Nursing school at age 50

[maddy50]

Hi, after many years in the health care field I am considering going back to school to become an RN. I am 50 and in very good health, how ever I worry that because of my age insturctors, and nurses training me will automatically have doubts on my ability to do the job. I also worry about getting hired as a new nurse because of my age. I would really appreciate honest opinions and concerns. It is something I would really like to do and hope that my age will not be an issue.

thank you maddy50

[SENSUALBLISSINFL, BSN, RN]

And as to whether I might get admitted to NS, well, you know, my first hospital job was before oxygen had been discovered.

@ Chorkle...this comment made me laugh, I love that kind of humor.

Love and Light.

[chorkle]

SB--

Love and Light.

Thank you, thank you.

One of my E.R. Tech friends told me, before I started on prereqs, that I would have to take Chemisty again because, he said, they had probably discovered a few heavier-than-air elements since I took Chemistry the first time.

[Clodhopper]

SB--

...that I would have to take Chemisty again because, he said, they had probably discovered a few heavier-than-air elements since I took Chemistry the first time.

Hii Chorkle, I actually giggled seeing this 'advice!" Whatever some exotic thing that some scientist has cooked up in a particle accelerator or nuclear reactor over the past 30 years is not going to make a world of difference to nursing. Such exotic elements lasts milliseconds (or less)

Back to whether or not you should feel that you should take a refresher in chemistry (I did for human biology, prior to taking A&P I), it come down to how much do you remember/retain? You really do not need to have a heavy duty knowledge of chemistry to get through A&P & micro. You do need to know about ions and how chemical reactions balance and the basics of organic chemistry... very basic stuff.

With that, A&P will tie these things together, like how carbs digest into sugars or proteins into amino acids, etc.

- my experience anyway.

[viragofire]

I am an RN with an associate's degree. I have alot of experience in critical care and management but I would like to get my BSN and then become a APRN. But I am 57 years old and in good health. Am I too old?

[Kimynurse]

Maddy,

I became a LPN at 40

I'll get my RN ADN at 45- I start a 2 year program in January.

BSN god willing at 50- I have more pre-recs then 2 years for a RN-BSN

You can do it, follow your heart

[jean66]

so I've worked in healthcare for 30 years, I'm 52 is there nursing programs for those older then 50? is there financial assistance for us? or is it frowned upon? am I too late to even think of it? recently lost my job and I'm tired of it, everyone says I should've become a nurse years ago.............ideas? advice? help?? thanks.

[Hannahbanana, BSN, MSN]

I posted this a long time ago, but still true.

My oldest student was 63. She had been married for forty years to a man who told her she was stupid and worthless and never let her do anything she wanted to do, least of all nursing school. And when the old b****** died she took the insurance money and went to nursing school.

She was a typical student in some ways, except although she was new to nursing she was not new to life. In that she was years and years ahead of the 18-year-old chickies fresh out of high school who were her classmates. She had experienced the vicissitudes of life over decades, lost parents and grandparents, had raised kids, and so much else, so she could identify stressors and situations in patients, and they trusted her to listen to them more than someone whose hair wasn't already well along on its way to white.

Another friend went to med school at 32. when people said, "You'll be forty by the time you finish!" She said, "I'll be forty anyway." Good attitude.

Go for it.