this is my first time on this forum. i have been reading for a while and enjoy all the questions and comments....it has been very helpful in my quest.
my question to you all is "how old is too old?". i am 52 years old and just working on my pre-requisites. yes, you read that right. this means that i will be about 54 when i apply for nursing school. am i crazy? has my ship sailed and i should just hang it up? i have always wanted to be a nurse. i listened to my mother, who completed 8th grade tell me that i would never be able to go to college. i listened to her and 2 days after graduation from h.s. i was married. eight years and 2 babies later i was divorced. then i was a single mom trying to make ends meet. i finally signed up for some college classes, even though my mom was giving me those mom looks and making me feel it was a stupid thing to do. i made a's in my classes and that only encouraged me more. mom was shocked. i met a man who lived 3 hours from me and was raising his two kids. we were married a few months later and my life has been devoted to raising children. finally, i am to a place in my life where i can do something i want to do.
the community college i attend takes a total of 60 nursing students in their program. forty during the day, twenty at night. most 4 year colleges are the same. the community college had 400 applicants last semester. my chances are very slim at best. this will be a total career change for me. i am so excited to finally do this. i am strong and very encouraged. i am so scared at the same time. i don't want to waste anyone's precious time or money. this is an agonizing decision. you all are nurses, some may be my age. do i stand a chance? do i push on?
I'm in nursing school right now at age 39 and I have to say that I think I'm actually smarter and in better shape physically than when I was in my 20s. I know how to multi-task, prioritize and organize now like I never could before, and am not afraid to ask questions and am much more assertive and have a great work ethic. I definitely think I have some advantages over the younger students in some ways.
Before I decided to get involved with nursing I volunteered in a hospital for over a year and did a lot of research into the job market. In my area new nurses with BSNs from the school I am attending don't have much trouble finding full-time work. I feel comfortable that putting in this investment of time and money at this stage in my life is going to pay off with a career that is financially and personally rewarding but I don't have unrealistic expectations...I'm prepared to pay my dues and work my butt off as a newbie in the profession. I know it's going to be physically and mentally challenging but I also know myself and know I'll do a great job. I think you know if you have what it takes and don't let age be a barrier....there are advantages!
I went back to school later in life. I am now in my 50's and pursuing a FNP degree. Many are in my same boat. The only thing I tell myself is I will have to find a good plastic surgeon if this recession does not end soon and ageism stops. Right now I look about 10 years younger than I am but I work 50 hours a week plus take classes so who knows what I will look like in a year or two. It should not even be about looks but unfortunately in the USA it is. Very sad actually. But the recession may be over soon, who knows so maybe you should go for it. Besides I have to work forever anyway.
To the last person's judgmental and self-righteous comments, don't be so quick to judge. Pay attention, ask around and if you bothered to notice you'll find many people with college degrees working as bartender, waitresses, secretaries, taxi drivers, truck drivers, nursing assistants etc. I wouldn't advise someone to go to college just to have a credential to compete in a virtual lottery employment process. You come across as quite smug, maybe you haven't had any setbacks so far, so you lack compassion for others, but don't worry because no one gets thru this life unscathed!
Brandy, slow down. In reality, you and I are very much in agreement on many of your sentiments. The current situation IS deplorable, but it's been the norm for a long, long time. And with much of the public blindly following those politicians who blame economic conditions and offshoring of jobs on the "oppressive" environment (i.e., regulation and income taxes) with which the poor corporations have to contend, the trend isn't going to reverse itself anytime soon. I have to wonder why no one can explain how, in this dire economy, large U.S. corporations are still able to make record profits in such an oppressive business environment....
But even IF jobs were more plentiful, there would still be people complaining of how they were sold down the river as far as their educations were concerned. Like any other major financial expenditure, one has to plan carefully for education, so as to not end up crippled for life by unmanageable debt. Read the plentiful articles on parents and students drowning in education-related debt. I was shocked the first time I read about $200,000 to $350,000 in college loan obligations, but it turns out that these amounts are not unusual (and they also frequently include excessive living expenses and travel undertaken in the name of "education"). Perhaps it would have been advisable to acquire some pre-college education in basic accounting and finance. People who deride others for buying "more house than they could afford", think nothing of signing off on one college loan after another without even calculating the amount of the monthly payments that will be due 6 mos after graduation, or figuring out how many decades they'll be making them. I'm sorry if that sounds callous, but I think of it as just plain Personal Money Management 101.
