Older professional just starting out

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I am a 45 year old man who has been in the legal field for 17 years. After experiencing the great number of individuals who have challenges in life, and how those challenges leave them stuck in hurt, pain and mental anguish, I realized that Mental Health Nursing could be the career for me. Thus, I'm embarking on a career as a Mental Health Psychiatric Nurse. I'm excited, looking forward to the process and I believe I will achieve my goal. I always research any interest that I have so during my research of careers in psychiatric nursing, I came upon this site. I would love to hear from other male nurses and/or male nurses who started the career late in life.

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Specializes in CCM, PHN.

In one thread you say you want to be a psych nurse, in another you say you want to be a nurse practitioner. Which is it? Granted, you'll have to start by being a nurse, but if your ultimate intention is to go all the way to NP, that changes the audience for your questions quite a bit.

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Specializes in Cardiac.

Good for you! I just finished my psych rotation in school and really enjoyed it! I could see myself working in psych at some point, although cardiac is my first love.

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You are correct. I would have to go to nursing school before I can go to get my Masters in Pychiatric Nursing. So, my intended audience would be both Nurses in general and Psychiatric Nurses more specifically. I do appreciate you stopping by and responding to my post.

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Congratulations. What nursing school are you attending and which degree will you be getting?

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Specializes in CCM, PHN.
You are correct. I would have to go to nursing school before I can go to get my Masters in Pychiatric Nursing. So my intended audience would be both Nurses in general and Psychiatric Nurses more specifically. I do appreciate you stopping by and responding to my post.[/quote']

There's really no such thing as a "Masters in Psychiatric Nursing." There are Masters of Nursing degrees that then make you eligible for a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner certification, and there are Advanced Practice and Clinical Nurse Specialist exams you can sit for through the ANCC after taking and passing qualifying coursework. Just FYI. Details like this are important, especially to this crowd.

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Thank you for your follow up. However, I did read some things that said you get a Masters in Nurse Practitioner on Psychiatry. Nonetheless , I do appreciate your follow up.

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I became an LPN in 2010, after 33 years in media. I was 48. I worked for a urologist for a couple of years and then went back to school to become an RN. I worked on a hospital ortho floor for a year after getting my RN -- and then briefly for a clinic, but was recently terminated ''because it just isn't working out'', according to my supervisor. So I'm 54 now, an RN, and pretty rattled by having been fired. Taking a little time off to regroup. I do like being a nurse, but it seems there's quite a bit of hormone-driven drama in most medical settings. A doctor I know calls it the ''hen-house mentality.'' ;)

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Specializes in critical care, ER,ICU, CVSURG, CCU.

oh, i so understand hen house mentality

i think that after obtaining your RN, if you were to be fortunate to land an mental health nursing job, that would be ideal, if possible consider Vet.Hospital systems......... i have a female nurse friend who is a nurse practioner, with psyc speciality.......who works for a metropolitan Veteran Hosp........ nearby.......

if i was still as young as you, i would be pursuing similar academic pursuits, but at 65+, i can not justify the cost........vs the #years i would continue to practice }}smiles{{ another avenue where ther is a shortage of NP with psyc specility is geriatric, LTC\ nursing homes, and will be a bigger demand as us baby boomers age......

i know you ask for male nurse reply, but I have 4+decades of nursing experience, feeling i have my hand on the pulse of our profession :yes:

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Specializes in ER, ICU.

I got my RN over 40 and it has worked out very well for me. Don't get too hung up on long range goals yet as you might find another area of nursing that you like, or an opportunity might come your way. Get your RN and if you are still interested in psych when you graduate pursue that. Once you are in it you will be able to judge if you still want to be an NP. At one time I thought NP would be perfect for me but I have reevaluated and like being an educator (MSN). Nursing has so many opportunities. With your legal background you would perfect for legal nurse consulting, once you have some nursing experience. Keep an open mind and I'm sure you will find your way. Good luck.

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There's really no such thing as a "Masters in Psychiatric Nursing." There are Masters of Nursing degrees that then make you eligible for a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner certification, and there are Advanced Practice and Clinical Nurse Specialist exams you can sit for through the ANCC after taking and passing qualifying coursework. Just FYI. Details like this are important, especially to this crowd.

I've been a psych CNS for 20 years now, and my degree is, in fact, a Master's in psychiatric nursing, and that's how I've always described it. For the OP's info, the psych CNS credential is being "retired" by the ANCC this year, and, going forward, psych NP will be the only advanced practice role/credential available in psychiatric nursing (those of us who are already psych CNSs will be able to maintain our credential, but the ANCC isn't going to offer the exam anymore).

As other posters have noted, lots of people start nursing school confident that they know exactly what specialty interest they want to pursue, and, by the time they get through nursing school and have some exposure to lots of different clinical areas and roles, they find they are more interested in something entirely different. I encourage the OP to keep an open mind. Most people have no idea how many different roles and career paths are available in nursing until they're actually in nursing.

Best wishes for your journey!

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In 17 months when I complete my B.S.N. I will be 50 years old. I already work with at-risk kids in a non-medical mental health capacity. Because I have done mental health care for children and have done well with it I have a certain comfort level with that challenging environment.

Many years ago I was an EMT at a college as well.

My desire is to move on to a D.N.P. program as soon as possible after getting licensed as an R.N.

I want to be realistic about my future opportunities. In your experience what types of nursing do "seasoned" entry-level candidates typically get in to?

If you were older (40+) when starting out, how have you leveraged your life experience to establish your nursing career?

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