Is 51 yrs old too old to start LVN school?

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I am 51 yrs old and applying for the LVN program. What are the pros and cons of starting this career at this age?

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Is this something you really want to do? If so, go for it. You only live once.

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Is this something you really want to do? If so, go for it. You only live once.

Yes - since I was in high school. I wasn't able to persue then. It truely is my passion

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If this is what you want to do then go ahead and do it but don't be surprised if you have trouble getting a job, depending on the job market for LVNs in your area. Age discrimination is alive and well and you can expect to encounter it in your job hunt.

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Im just gonna be honest and say if I were that age, there would be no way in hell I would go back to school and hit the books again. You have to think that by the time you are all done with school, you would be in your mid 50's. Is the stress of school and the amount of money you are going to spend on school worth it to you? I would just stick it out with your current job.

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Specializes in Hospitalist Medicine.

OP, I was in my mid 40s when I finished nursing school. I had a classmate who was 51 when she graduated. So, yes, it's do-able. However, I do want to caution you that as an LVN, you will be doing more physical work than an RN. Depending on your fitness level, this may be hard on your body if you're not used to it. I had a desk job for 17 years before I went to nursing school and it was certainly a big adjustment getting used to being on my feet for 12 hours straight, lifting patients, etc.

On the plus side, as a more mature student, you've been around the proverbial block. You can easily relate to your patients. They tend to trust you and are more open with you than with younger students. Most older students tend to have a more professional demeanor in the clinical setting.

You'll need to see what the job market is like in your area for LVNs. I know in my area, you can only get work in nursing homes or sub-acute rehab facilities as the hospitals do not hire LVNs. The patient load in those types of facilities is rather high.

Best of luck to you :)

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IMO, you have a very long time ahead of you on this earth and many of those years you will be working. If you think nursing is where you need to be, do it! Srs, its only 1 year after prereq's.... What do you have to lose?

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Specializes in LTC, Rehab.

You're not too old. I got my BSN at 54. For me, at least: CONS: memory - if I had a dollar for every time in nursing school I thought 'How can I POSSIBLY REMEMBER ALL OF THAT?' I could eat least go out to eat several times. :^) PROS: as a cousin of mine said, 'well, you'll do fine in nursing school - you won't be out partying like some of the young students'. Also, I think I have more empathy for the geriatric patients I deal with (than perhaps some - but only some - younger nurses), because of what I had seen & dealt with with my own parents, aunts, uncles, and just life in general.

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Specializes in Hospice, Palliative Care.

I started the prerequisites of the RN program that I just completed thanks to Jesus at age 50. I just graduated this past December at age 53.

Pros:

(1) Life wisdom

(2) Maturity

(3) Only positive experiences with nurses, staff, professors, etc.

Cons:

(1) Lonely; I was the oldest by at least 10 years with many classmates being young enough to be our daughter's age (in that case, almost 30 years difference).

(2) I believe I needed more time to review the material (i.e. read, re-read, re-read) in order to get it; conversely, when I got it, I often got it to a better degree than my classmates.

Thanks to Jesus I did graduate with highest honors and received the nursing faculty award for being the student with the highest GPA among my peers. The moral of the story is that age in many cases including your good question is only a number; go forth and conquer your dreams!

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Go for it. It hass been my dream to go into health care and to be a nurse since I was 18. I was in college for a while with a few different majors and wasn't really happy. I liked studying multimedia when I was in school the last time. It was very easy for me but I want to have a job where no 2 days are the same and a career with flexible hours. I'm planning on going to school for my Lvn

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...if I were that age, there would be no way in hell I would go back to school...by the time you are all done with school, you would be in your mid 50's. Is the stress of school and the amount of money you are going to spend on school worth it to you? I would just stick it out with your current job.

Ah, there it is. "That age."

Nursing school WILL be stressful. Period. Plan for it, no matter who you are.

There are so many other factors to consider, both pro and con. (eg. most 51 year old women don't have issues with child care. I would call that a "pro".)

Note to Lightning90: 51 is not so old when you consider that many of us will be working until age 70. "Sticking it out" at age 51 could mean 19 more years in your current job...IF the job is still there in 19 years.

OP: Where will you be in 19 years if you DON'T become an LVN?

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Yes - since I was in high school. I wasn't able to persue then. It truely is my passion

I am in an LPN program, and I'm 53. There are 4 other classmates who are in their mid 40s to mid 50s. Chances are that you won't be alone.

Most of the older students in my class are pursuing the LPN for economic reasons (layoffs, etc.).

OP, if nursing is truly your passion, you're already ahead of the game.

Two suggestions:

1) Be prepared to spend some extra money on good nursing shoes. Your knees and back will thank you. (Allegria Palomas are the bomb!)

2) Invest in the best stethoscope you can afford.

I bought a Littmann Classic III when I started school, but I'm about to upgrade to one of the Cardiology scopes. I'm not hearing everything as well as some of the younger students (and one of the younger instructors.) Age-related hearing loss is a gradual process, and it often starts around menopause.

Good luck to you!

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