OLD RN of 58 needs career advice please!

CseMgr1, ASN, RN · Jun 8, 2005

You are NEVER too old! Hey, I just turned 54 yesterday, and will be starting a new job next week with a case management company after working 4-1/2 years for a HMO. Prior to that, I worked for 18 years in Home Health and in acute care before that. As an experienced educator, you have a LOT to offer especially in disease and case management, for more and more companies are looking for ways to cut their health care costs. Check out this website. It will tell you everything you need to know about case management. Good luck! :)

http://www.ccmcertification.org/

llg, PhD, RN · Jun 8, 2005

I think the best thing I can say to you right now is ...

You don't get anywhere until you make a decision.

You seem to be paralyzed in trying to make a decision because you are looking for the "best choice" right now. There might not be a "best choice" right now. There may be only choices -- not of which is perfect. You may have to simply pick one, give it try, and then alter your path based on how it goes, understanding that the first choice you make might not work out as well as you hope.

You need to pick a specialty for yourself and then talk to the people who do hiring for that type of job. See if they will hire you (probably as a beginner-level nurse) as you are now. If not, ask them what you would have to do to get hired. You may have to take a job that is not your first choice at first and/or work a schedule that is not your first choice, but you need to start putting one foot in front of the other and simply get a job that will get you started. After 6 months to a year, you will have the experience you need to move on to whatever better suits your fancy.

If you will be moving within a year, it is probably best to focus on getting a job in your new locale. Use the time in your old home to perhaps take another refresher course ... or take a single relevant class as a special student at a local college (sometimes possible) ... or do some relevant volunteer work. But you could be talking with people in your new locale now and learning from them what they would like you to in order for them to hire you.

With your background in education ... have you thought about non-RN jobs in a children's hospital? We have school teachers who work with the kids in the hospital rather than in the school environment. We also have a Child Life department that provides invaluable service to children helping them cope with their illnesses and hospitalization. You may need only a class or two to get the qualifications you would need to qualify for those jobs -- maybe none at all. Talk to the local children's hospital and listen to what they have to say.

But most of all ... just make a decision and give it a try. Then, based on your experience with that first decision, keep moving forward.

Good luck,

llg

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Jun 8, 2005

No, you are definitely NOT too old! I wouldn't recommend med/surg nursing, because it's so draining physically and mentally and the workloads can be absolutely horrendous. But with a refresher course (check with your state board of nursing as to where these are offered and what the requirements are) and your background in teaching, you could do very well as a pediatric nurse, staff development coordinator, diabetic educator, or clinical instructor.

Best of luck to you.......and BTW, welcome back to nursing!!

mattsmom81 · Jun 9, 2005

Gosh will all your education background, I hope you will consider becoming a nursing educator...we desperately need them!! Your classroon expertise would make you perfect for lecture hall!! Good luck to you! :)

mstigerlily · Jun 9, 2005

You are NOT TOO OLD! What about nursing educator or teaching nursing at a community college or program? Call local hospitals and see if they have re-entry preceptorship/classes/programs for RNs. I think you would make a great nurse educator, nursing instructor, peds or psych nurse. Avoid med-surg!

Melissa

I have posted my situation before, so I am sorry if any of this is redundant. I am trying to get back into nursing, and I have continued to be confused. Any advice would be VERY much appreciated please.
I graduated from school with a BSN 35 years ago. I am 58 years old, but I look and feel very young. I worked as a school nurse teacher for two years when I first graduated. I then went into teaching and taught elementary school for 30 years. I did extremely well, and I have an MA and many post graduate credits in education. Four years ago, due to being cheated on and abandoned by my husband of 32 years, I had a nervous breakdown and was hospitalized. During that time, I watched what the psych. nurses did and became obsessed with the idea of returning to nursing. (I retired from teaching right after the nervous breakdown.) Throughout my whole ordeal with major depression, going back to nursing was the only thing that made me feel better. I took a refresher course in nursing. I loved it and did quite well considering my lack of experience and how long ago I graduated from nursing school. Although I was very interested in psych, I also enjoyed taking care of all different types of clients. I needed that refresher course to continue for a lot longer than 6 weeks. As soon as i was just beginning to get the hang of it, it was over. I was offered a job( nights-ortho), but I did not feel confident enough in my ability to take it. Since then, I have been through two surgeries for a prolapsed retun and then adhesions, and I am getting remarried next month. I am physically and mentally better, and I STILL want to return to nursing. I am currently registered in the state of NY.
I believe that I need more education before getting a job. i have looked into everything i can think of, and I just keep getting more and more confused. I have looked into MS programs in everything from psych to management. I know-how can I manage something i have no experience with? I have looked into online programs in particular, because I will be living in Fla. and NY within a year. I have looked into the Kaplan case management course, but I don't think anyone would hire me without floor experience. I have thought of taking another refresher course. I have thought I would like so many different specialties-psych., rehabilitation, long term care, pediatric psych., diabetus educator, case management, informatics etc.
The bottom line is that I am 58 years old, have experience with children, am an excellent teacher(was teacher of the year in 1996)am very organized and detail oriented, love paper work, love the computer, love to work hard, am very compassionate and loving and love to help people.. The only areas that I would find too stressful would be the ED, oncology and hospice care.
The advice I need is:
1. What kind of education would be good for me? How can I update myself? Would a nursing master's be ridiculous with no clinical experience? Would another refresher course help even though it would just be 6 weeks again? Are there any online courses that you think would benefit me?
2. What type of nursing do you think would be best for someone in my position and at my age?
3. Do you think I am TOO OLD and should give up my dream that I never fullfilled. Don't get me wrong-I loved my teaching career-I have just had enough and want to go back to nursing.
Any advice would be GREATLY APPRECIATED. If you think I am TOO OLD, please tell me. I need to know and make realistic decisions.

