Nursing student at 60

[sandralantrip]

At this time I am a Registered Medical Assistant. With little experience I cannot get a decent job close to home. I still have a 16 year old to raise, and my husband passed away from cancer. I need to go back to school so I can make enough money to support us, and I want to do nursing. By the time I do CNA and prerequisites I will be 60. Is that crazy? I have no retirement, and I know that social security will not be enough. I have stayed pretty active, and I plan on working well into my 80's. I would love to hear all opinions. Thank you and God bless!

[RN403, BSN, RN]

I am so sorry to hear about the loss of your husband.

I will start off by saying that you are never too old to do anything. Age is truly just a number. As long as you are alive you have a life to live. So do what is best for you (and your family) and do what will make you happy regardless of what your age says you are capable of, or rather, what we all seem to think it says about our capabilities.

I personally know an amazing woman who received her BSN last year at 60 years young. So to answer your question, NO, you would not be too old. If you feel that you are physically capable of doing it, then heck, go for it.

I wish you only the best and I hope that you do what you want to do and ignore that silly little number that we allow to mean so much.

[brattygrl]

I was a CNA for almost 10 years before mustering up the courage to go to nursing school.

I think you can absolutely accomplish this goal. Nursing Homes may be a bit hard on your back, regardless of age. Assisted Living facilities or Home Health are great long term options.

Good luck to you and God bless!

[caliotter3]

Your biggest problem could be your health, but that is almost entirely within your control. If you do not have a personal physical fitness program in place, then do this for yourself, whether or not you start the nursing ladder. Once you get a CNA certificate, if your state has a home health aide certificate, obtain that. You can do home health care and limit your physical job requirements to that for one patient at a time. Then, look at LPN/LVN. You can continue working in extended care home health and can earn a decent living while only being responsible for one patient at a time. Limiting (if you want to look at it that way) your job situation to one patient, is the only concession I would make at this stage of life. And if you feel up to it, you can do a stint in a long term care facility for the experience to put on your resume. And yes, there are nurses as well as a few nursing assistants who work in the high stress ltc area who are in their 70's, so it can be done. But again, the biggest drawback could be your physical health. So, good luck!

[Pangea Reunited, ASN, RN]

It's not crazy, but it might not be a good investment.

Will you have to take out loans to go to school?

How's the job market in your area?

Are you prepared to move (as a new graduate) if the job market in your area is poor?

Do you plan on getting your ADN or BSN?

Do you plan on being a floor nurse? I've seen a few floor nurses in their 60's, but none in their 70's or 80's. I'm not saying they aren't out there, just that its less common to be able to work on the floor at those ages. Higher level (non-floor) nursing jobs often require a BSN or MSN and years of experience.

As a new graduate, you're also less likely to have your choice of specialty and shift. Most new grads are offered med/surge positions (if they find work) and a lot of new grads start on a 7PM to 7AM shift regardless of their preference.

I didn't go to school until my mid to late 30's and struggled with all the "does this make sense" questions. In the end, I decided that it did. I'm not sure it would have made sense for me at age 60, though. It might make sense for you, but it's not something to take lightly ...especially if you're going to end up in debt. Good luck with whatever you decide :)