Need guidance

Nurses General Nursing

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Hi everyone! I am brand new to this forum. I would love your opinions so here goes -

I am 39 years old and miserable in my current job. I think I would love to be a nurse and have worked in a hospital much earlier in my career. Now I work at an insurance company handling claims. :yawn:

I have BA in Political Science (not very useful) and work fulltime M-F 8-5pm.

Is there really a big difference between getting my ADN or my BSN? I would be 42-43 before I can actually become a nurse and think I may end up taking a pay cut to start. Is it ridiculous to become a nurse at 42 or 43?

Are you all exhausted at the end of the day - on your feet all the time?

Any tips or recommendations for someone just considering starting out?

Anything you regret or wish you had known before you became a nurse?

it will be difficult for me because I'll have to balance working full time and nursing school.

Any thoughts are welcome!!! Thanks.

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Dear Amie,

The question you need to answer for yourself is, "Do I really want to be a nurse?" If the answer is, "Yes," then go for it. But if you're not sure, hold off.

Nursing school is tough. You'll need to be ready to miss sleep, particularly if you're working full time.

Recommend you start taking the sciences you'll need to qualify for clinicals. That will give you some taste for what lies ahead.

If you decide nursing is for you, go for the ADN first. You can go for the BSN after you are an RN.

Good luck!

R,

CareerThree (I'm more than 20 years your senior and am starting my nursing career. I love it.)

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Specializes in ob/gyn med /surg.

i've been a nurse for 24 years and i am exhausted by the end of the day and my first day off i hang around in my jammies. i spend the day watching tv and crawling into bed to sleep. the cat and i are a good pair that first day off.

yes my feet sometimes hurt the full 3 days i work. i wear compression stockings and that helps. no it's not unrealistic to be a nurse at 42 or older. i thinks it's awesome and i commend you !!

no regrets becoming a nurse, mom was a nurse for 50 years , sisters are nurses . i just grew up with it, it's really the only thing i know how to do.

please keep us posted on your schooling and how you are doing !!

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That's what I'm trying to decide - I'm not always the most compassionate person...but I'm really interested in science and am good at multitasking!

I figure I can take my pre-reqs and they'll transfer wherever I decide to go.

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Specializes in ob/gyn med /surg.
That's what I'm trying to decide - I'm not always the most compassionate person...but I'm really interested in science and am good at multitasking!

I figure I can take my pre-reqs and they'll transfer wherever I decide to go.

you sound like you will be a fine nurse. we all have our moments of having not enough compassion.. you are only human... and you are good at multitasking... thats what it is all about. lol... please look into it and keep me posted. i am happy for you !! you can do this !!:yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah:

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Specializes in PACU, ED.

Another thing to consider, you can volunteer at a local hospital. I did that when I was taking my pre-reqs. I only had to commit to going in 4 hours a week so I became the Tuesday afternoon PACU volunteer. I liked what I saw and after I got my CNA I took a tech position in PACU. Now I'm a nurse in PACU and love it there. As a volunteer you can switch to another area if you don't like the one you've chosen. They won't let you switch too often though so choose a spot you think you'd like. Also, when a test or something came up I could call off and nobody gave me any grief. After all, I was an unpaid volunteer!:wink2:

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