Is this a bad time?

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I'm a 37 year old man with a BA and an MFA in visual art, and I decided that I want to be a psychiatric nurse. I've just sent my transcripts to a postbac program where I can take prereqs. My question is, though: is it even worth it at this point to go into nursing? I feel like we're in a nursing bubble, and I'm entering it on the downslide. And, by the time I graduate in 4 years with my BSN (if all goes according to plan), there will be far more qualified applicants than there are nursing jobs. What should I do?

Thanks in advance.

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It is partly due to the economy. This is just my opinion. Nursing is not the greatest job from what I can tell. I do like doing paperwork and talking to old people so I think it will work for me. I am going to work in a nursing home I think. So many baby boomers will be in nursing homes, but the population is increasing in general. It seems like the role of a nursing home has changed from what I remember too. We have younger residents where I work also.

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In my intro to nursing class, we talked a lot about mental health nursing and from what I have been told by my professors, it has a great outlook and is a fast growing field. Your life experience and the fact that you already hold degrees, in my opinion will be a plus when you start your job search. If nursing is something you really want to do, I don't think you should let your fears hold you back. Besides, The occupational outlook handbook for the US has registered nursing as a job with a great outlook and a projected 26% growth in jobs predicted all the way until 2020.

http://www.bls.gov/ooh/Healthcare/Registered-nurses.htm

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Specializes in Psych/Mental Health.

Hi turtlezoup-

Career changer and interested in psychiatric nursing too (around the same age). I would agree with Shorty. If nursing is what you want, go for it. It's hard to predict how things will look 4 years from now, but I would have to say that you finishing 4 years from now is most likely much better than those who finished between 2009-2012, and maybe those who will finish in 2013-2015. In case you're interested, the congressional budget office projects unemployment rate to be around 6% in 2016.

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