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Discussion

old to be a nurse???

Hey Male and Female Nurses,

I am 39 and decided to become an LPN, but I also am an epileptic. I know I am not as young as most starting out in the field and do have a disability. Would they both hinder my chances at becoming a nurse? There is a community college in my area that offers classes, but I wonder what will be my chances at getting a job after I finish and pass the certification needed. I do not want to go into this blindly and waste my time schooling to find out it cannot happen.

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    I turn 40 in July, and in August I start nursing school. I'm a type 1 diabetic on an insulin pump. We can do this.

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    • Admin

    Welcome to AN! Many older nursing students have succeeded. Some nursing students have graduated in the 50s or 60s. Career changers are not a new phenomenon in nursing. As for the epilepsy, that would be a discussion best had with your health care provider.

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    I have a co-worker with epilepsy in the Peds ICU. She is well-controlled and I didn't even know it for a couple of years. I also went to LPN school back in the day with a 58 year old woman who graduated, passed the state board exam and practiced well into her 70s.

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    I just turned 46 - also a mid life career change :) - and will graduate Friday from nursing school. And I have already been offered a job and start with hospital orientation next Monday.

    So NO you are not too old :)

    Best of luck.

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    Is your epilepsy well controlled? Are you cleared to drive? If not, you may have major challenges getting to your clinical training sites. The primary concern for any state board & potential employer will be patient safety. If everything is under control, they won't have any concerns about patient risk due to your disability - so it should all be good.

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    at 28, I am one of the YOUNGEST in my LPN to RN bridge program. You will do just fine! Hell, look at this way, with the way health insurance and social security is going, you will be work at least another 30 years, plenty of time to pay back those loans.

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