Brandy, I am now in my 6th decade, and believe me when I tell you that I have survived many(!) setbacks that brought me to my knees. Yes, I wish they hadn't happened, but I made damned sure that I learned from every single one, and gained strength and willpower, humility and compassion, from each experience. It's those qualities that have been instrumental in keeping me on course in my nursing prereqs, and that I'm counting on to bring me through nursing school, and that bachelors degree for which I've been waiting for over 30 years now.
You are wrong if you think that I endorse the wholesale acquisition of college degrees as a way to compete in the job market. But, unfortunately, the laws that make it illegal to discriminate against a prospective employee on the basis of race or sex do not extend to those without a piece of paper. I'm not talking about an engineering or nursing or chemist position that requires skills and knowledge taught as part of the degree. I have many years experience in a very specialized area (high demand, low supply) but if I spotted a job posting specifying "B.A. required", I was restricted from even applying for it on electronic HR systems. Someone with a B.A. in 19th Century Dutch Decorative Arts and 2 years experience could, but not me with my Associates in Finance and 20 years experience. And take a look at how many entry-level job postings list a B.A. or B.S. as a min educational requirement.
In fact, despite all the education-related debt, our nation is rapidly becoming less educated in terms of actual learning. Schools are big business, and more and more "educational" institutions are getting into the game every day, preying upon parents who are desperate for their underachiever to have that piece of paper, laid-off workers looking for marketable skills that will render them irreplaceable, and students looking for the magic ticket to that six-figure entry-level job. The schools have no problem endorsing and embellishing those fantasies because it means lots and lots of taxpayer-funded financial aid will be coming their way.
In the process, actual education - learning things that are essential to the future existence of our nation - has taken a back seat to the almighty DEGREE. The U.S. is short of engineers, scientists, and mathematicians because, across the country, students are graduating from high schools lacking literacy in the core subjects they'll need to tackle these college majors. Except for the very top-tier institutions, schools can't afford to be picky, so many tailor curricula in order to retain students, while convincing them and their parents that it's the degree that matters.
Brandy, it's refreshing to see someone who is obviously well-informed on the current state of the economy, and the devastating effects of jobs outsourcing. As you mention, even high-level jobs in science, engineering, law, and others are being outsourced. A highly-educated (min. Ph.D) job candidate who speaks flawless English along with his/her own native language can be hired for $4 or $5/hr in India, Thailand, and other countries, so many corporations are laying off their professional staff in the U.S., and opening work centers elsewhere. In the process, many of these companies are handing over U.S. taxpayer-funded intellectual property to the governments of these countries. Not the best policy if you ask me.
I'm really going to have to get better at reading between the lines.
I thought the OP wanted an honest answer to an honest question.
I see now a cheering squad was what the OP wanted.
Silly me. Must be my 54 yr old brain misfiring.
The OP was not looking for an answer but OPINIONS, of which you have provided. Now that it appears your opinion isn't shared by most, you've drawn the conclusion that the OP is looking for a cheering squad?
I concur. It must be your 54yr old brain speaking at the moment. Fortunately, the OP's 52yr old brain is more diplomatic.
I remain young at heart even after nursing 25 years.
FOLLOW YOUR HEART~it will not mislead you (well
except for in love sometimes but, stories for a different forum).
I completed the LPN program in 1987.
A terrible auto accident first semester forced me to withdraw from the 2nd year/
ADN program I was enrolled in.
I had completed the bridge course and all the prerequisites needed for an Associate in Nursing So I was good to go with ONLY the required core nursing curriculum in the ADN program, had it not been for my car wreck.
Subsequent debts resulting from the MVA propelled me into the work world as
an LPN. I moved myself at 23 yr old from the cornfields of IL to the beaches of Clearwater Fl and worked agency.
Ignorance is bliss and I was ignorant, but learned A LOT being blissful!
