58 years old - Am I too old to start nursing school??

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Dear OP,

Read it all, weigh it all, and remember...many of us go an entire shift without the opportunity to urinate.

Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

Only you can decide but do weight it carefully. Read the thread from Nurse Beth on age discrimination. Be sure you REALLY want to go through all that because there is most certainly ageism in nursing, like all over the USA. Beth provided some good ideas in order not to "appear" too old, but frankly, it's gonna take you no less than 2-4 years just to get through nursing school, THEN you are starting out new and providing you have the energy for the rigors of nursing school, you will need to have even more for your job.

Most places where new grads start out, like acute care or long term care come with the requirement you be able to lift a certain amount. And to go long hours without food/drink or bathroom breaks. There was one job where I had to demonstrate ability to lift and move 50lb before they would hire me. (it was LTC).

Right off the back, I would go for my bachelor's in nursing, if I were you, because in many places that is what is being required. Also, you won't advance beyond the staff nurse level in most places without at least your BSN.

Again, time may or not be on your side. You have to decide how much energy you have and if you really want to put yourself through all that it takes to be a nurse.

Good luck and whatever you decide, I wish you the best.

Specializes in LTC, Rehab.

Not only do I think the 'it costs hospitals $100K to train a new nurse (and therefore why would they want to do that with an older hire)' argument to be not only wrong, but backwards. I think it is MORE likely that an older new nurse is going to stay several years with the same facility, thus enabling the hospital to 'recoup' their investment.

My LTC facility probably spent more like $1k (I'm not joking) training me, and I'm about to hit 2.5 years there, which - amazingly, to me - puts me there longer than probably 75% of the nurses currently there.

One more thing: Will nursing school be a hardship for you? Can you pay for it and are not dependent upon finding a job right away? If you do not succeed or cannot find a job, will you be saddled with crushing debt?

I see older nurses at my job with yearrrrsss of experience that always say " whose gonna hire an old lady?" Ageism unfortunately is real and is probably very discouraging but is it there so know you will deal with it unfair or not.

I am 57 (58 when I graduate with my BSN), and this subject is obviously close to my heart. To complicate matters, I'm also male, which makes me "non-traditional" in more ways than one. It has been a tough few years, as I got my last degree in 1982, and there have been many changes in schooling as well as in me over the intervening decades. However, I have to believe there is a niche out there somewhere for someone like us. One of the biggest reasons I chose nursing as a second (third? Fourth?) career is the tremendous breadth of professional options under the "nursing" umbrella. I don't expect to have the stamina of my 23 year old compatriots, or their natural ease with social networking (we used to call it "talking"), but I feel very strongly I have a great deal I can bring to my patients. I might end up behind a desk or in some other non-floor-nurse position, but I will still be helping people, which is the point.

I say go do it. I refuse to be shelved, pigeonholed, or ignored after all these years I have spent growing up. A job or career is what you make of it; we might have different hurdles than a 23 year old, but they are just that: different. Not impossible, not even necessarily higher, just different. If you can physically get through school, then go forth and contribute!

I'm sure there are other articles out there.

I am 53 and currently a CNA. I began that journey when I was 51. I definitely plan on doing an ADN program in the very near future. However, I don't look my age, I workout and eat well. I think prayer, attitude and keeping fit goes a long way. I feel age discrimination all the time. It's hard starting over. I have no husband or children to fall back on so I have to take care of me. I choose to be a LVN. I think I can...I think I can! Be positive!

I totally agree with this entire post. I don't post much as homework for school and working takes all my time away from any of 'my' reading. I'm 53 and finishing my first year of nursing school, I'm a PCT on an extremely hard med-surg floor at one of the trauma hospitals in my state. I will bring 3 years of PCT med-surg hands on experience to the floor once I'm a nurse. I'm lucky as my floor teaches (we are a teaching hospital) so when I go to school I've either had hands on skills (from my PCT school which for my state was very advanced) or I have the ability to follow a nurse and learn what he/she does.

Being a PCT, I don't like it, it's back breaking work and there are some nurses who treat us like crap - but then some are totally appreciative and work with us like we are honored guests. This allows me to learn what kind of nurse I WON'T be.

Anyways, I don't think age has anything to do with it - the younger kids in class (thats anyone under 30 for me and are my daughters ages) scoff at first at my experience and think this old lady will be gone - and when they don't understand whats going on, they come to me for advice or help. They ask me how do you do it? School is my second job, and I have to prioritize and I have to lose things that I want to do (like seeing my boyfriend, visiting my daughters out of state, seeing my grandson) but I will be able to do that after school is done.