ZZTopRN, BSN, RN · Jun 17, 2005

You are NOT TOO OLD! What about nursing educator or teaching nursing at a community college or program? Call local hospitals and see if they have re-entry preceptorship/classes/programs for RNs. I think you would make a great nurse educator, nursing instructor, peds or psych nurse. Avoid med-surg!
Melissa

Hi: I'm over 60. Was encouraged by a psych hospital I was volunteering for a year to renew my RN license that I had let lapse. Studied for a few months and retook the NCLEX and passed. I also am very healthy and have good stamina as I work out regularly. I missed the only refresher course in San Diego in January and a new one does not start until September.

Meanwhile, I have applied at a few hospitals hoping to work psych but they want experience and I have seen none that seem to be interested in re-entry nurses. I have been out for 10 years.

I was encouraged to apply at the hospital I was volunteering in as they would teach me, but now there are changes going on, like going to a free-standing hospital, and confusion about how many patients to admit pending what is going to happen. I have always worked med/surg but would not want to go back to it.

It is curious that new graduates get long preceptorships, but not re-entry nurses with years of experience. Just remembering some of my nursing experience was a great help with passing the boards.

I did work a lot of agency also. And I did work corrections. It was a lot easier that med-surg ever was. Although I did work in the infirmarym it was not as acute as a hospital would be. I guess I'm going to have to pound the pavement a little bit harder.

Anyone from San Diego with any knowledge that I might use?

Thanks for any info.

military spouse · Jun 17, 2005

When I worked for hospice, we had a male nurse that turned 65 and he used to joke that if the census went down he WAS hospice-eligible d/t his newfound Medicare status. :rotfl: Hospice has some great positions that seem to require a caring attitude, perhaps more than experienced nursing skills. You can learn about symptom mgt. in a short-period of time and you usually are dealing with one patient at a time. The physical work is minimal compared to that in a hospital. I absolutely loved my time with hospice and we even had one nurse that was older than 65.

ZZTopRN, BSN, RN · Jun 17, 2005

When I worked for hospice, we had a male nurse that turned 65 and he used to joke that if the census went down he WAS hospice-eligible d/t his newfound Medicare status. :rotfl: Hospice has some great positions that seem to require a caring attitude, perhaps more than experienced nursing skills. You can learn about symptom mgt. in a short-period of time and you usually are dealing with one patient at a time. The physical work is minimal compared to that in a hospital. I absolutely loved my time with hospice and we even had one nurse that was older than 65.

Hi military spouse:

Thanks for your response. ONE patient to deal with? Did you work in hospice a long time? What was it you loved about your job? Although there were times in the past when I was working for agencies that I did some hospice work but I stopped any hospice work because I could not work with any young patients because my 18-year-old son suffered a tragic death, but that was 20-years-ago. Time heals a lot, though.

I just might look into this. Thank you.

mstigerlily · Jun 17, 2005

I am in San Diego, I work at Scripps La Jolla. I am a new grad so I don't know much about the re-entry programs but I had a returning RN in my new grad class (we had 10 weeks of classes once a week) and she was at every single one and went to the cardiac floor. They seemed very supportive of returning RNs.

Melissa

Hi: I'm over 60. Was encouraged by a psych hospital I was volunteering for a year to renew my RN license that I had let lapse. Studied for a few months and retook the NCLEX and passed. I also am very healthy and have good stamina as I work out regularly. I missed the only refresher course in San Diego in January and a new one does not start until September.
Meanwhile, I have applied at a few hospitals hoping to work psych but they want experience and I have seen none that seem to be interested in re-entry nurses. I have been out for 10 years.
I was encouraged to apply at the hospital I was volunteering in as they would teach me, but now there are changes going on, like going to a free-standing hospital, and confusion about how many patients to admit pending what is going to happen. I have always worked med/surg but would not want to go back to it.
It is curious that new graduates get long preceptorships, but not re-entry nurses with years of experience. Just remembering some of my nursing experience was a great help with passing the boards.
I did work a lot of agency also. And I did work corrections. It was a lot easier that med-surg ever was. Although I did work in the infirmarym it was not as acute as a hospital would be. I guess I'm going to have to pound the pavement a little bit harder.
Anyone from San Diego with any knowledge that I might use?
Thanks for any info.

Trauma Columnist · Jun 17, 2005

Welcome back - I don't have anything add to these valuable posts.

ZZTopRN, BSN, RN · Jun 17, 2005

I am in San Diego, I work at Scripps La Jolla. I am a new grad so I don't know much about the re-entry programs but I had a returning RN in my new grad class (we had 10 weeks of classes once a week) and she was at every single one and went to the cardiac floor. They seemed very supportive of returning RNs.
Melissa

Mstigerlilly:

I see that they have dozens of jobs for RNs at Scripps and Sharp. I think that my problem might be that I haven't had a refresher course and can't get into one until fall and I think it lasts about four months but I will call them both and see if I can somehow wiggle a foot in the door. I really like what you said about them being supportive of re-entry nurses. I have volunteered at one of Sharps psych hospitals and have applied to about 3 other psych hospitals and they all want "experience or refresher course." It seems like I'm in a bad spot, but I guess I'll just have to work harder.

Thanks again.