Met, married, had one baby, moved back to IL with my husband, another baby....life takes you on a course.
Cut to 2007, now divorced...raising my two teenagers, living in Southern Indiana. The original college (Illinois Eastern Community College) had a sister college 51 miles from my Southern Indiana residence. I called, inquired one afternoon and a week later I was taking the entrance exam to complete the 2nd year and obtain my RN from the same college I would have 21 years earlier. Life took me full circle.
Twenty one years is a long time to delay a dream, but I saw it through and graduated the ADN program in May 2008.
Today is January 2012 and I am writing my Master Thesis proposal.
Yes, in 3 years since graduating, I have obtained my BSN, and am due to graduate with my MSN in April 9, 2013.
I was 44 years old when I entered the ADN program.
I will be 48 when I complete my Masters in Nursing.
My 16 year old nearly burned our home to the ground (2009) in the middle of my Bachelor's program, will all of our beloved chihuahua's dying in the fire. My mentor, and nurse role model, my grandmother died suddenly after surgery 5 months after the fire.
I was single, raising two teenagers completely alone with no family in the area. I drove 180 miles some days to clinicals in my ADN program.
We ate dollar menu, ready made meals in a box or a bag, the laundry piled (it still is with my Master's) and compromised somethings, but I did not compromise my goal. There were a few moments that I laid on the floor at night and cried my heart out because I was overwhelmed, alone and felt I was not being the mother I needed to be to my children.
My children have brought me to tears with the praises they randomly surprise me with (my son did so his senior year with a speech in a crowded auditorium of people). (
I have tole my children EVERY time I am up till 2 am completing papers with work at 7am....DO NOT COMPLETE YOUR EDUCATION THIS WAY.
I have had cohorts in my BSN, 12-15 years older than me.
In the ADN program, I was the 4th oldest in the class. The ladies who sat in front of me were 54 and 56 respectively.
My advice to you is DO IT. If you really want it....DO IT. Be Blissful~
Nursing was always a great choice for me.
I would advise what Ken H advised.
Complete the LPN program and then bridge to the ADN program.
I will add, complete ALL the prerequisites you can, mainly Anatomy's, Microbiology, Chemistry. But having all of them out of the way clears the path for our older minds to focus on the Nursing Curriculum.
I was an A and high B student all the way. Passed my boards, first try, and it shut off at the minimum question. (working as an LPN for 20 years paid off).
Best of luck to you and your endeavors.
We all have a story.
Being 54 is JUST a number....but it is part of your story.
The OP was not looking for an answer but OPINIONS, of which you have provided. Now that it appears your opinion isn't shared by most, you've drawn the conclusion that the OP is looking for a cheering squad?
I concur. It must be your 54yr old brain speaking at the moment. Fortunately, the OP's 52yr old brain is more diplomatic.
You're right. I should have been kinder and more compassionate. I should have supported the OP more. My situation, and who I am have nothing to do with the strength of the OP and whether she can accomplish her goal. It's brave to take the steps she is considering. With faith in oneself, you can accomplish almost anything. Fifty, sixty, seventy, eighty......no time is too late for any dream one wants to pursue.
....I will not ever try to dissuade a person for the decisions they make in their lives, nor will I sit and play armchair quarterback with people who are struggling to realize their dreams....This was my point, that I think you completely missed......IF the OP has a dream to be a nurse and would regret forever if she didn't become one then she should go for it....If she is simply trying to improve her life standards at 52, with student loans and a new career...then research the heck out of what you are doing before you take the plunge. Decide if it is fiscally responsible, if there are even opportunities available in the region, if relocation at that point in her life is feasible, if she is prepared to face ageism, and possible unemployment for a longtime before finding a job. If she feels her health will remain stable over the next 10 years as she goes through school and begins her new career.
That's what I get for reading posts on AN at 2 a.m. , when I'm overtired and all too quick to relate posts to pet peeves.
You are right, of course. But the quote you included hit a sore spot: increasing media coverage featuring young people in their 20s and early 30s blaming "Baby Boomers" for the current state of the economy, for their inability to get good jobs, and for their debts.
