I Need YOUR Advice...I'm 43...Before I Jump In!

Brie Francois · Jul 25, 2016

This is my first time replying to anyone and I hope I can be some kind of help to you by telling you my story. I am a new RN, 46 years old and my "baby" is going on 16 and will be a junior in high school. I was a divorced mother of three when I started back at school for my nursing degree, with my oldest child graduating from high school and starting college that same year. Single mom, very limited income (worked as a PCA at a hospital for some years before going back to school, and then as a home health aid). I will not lie and tell you it was easy but it was doable. If I thought about all the things that could hinder me from starting or completing nursing school I would never have done it. With God's help and family's help I was able to graduate last December with my Bachelors and honors from the University of Michigan and start my first nursing job this past February, passed my boards March 30 with just 75 questions first try. What I would advise you to do is look at the different schools and programs and see which ones are the better fit academically and financially. Also, if you are planning on working up from LPN to RN and it will take you two years to complete the LPN program why not just do the 2-year RN program (Associate Degree in Nursing, also called an ADN) and from there do the RN to BSN bridge program that a lot of schools have to get your bachelors, if getting the bachelors is something you want. Also, if you already have a bachelor degree in something else you can also do an accelerated 4 year RN program that would take under 2 years to complete but you get your BSN. If not, an ADN is just fine. There are several different paths to get a nursing degree but it depends on what your ultimate goals are. Talk to the financial aid advisor at the schools you are considering. Some schools offer more scholarships than others. Also look into HRSA.gov about nursing school scholarships and loans that are offered through the federal government. And look to see if your state offers a nursing scholarship and what are the requirements. The schools' financial aid office would know also about this as well as scholarships they offer at the school. I was able to receive full financial aid due to my low income status with an EFC of 0 on my FAFSA. If you qualify for loans keep in mind that you may be offered more than what you actually need for tuition and books and as tempting as it may be do not take more than you need. For one thing you will have to pay it back and secondly you might run out of money before you finish school and then you are stuck trying to figure out how you will finance the rest of your education. Also, keep in mind that there are loan forgiveness programs for nurses through the federal government where after you make 120 payments on your student loans after graduation the remaining balance will be forgiven. There are criteria that has to be met but that is the basic gist of it. The thing is that it is doable but if you start thinking of all the reasons you can't do it than you will not accomplish this goal. It is hard, I am not going to lie but it is possible. It is a lot of work and commitment but this career is not for the faint at heart. I can "hear" it in your letter that this is something you want...the only one who can keep you from fulfilling this dream is you. Short additional background on me: all my family live in different state from me, 3 children, acrimonious relationship with ex-husband (has since improved greatly), had my SUV repossessed in the middle of a semester and had to rely on car rentals weekly until my mother gave me her car, evicted once where my stuff landed on the streets just 4 days before my oldest son's graduation from high school, and times where my heat or electricity was shut off for a couple of days. I have been through it but I got through it. The sense of accomplishment you feel when you walk across that stage, pass your NCLEX and see your license number, get that first nursing job, see that first paycheck is unreal. Only thing that was more amazing (to me anyway) were the births of my three children. You can do it but you need to focus less on the obstacles and more on how to remove the obstacles as they present themselves. One thing I will say to do is not keep anything to yourself as problems arise. Speak up and ask for help. My accomplishments would not have been achieved had it not been for others around me...parents, children, sister, family, friends, even my professors and clinical instructors and most importantly God. Good luck! I am sure you can do this!

morgieb · Jul 25, 2016

Hi Ms. Florida!

Just a little more encouragement. A little about me I am a classroom teacher with 15 years in the classroom. I have worked as a patient care tech off and on in the hospital. I have also been in an RN program--- that was some 3 years ago. During that time I had 3 children, a chaotic home, and financial burdens that nearly destroyed life as I knew it. I went from 55K to an income of $10 and hour working at the hospital. I wanted to be a nurse so bad. Somehow I managed to get 2 semesters under my belt with a 4.0 average each semester. By the 3rd semester my family was so financially tapped out that we nearly lost everything....I had to return to the classroom. It broke my heart to be so close to my dream. So here I am 3 years later, and I will be entering a 3 semester LPN program in January that's totally online except weekend skills and clinical. Praise God. In this way I can keep my job and income and finish as a nurse. I'm 43 and when I graduate I'll be 44. Now mind you after a year I'll try to bridge to an ADN program which is another year 1/2. Likely when I complete everything I'll be 46....so what. If it's what you want to do then do it. I suggest a community college to save money. You can do this. The funny thing is once I get my BSN I want to be a school nurse go figure.

l1234567 · Jul 25, 2016

If you need to work full time and also go to clinicals (practicums)... How is this realistic? Why would you WANT to put your relationship in financial jeopardy

Why do u want to be a nurse...? Sounds like you have a good job.

It is awkward telling someone to realistically plan who is 20 years younger than myself.

so no I'm not going to tell you that "you can do it". You could be an 'exotic dancer' if you wanted . If you want to help the elderly why not volunteer at a nursing home? Having someone to spend time with the them outside of their nurses etc would be so valuable to them. I don't see why you need to be a nurse so badly to do this.

Nursing has enough matyrs so why not reflect why you want to be a nurse and find out what a nurse actually does.

ETA: (btw the two posters above worked as PCAs so had experience and a little knowledge)

pedseraprn · Jul 26, 2016

Do you know what nurses really do and what the job climate is like in FL? I would strongly advise you to do your homework before committing to any program.

i agree with the above writers. Do the ADN or BSN. You cannot expect to work full time or even part time in any nursing program and be successful. My students were told to work not more than 10-12 hours per week. Between prep and clinicals and studying, you will be busy. For most, if you try it your way, you will guaranteed fail out.

Get out there and interview nurses working in the field. Go do some volunteer work in a hospital or skilled nursing. Go get your CNA and see if you like this work also because you'll be doing a lot of it!

Sounds like you aren't ready yet. Go get the financial aid lined up.

nsuchsland · Jul 27, 2016

If you really want to do it, then go for it! I would recommend doing an RN ADN program. It is only 2 years. I was an LVN in CA for many years. I went back to school when I was 51 did 4 years of prerequisites and then 2 years of nursing school, graduating at 57. There were many people in my class who had no medical background. One of the guys who had not been in the medical field previously was just a couple years younger than me. He now is an RN at a school. Since CA has higher pay they have more RN to choose from so getting a job was harder. I was planning on moving to North Carolina eventually I moved sooner rather than later and got a job at 58 as a new RN. I just changed jobs last month to a better paying job and I am 59. I love my job and don't plan to retire for a long time. I worked full time doing the prerequisites for 4 years and cut back to 20 hours for RN school. My job worked with me for my hours they also provided benefits for all their employees 20 hours and more which helped. If you really want to do this you will find a way to work your current job or a different job around school. You get older whether or not you go to school so I say go for it.

RNbubu · Jul 27, 2016

If ypu decide to pursue this, go straight for the RN program.

With that being said: I do not see how you can keep your current job and do all classes and clinicals. At least my nursing program was not flexible at all. They told us what times/days the classes and clinicals were and you had to be there. If we wanted to work we had to find jobs that would work around our classes/clinicals. Not to mention the time you spend stydying and doing preps/care plans for clinicals.

I agree with somone who said, be aware of the duties of a nurse and research the job market where you live.

I graduated from nursing school at 38. My oldest classmate graduated at 54 and got the job of his dreams at a very busy ER.

Good luck.