bigcanoe

Thank you! The only reason I can think of to get a Masters would be so I could teach at a community college. I would enjoy that. I have no desire to progress further in this field otherwise.

Hey guys, I a 42 year old male. I have been a computer programmer for the last 20 years. I am thinking of doing something completely different for the next 20. I have narrowed down my field of interest, and nursing is in the top two. I like the idea of helping people, more social interaction, and the technical aspect of the job. Do you think that taking a feeler course, or volunteering at a hospital would give me a better feel for what the job entails and what the work environment might be like? I appreciate any advice!

So you were able to take night/weekend classes? Or is your job flexible enough to work around classes?

How do those of you with kids at home, bills to pay, etc do it? How do you find the time and the money to retrain for a nursing career? Do you do it a little at a time, or save save save and do it all at once?

NC Girl RN, can you send me a message with your email, I want to ask you some questions please!

Wow, that is lucky for me, having a school that close!

Wow, thanks for the informative post! I am in central NC, around Sanford. I am guessing by your name, you are from the same state

Hello all! I am a 40+ year old computer programmer considering a job in nursing. I have a B.A. in Computer Science with a 3.5 GPA. What are my options for getting into nursing? Are there any career paths that could leverage my computer skills? Any advice appreciated!

cityhawk, I would love to speak to you more about your decision, since we have VERY similar work backgrounds! Would you mind if I email or message you here?

I went to college close to home, and it was a liberal arts college, so I ended up with a BA. Maybe thats a good thing, I dunno :) I most likely make better money as a programmer, so I can honestly say its not for the money! I will start researching local schools who have nursing programs. I assume since this is a hands on field, its not a distance learning kind of degree

Awsome! So do you start by finding a school, it would seem thats how figure out the pre-reqs right? Do they look at your college degree and transcript and help you plan out a path to take?

Hi everyone, I am 41 years old, I have been a computer programmer for almost 20 years. For the last 14 years I have been at the same company. Its large enough that I have been able to bounce around internally, trying different projects every couple years. I am searching for something, and I am not finding it here. I am ready to consider a new career. I dont really plan to retire, but I want to do something new with my life. I have been considering teaching and nursing. I like people, I think I relate well to others, and have a good sensitivity. Nursing appeals to me because of the aspect of helping others, the large number of jobs in the career, the lack of outsourcing, and the good pay. How do you begin researching? There seem to be lots of options as far as specialty, and even degree? I have a B.A. in Computer Science, with alot of math courses, but I havent been in a college course for years! Any advice or encouragement appreciated :) Thanks!