Is age 45 too old to start nursing???

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Hi - I know 45 isn't that old but for those of you who have started nursing around this age or worked with someone who is new and this age, is it difficult?

Specializes in Jack of all trades, and still learning.

Answer? NO! 45 is the approximate average age of nurses these days

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What a blessing it is to log in and find this timely post. I will be starting a 2nd degree accelerated RN-BSN program in the fall. I am 49 yo and although I don't feel old (my youngest is 8), I have been wondering whether it was too late to make this change in careers.

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Specializes in critical care; community health; psych.

I won't sugar coat it. Nursing is hard at any age. Also, school performance doesn't equate with real world. Are you willing to work hard? Can you handle the physical end: lifting patients, carrying heavy equipment, pushing gurneys? Are you cool under pressure or do you get frazzled easily?

Everyone sugar coated this question when I asked it. I do believe my age (51 when I graduated) in some ways was an advantage, in other ways worked against me. And by the way, I did great in school. It did take me longer to get comfortable with my skills and I could only spend one year on a hospital floor before my body just said enough. Still searching for my niche but not sorry I became a nurse.

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Specializes in Derm/Wound Care/OP Surgery/LTC.
Still searching for my niche but not sorry I became a nurse.

I don't think we ever stop searching...at any age!:lol2:

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i'm 57,been lpn 32 yrs.i'm goin for the adn. think i'll do ok,but am concerned places won't want to hire me.know there's a law against it, but u can always make an excuse instead, plus, will i get back the $ spent before say,age 65,God willing! any feelings re these issues,group?

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Specializes in med surg, telemetry, stroke.

I hope that is not too old. I just turned 50. Graduated from LVN program 2 years ago and finishing my last prereq for the LVN to RN program this semester. Hope to be in the LVN Bridge to RN program next summer. (Lord willing). It's tough I think no matter the age. My 22 year old daughter graduated from the RN program in June. I struggle with the science classes but have managed to get As and Bs, will be lucky to pass Physiology right now, it's tough. But I just take each hurdle as it comes. I have worked in med surg for about 18 months and the worst I can say is the patient ratio is crazy (LVNs 12-14 patients with an RN and tech), but the physical demands are tough at this age. I don't think I will be able to do floor nursing for long. But that's the beauty of becoming an RN, so many opportunities for us. I would like to teach. You can do anything you put your mind to. I never thought I could do this and somehow I'm doing it. So I say go for it. Follow your dream and heart. God bless all of us older nursing students. We do have the life experiences that will only help us in the road ahead. :balloons:

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Specializes in LTC and MED-SURG.

No!!! 45 is definitely not too old. I graduated from LPN school at 55 (March 2006) and am currently in Excelsior to get the RN, hopefully next year. I've been working LTC and have just started a Med Surg position. I am tired, but no more so than my younger co-workers.

So GO FOR IT!!!!

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I won't sugar coat it. Nursing is hard at any age. Also, school performance doesn't equate with real world. Are you willing to work hard? Can you handle the physical end: lifting patients, carrying heavy equipment, pushing gurneys? Are you cool under pressure or do you get frazzled easily?

Everyone sugar coated this question when I asked it. I do believe my age (51 when I graduated) in some ways was an advantage, in other ways worked against me. And by the way, I did great in school. It did take me longer to get comfortable with my skills and I could only spend one year on a hospital floor before my body just said enough. Still searching for my niche but not sorry I became a nurse.

I'm with you, Kitty.

Another aspect is that, because of our age, there are those who expect we should be more experienced than we are. It seems the younger new nurses are given more slack with the learning curve - at least in my experience that was the case.

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Specializes in Neuroscience ICU, CNRN, SCRN.

NO! I started my prerqs at 45, and graduated with my ADN at 48. I've worked MedSurg for the last 3 years, and I am transferring to SICU next week. I was worried after sitting at a desk for nearly 30 years prior to becoming an RN that the 12 hour shifts were going to kill me, but I've adapted ok. I have learned to invest in good nursing shoes (currently wearing Dansko clogs, but have tried them all!) and try to keep myself fit and healthy. I raise the beds to provide care to my patients, and almost always get help to move/turn the larger patients. So far, no injuries or back pain. Plus, those years of work in the business world really helped me with the "customer service" end of things...I have great skills in that area. Probably the only bad thing is that sometimes the residents and younger docs assume that "older" = "experienced" and come to me for guidance! I usually defer to them or send to the Charge RN.

I firmly believe in the adage: "its never too late to be what you always wanted to be!" I'm very happy that I decided to switch careers and become an RN.

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definitely not. as long as you can performed your role well, and with your experience in life, you can share a lot of things and serve humanity....

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Specializes in Post Anesthesia.

I've posted to a simular thread before... In my class (class of '86) we had one woman in her mid 50s. It all depends on how old a 45 you are. I'm pushing 50 hard and don't think I could handle nursing school if I had to start now- Physicaly it would be a little tough but no worse than doing the job, but the responsibilities I have- wife,kids,mortgage, bills- I don't know if I could juggle them as well as I did in my 20s. If it's something you want and you've honestly assessed how full time school would fit into your life GO FOR IT! There are advantages in nursing for more mature beginners: Our pay scale topps out earlier than most professions so you don't have to spend 20 years in a career before you can make a living wage. Wisdom does tend to come with age so your life experience would be an asset for yourself and your peers, a lot of nursing is sound judgment and common sense-qualities I have a lot more of in my 40s than I had in my 20s. Opportunities for entry level nurses in thier 50s and 60s are more abundant than say in a business degree. It would be nice to have a few peers who remember disco, The "Who", and can reccall what came first the Vietnam conflict of the civil war.

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