educated my family. I have always wanted to be a NP; is it too late?

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Specializes in family nurse practitioner.

I dont think so. Go for it! We had a lady graduate with us and she was 56.

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I have been an ADN RN for 25 yrs; raised and educated my family. I have always wanted to be a NP; is it too late?

No I am 55 and just started my first class

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I am 58 and in my 2nd quarter of school. You need to go for it as time will quickly pass and you will regret not going for your dream.

I only wish I had started 2 years earlier, but wishing gets you no place.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

I agree that 56 isn't old nowadays. I'm 54 and plan to work till I'm 70 or 80 or 90 or until they pry my old cold hands off my stethescope!!

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Specializes in allergy and asthma, urgent care.

No way is 57 too old! We'll all be working well into our 70s, so you might as well be doing what you love!

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Never to late to achieve your goal!!! Go make it happen !!!

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I'm 45. I love this thread. :)

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I do not think that is too old. I am 56 and decided I was not too old to get my Masters as a Nurse Educator. I still have a good 15 years and it has always been my dream to optain an advanced degree. Go for it.

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It's never too late if this is what you want to do. It may be intense, but I personally feel becoming an NP is worth it. :)

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I think I've been hanging out in all the wrong places on AN- I love this thread too. I'm 56 and will be starting back for my BSN/MSN next week- one class at a time. I do have mixed feeling about this as I feel I am knuckling under to the extortion tactics of the Nursing academia to further solidify their continued employment to the demise of our own. Wouldn't that make a great research paper!

I'm glad to read I'm not alone in age and at this point of my career. I agree - we will all be working well into our 70's. I am undecided as to the MSN track I can persue- I have been away from bedside nursing for a little over 2 years; prior to that nursing abused me at the bedside for 30 years. Any suggestions on the MSN track would be greatly appreciated. One APN track that I absolutely don't want to do, is CRNA. I'm alittle afraid of the prescriptive priviledges/responsiblity of the NP. I was thinking more along the lines of Community Health, Nursing informatics, Nursing educator or Nursing Adminstration( never been in managment but from what I've seen them doing to us at the bedside, just maybe -- ejector buttons in the adminstration's, the board of mistrustees and CEO's chairs is in order)

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Specializes in Psychiatric Nursing.

Prescriptive authority will give you more options..

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