Need advice............

How many years of acute care experience do you have?

How is your energy and availability to pour yourself into something new?

2 years in Tele, 2 years in Rehab, 2 years home health.....Thank you very much for your input...

You've just about seen the whole picture then.

Mid 40s? Are you kidding? If I had current acute care experience with some life experience on top of other nursing experience, I'd go anywhere and kick butt.

You really think 20 somethings have an edge? Mid 40s are prime years.

Do not estimate what your experience brings.

I wouldn't go for NP however. I'd save that money, work myself up to lucrative shifts and take a lot of tropical vacations.

I started nursing in my 30's...there were managers younger than I...alls I'm saying is it's your career, and I think it's more important than what you think people see you as.

Libby, so pleased by your words, but I think the reality is we are living in a working environment that sick patients love to have young and pretty nurses, even I would like to work with younger colleagues, who make a dull workplace alive and vivid,,,

Nuguynurse, thanks for you kind words, i know it's true, feeling a little bit screwed up...

Libby, so pleased by your words, but I think the reality is we are living in a working environment that sick patients love to have young and pretty nurses, even I would like to work with younger colleagues, who make a dull workplace alive and vivid,,,

This seems to have more to do with something else than age. Mid 40s is not not-young.

And ICU patients should have no idea if their nurses are young and/or pretty, if they do then it's time for a lower level of care.

If you're not already relatively healthy and confident in yourself, then I would invest my time and energy sorting that out before a major career change/advancement.

I'm over 50 by the way, my age has yet to impact me in a negative way. Currently, my age works to my advantage.

Libby, so pleased by your words, but I think the reality is we are living in a working environment that sick patients love to have young and pretty nurses, even I would like to work with younger colleagues, who make a dull workplace alive and vivid,,,

I think nursing is a pretty age-diverse field. The patients who want "young and pretty nurses" are typically disgusting ...does anyone care what they want? As someone over age 40, I get plenty of "admirers" (to put it nicely). If anything, I feel sorry for the 20 year olds who look like super-models and have to put up with that garbage to an even greater extent. It's nothing to be envied.

Nobody cares what nurses look like, why do you? Of course you can get a position in ICU, it's not that much different than telemetry. And it's also not "advancing" your career.

Jumping over to ICU is vastly different than years of study for NP. You seem to be all over the place with your goals. What are you really looking for? If you need a change, come to the insurance darkside with me.... it's suhweet.

Age = experience in my opinion. I'm going to be 50 in January and I am in NP school. Is it hard? Yes. But I expect to reap rewards long into the future. I'm not going to be able to retire until at least 70 so I might as well do something for the next 20 years that is enjoyable and rewarding. I would say get into ICU and see how you like it. If you really do and want to progress to NP then don't let anything stop you. In my class we have a bunch of 20-somethings. They're usually the ones rolling into class late, dressed like they just rolled out of bed and eating a donut, looking unprepared. The older ones in the class are there early, super-prepared, dressed to kill and make it happen. I wouldn't want to be a millennial for anything. My experience and maturity has paid dividends for me many a time, and stands for more against just looks and appearance.

Both ICUs I've worked in have a mixed bag of ages -- 20s-60s. Granted the 60somethings are semi-retired but I looooooooove their experience! Some of these people have been ICU nurses since I was in middle school.

Your experience sounds great for the ICU.

I wouldn't give two thoughts about the ones who "want young and pretty." They need competent, especially when critically ill. Not that the two are mutually exclusive. I agree with Sour Lemon that those folks who focus on a nurse's looks are creepy.

If you're interested in the ICU, I think you should go for it!