Husband wants to try nursing at 44

Nurses Men

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I am his second wife and ever since he's known me I've been doing prereqs, on the waiting list, in nursing school and now, finally - an RN! So here I am a new grad RN and he has decided belatedly that he would like to try nursing.

His background is this: BS in Computer Science, many desk jobs in programming and teaching programming, some experience working in retail management. He is a GREAT teacher, and a GREAT salesman. He also is a dive instructor so has some experience with search and rescue and helping drowning people, etc. He is also fantastic with kids (has five of his own), the kind of big teddy bear type of guy that kids and dogs just love. He has been burned out on programming/retail for awhile now and hates the 9-5 desk thing. He has been staying home the last year to raise our 1 yr old while I finished school.

I think that actually he would make a fantastic nurse but we are both sort of daunted by the idea of starting all over again - with the prereqs, the classes, the studying, the NCLEX, etc. Is it worth it for him to try? Is it too late? Anyone other males out there who decided to recareer as a nurse at this age?

Melissa

Ei!

I'm a senior student nurse @ 20. will be receiving BSN by 10 mos. from now and its like well...good.Have been through rough seas...but your husband will be like good at nursing.Good Lucks.

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Specializes in LTC , SDC and MDS certified (3.0).

Melissa,

He will be 50 weither he is an RN or not but he just might feel better if he's an RN. I just graduated and there was a man in my class who was 63. He brought alot of life expirence to our class!! Tell him good luck!!!

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I say give him all of the support he has given to you. He sounds like a wonderful person. With his background he will have no trouble with many of the classes, I am sure he will make a good nurse. He should go for it. Good luck to all of you.

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I wanted to share that I just graduated a bsn program and I am 40 years old. I have chosen not to pursue nusing at this time, I felt that nursing school was a positive life growing experiance, but at some point in my last semester specifically my ER role synthesis clinical, i lost my warm and fuzzy feeling of helping people, I just dreaded my clinical and felt there were other non tangibles that I missed in life (ie normal hours, using the bathroom prn,having a real lunch break ) just to state a few. But before I get lambasted by the opposition, I did not feel this way until I turned 40 prior to that I was fine. Maybe it was my physiology, I developed htn in my late 30's who knows, but I did not enjoy running around with my head on fire anymore. I knew I was feeling this way about the 4th or 5th week into the last semester. The alternative has been to go into the medical supply industry and work as a sales rep. My prior experiance was 15 years of customer service and my bsn, well aparently there are companies who like this mix and I was hired. The good news for me is when I make a sales plan, I secretly use the nursing process in developing my sales and marketing plans.

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bluemartian

I noticed a very marked lack of "oomph" with my husband once his htn was diagnosed and he started taking meds. Same thing has happened for me with the htn and meds thing. So maybe it is just your physiology. Give yourself some time. Maybe you will want to enter nursing in a little while. Nobody says you have to conquer the nursing world. Relax and smell the roses a little! And congratulations on that BSN!!

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Melissa,

He will be 50 weither he is an RN or not but he just might feel better if he's an RN. I just graduated and there was a man in my class who was 63. He brought alot of life expirence to our class!! Tell him good luck!!!

Ha! This reminds me of what people were always saying when I was an older student.... and how old will you be if you don't do this? I found in nursing school, the older students had much to bring to the table, but it's a lot harder to take the boot camp stuff. In fact, I talked to a guy who is a psych nurse at the hospital where I was doing clinicals. He said he thought nursing school was harder on him than becoming a marine. Definitely!

Diahni

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Specializes in LTC, Rehab, Hospice and Telemetry.

It is gratifying to hear so many of you are grown-ups. It has been wierd to work with and occasionally for nurses who are younger than my sons. I became an RN at age 45. I am thrilled with my career choice.

I really feel for bluemartian who finished the BSN and elected to pursue a business alternative. On the other hand, he probably made the best decision for him. How hard must it be to work in such a demanding field when you don't have the heart for it?

But overall, I would recommend nursing at any age.

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Specializes in ED, ICU, PACU.

Just remember that the older you get, the faster time flies. School will be over before you know it. It can be a blink of an eye for us older folks, compared to endless torture for the youngins 2.gif

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Melissa, I think he should go for it, he has alot of life experience in his pocket already and would make a great nurse if it is his dream. He will be in the workforce for many more years and should be doing what makes him happy.. good luck.. Denise

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I am 43 . Background : constraction engineer in Russia . Taxi and limousine driver , realestate agent , security officer in USA .

Plan to go to nursing school (LPN-to-RN)

I was afraid, that I' ll be the oldest student in a class. I am not afraid anymore. Thanks to all of you for encuragement. I wish good luck to everyone .

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Specializes in Med Surg, Oncology, Telemetry, HoHealth,.

Melissa,

This message may not be of benefit to you or your husband considering that he has already made a decision by now. (since original post) But it may benefit others, male or female, to know that it is never too late to go back to school to pursue a different career. I started nursing school when I was 51 and you occasionally see,in the newspaper, stories of grandmothers graduating at a late age . Nursing is my third career change and of all the other jobs I have had, the most challenging and rewarding. I love the one-on-one with the patient, whether they are eight or eighty. Nursing is a difficult career but for me it has been a positive thing, especially working with younger nurses and other employees. Some twenty-something female, or males, are very sharp and have nothing but admiration for them and their abilities. And, we have been able to learn from each other.

So, anyone considering age to be a factor in returning to school should not be concerned.

Best of luck to all who, at some time in their lives, decide to start another career.

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I thought I was the oldest in our class. I'm 32.

we're about 70 in a nursing class the youngest is 20 the rest are in 40s and 50s dozens are practising medical doctors...

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