I have made a decision in my life that came at one of the most difficult times I have ever been through.
Four days ago my father died in Hospice. A few weeks ago he went into the hospital for a colectomy. There ended up being complications and later he was in ICU for a week. Then they found cancer in another part of his body and it was Michelle the ICU nurse that I became so close with that told me about the process and what would be the best for him. She was amazing, but so were all the nurses, even the ****** ones. I never had been to any Hospice before, never had any one close to me die even. The Hospice house was a beautiful place filled with people with incredible compassion and care.
Before my father went in, a friend who has been a patient tech for many years said "Jeff im worried about you ,Life has been a struggle for you, your so smart and caring, you could change careers, you should become a Nurse."
well I certainly thought- WHAT? im 42 ! been a Mortgage broker for 8 years how can I start now?
Well every day, the best part of my day, was my interaction with the nurses and I wanted to do everything they did for my father and I realized- this is what I want, this is the service I want to give, the money,security and stability are all things that follow.
So thank you Michelle, Russ, Charlie (the 65 yr old nurse who started at 50!), Jim, Glenda, and the others who make a difference in life every day.
Im ready and cant wait to become a Nurse and join the noblest profession I have ever been witness to.
Im sure you will see a lot of me up here as a proud newbie
Jeff, the death of a parent is so very hard and I am very sorry for your loss. My mother is on hospice right now and fighting for every breath to stay with us until I graduate nursing school in May. She is so the fighter and it makes me sad to know that I'll soon be losing one of my biggest supporters in life.
> to you and your family.
Welcome to the 40 club. There are many of us that didn't start on the nursing road until 40, 50, and in one of my classmates cases, 60 yoa.
Best wishes on your journey to becoming a nurse.
Angela.
Thank you all for your kind words. The 40 Club - doesnt sound so bad ( i look 30 so im lucky there- you are definitely an inspiration.
Get ready to spend 4-5 years on prerequisites and nursing classes. Oh, if you don't get high grades, get ready to be put on a lottery / waiting list that can take another year or two. I got denied by 6 city colleges. Good thing I had high grades and got into a state university. LOL guess i had bad luck...I don't even want to mention the retarded ATI or similar testing involved for entry into programs...:heartbeat:up:
Some helpful advice for you. Do prereqs in city college, and use ratemyprofessors to get the easy instructors. Good luck to you.
Thanks for the warnings.
I did go to college for Pre-med (even though it was a while ago) I worked as a Massage Therapist in clinical environments and a Physical therapy assistant as well. So I have some preparation but still know it will be hard but Im ready.
Go for it Jeff! I have a year to go and when I get out I'll be in my mid 30's. I am so sorry for your loss. And Angela... my Mom is my biggest supporter too and my best friend. I can't imagine what you are dealing with. Hugs to you too! Epona
Jeff, I am sorry for your loss. However, if you are intelligent and compassionate, you will be a fantastic nurse. If you have any interest in this, why not? I will be 55 by the time I graduate. I, too, came to nursing after seeing a loved one go through extensive medical treatment and thought to myself how wonderful it would be to be a nurse. I think nursing is one of the noblest professions in the world, perhaps the very noblest.
I went from a computer systems analyst to a nurse, and graduated at 44. And I was 10 years younger than the oldest person in my class. And I will tell you, I'm a better nurse at 45 than I would have been at 25; I can focus and analyze data better.
3 important things -- drink fluids every chance you get, pee every chance you get, and get the best fitting shoes possible. The only places I feel my age are in my feet and knees, and every nurse I know fights UTIs because we don't drink and pee enough on shift.
ready2beAnurse
8 Posts
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Thank you all for your kind words. The 40 Club - doesnt sound so bad ( i look 30 so im lucky there- you are definitely an inspiration.