I'm a late Boomer myself, and, even though I've anticipated this backlash for over a decade now, it still gets to me. There is an increasing propensity for people (from my generation also!) to bypass self-examination, preferring to blame others instead of acknowledging their own poor decisions and ill-advised actions.
As high schoolers often lack maturity and experience in major decision making, leaving them very susceptible to the suggestions of others, I can understand the propensity to blame someone if massive amounts of debt are incurred in the acquisition of an undergrad degree. But it should be limited to the student's parents/guardians, and possibly high-school and college counselors, not an entire 20-year sociological cohort. As for post-bachelor degree education expenditure decisions, it's my belief that those who make the decisions to incur additional debt for additional degrees have the sole responsibility for that one.
That being said, I agree that, beyond encouraging them to make a thoroughly informed decision (i.e., comprehensive fiscal planning, including loan repayment scenarios, and investigation of the actual job market in that field based on Department of Labor and of Commerce reports, and other data), and ensuring that they're not conning money out of any of my elderly relatives, it's none of my damned business.
I applaud your making the "informed decision" point to the OP. I see so many posts on AN by people (some already in default on student loans) taking major risks to go to nursing school, and am always surprised when I see the occasional post from one who is entering the field, not because of a burning desire to provide compassionate patient care, or to advance the profession in some way, but because they believe that the pay and benefits are incredibly lucrative, and that they will walk into such a position immediately upon graduating, at a location 2 miles from home. I am particularly saddened when I see a young person who is over-the-moon excited about their acceptance into a program of excessive cost and highly dubious reputation.
So I apologize for missing the point of your advice to the OP, and allowing myself, in a sleep-deprived state, to zero in on the one quote guaranteed to trigger my Boomer defensive reactions. Kudos for the valuable insights you sought to impart to the OP.
I am 47 and in my third year of BSN program and loving it! Is it challenging? YES! But I don't have a lot of the distractions that a lot of the other students have...like going out partying, dating, small children, etc....What I do have is life experience and compassion for my patients because I AM older! If you get your BSN you have so many other options in the field of nursing! You could go into sales for pharmaceutical or medical devices, research, teaching, administration...this is only if you find that you don't or can't physically do the day to day nursing. But I think that you will be able to, especially if you stay in shape! And it is okay to ask for assistance (and you should!) if you cannot physically do something. This probably is not related to your age either...probably a 20 something could not do it either.
Age is a good thing! Don't let it beat you down! With age comes a lot of wisdom--so use it to your advantage! You can do this! I cannot wait to graduate next year and take on my next challenge!
By the way....at my college there are a lot of over 30, 40 and even 50's getting their degrees! Good Luck to you!! Stay strong and confident!
She decided to major in Anthropology...now my heart is heavy for her, because let's all be honest about the prospects in that field.
Actually, the field of Anthropology is expecting a HUGE increase in job opportunities in the next few years! It was reported recently (I wish I could remember where, but it was a reputable source) that the job outlook for anthropologists was going to increase by some crazy number like 200% in the next 5 years. There are plenty of job possibilities for anthro grads. My son is a 3rd year anthro student getting applications together for grad school. His future is bright! (see....it's so bright he has to wear shades!)
I'M 20+ YEARS YOUNGER THAN YOU AND I SAY YOU'RE NEVER TOO OLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(see....it's so bright he has to wear shades!)
duckyluck111
62 Posts
I'm in nursing school right now at age 39 and I have to say that I think I'm actually smarter and in better shape physically than when I was in my 20s. I know how to multi-task, prioritize and organize now like I never could before, and am not afraid to ask questions and am much more assertive and have a great work ethic. I definitely think I have some advantages over the younger students in some ways.
Before I decided to get involved with nursing I volunteered in a hospital for over a year and did a lot of research into the job market. In my area new nurses with BSNs from the school I am attending don't have much trouble finding full-time work. I feel comfortable that putting in this investment of time and money at this stage in my life is going to pay off with a career that is financially and personally rewarding but I don't have unrealistic expectations...I'm prepared to pay my dues and work my butt off as a newbie in the profession. I know it's going to be physically and mentally challenging but I also know myself and know I'll do a great job. I think you know if you have what it takes and don't let age be a barrier....there are advantages!
Good luck to you!