I don't know everything, I ask questions all the time, I doubt my knowledge all the time, I doubt I'll be able to make it to the floor all the time - this is all normal - there are days when I think I'll never be able to do it, but I will. I will learn the critical thinking.

So after this long post, is 58 too old? Nope, 58 is young - I look at it this way - my Dad is 84, has his own business, still drives back and forth between LA and San Fran 3x a month - travels the world, walks up to 6 miles a day.....is 84 old? 58 is the new 30 - 84 is the new 50 :)

I encourage you to relax and persevere.

I met many a nursing student in school who suffered both physically and mental ailments while in school.

Moreover, many of those nurses were in their 20's.

Your ability to be excellent nurse does not hinge on your age, gender, race, creed, sexual or religious preference.

If you have the training, demand excellence in your work and if your genuinely care about patients, I would like to encourage you to go for it.

Not every nurse works in a hospital. Some work in clinics, dialysis centers, research, and private care, on board cruise lines just to mention a few. Do not limit your scope when seeking a position.

In addition, sell yourself in interviews as your life experience will be an invaluable tool when employing critical thinking.

It may be that this is the first time in your life that your are not caring for children, planning maternity leave or applying for one job with your eye on another. Likely at this stage you plan to make this your final career stop….hence, your employer will invest in an employee who plans to be a permanent part of the team.

Take care of your health, then get back on your horse….and carry on.

From another 58 y/o who just finished nursing school.

"The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself." FDR

Specializes in Wound care; CMSRN.

Yes you are, but don't let that stop you. I'm 62 and I got my license in June; passed the NCLEX on the first try; computer stopped at 78 questions. That and $4.50 will get me a latte' at Starbucks.

Depending on whether you've already got recent college under your belt; how good your math, science and critical thinking skills, etc. are; whether you intend to get a BSN before you start actually nursing; whether or not you'll have to work while going to school; how supportive your SO is; all those things play in to the end result.

If you can get a hospital with a residency program to give you a contingent scholarship and you get a BSN and you've got college under your belt already with a 3.5+ GPA, you should be golden. Otherwise, you may work really hard (nursing school is not a cakewalk for most) and end up having a hard time finding a job.

One possibility that might make it easier is getting an LPN and then doing a bridge. Our bridge students seemed to have a slightly easier time of it and there are lots of jobs out there for LPN's; you can take nursing for a test drive without a huge investment and get good clinical experience in the bargain that does pay off down the road.

Just my two cents. Good luck! The brain exercise alone was probably worth the trouble.

Something you might do in the meantime is get a CNA job! Depending on the state you live in, training can be free or very cheap, and short! Good way to get up close and personal with the wonderful world of Nursing. Don't expect to live on your paychecks though.:roflmao:

I was 61 when I graduated from nursing school for an associates degree. I started taking prerequisites 3 years before and got accepted a year later based on good grades. God has been my rock though the whole process though I did have a lot of anxiety. I got A's until my senior year and then B's in my nursing courses. I passed the NCLEX the first try. I did have a hard time getting hired a job 5 interviews and then an operating room manager hired me and gave me a chance. The training before going on call and being completely independent as a circulator for me was 13 months. I still blame my gray hair for not getting the first 5 jobs but that is not provable but I look at it as God putting me where he wanted and I am happy to be where I am. Am I lucky. No my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has blessed me. I am planning on short term missions starting next year. I work Thursday, Friday and Saturday for 12 hours and take call one night a week and am normally the only nurse on Saturday (which means I do charge at that time) It is challenging but rewarding. I love my 4 days off together too.

Andrew Little

"Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any one thing." Abraham Lincoln

Having done a reality check--financial investment vs. ROI vs. debt vs. ageism vs. experience vs. job market vs. competition, etc.-- , at 48 I changed careers and started the long nursing school journey. What I've experienced was more negative attitude from my nursing school peers than on my clinical rotations. During school I managed to volunteer weekends at a local hospital and now know many people there. Doing this is a two-fold win: I get to feel out the people who work there and they get to know me as a worker and quasi-colleague. I would suggest volunteering before you make your decision, just to get your feet wet, and again once you're in nursing school (schedule permitting, of course!). Nursing school is very challenging, and I'm lucky that I have a supportive family. The "money out" vs. "no money in" question has kept me up at night, worrying about retirement, being in debt 'till I'm 100, etc. It's a lot to consider. But as Knute said (and per current business theory) "energy is the currency"! Do as much as you can to increase your energy "capital"-physical & mental- and present yourself as a dynamic, flexible, and positive person. These qualities are always desirable, despite one's age.

Best of luck in whatever you decide!

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