The Nursinator

I graduated from nursing school at age 56. I was not the oldest person in my class. The average age of our class was 37. Maybe you should re-think the idea of being too old. Good luck!

I'm working as a unit secretary while in nursing school and love it. Most of my co-workers are friendly and team players. The one who was not made everyone near her miserable and was fired after repeated warnings. I took the job because that was the closest I could get to the floor without being a CNA. Now that I can do both, I rarely work as a CNA because I can learn more and do more good for the nursing staff as a unit secretary. The unit secretary job has taught me so much about meds, labs, orders, procedures and protocols and has put me way ahead of the power curve in school. It has also given me a chance to work with every nurse and MD on the unit - a great way to see the good and not-so-good that I'll eventually be working with. One high point of being a unit secretary is the contact with patients and their families as they pass the desk. I look like one of the doctors so I get lots of questions. I am commonly asked what my job title is if I am not an MD and I reply that I am the "lowest of the low - but very good at it." I keep a selection of gourmet coffees for those who need a cup of really good coffee. (Trained at Howard Johnson's.); offer directions and suggest hotels and restaurants for those new to the area. (Former cab driver.); fix broken wheelchairs, printers, copiers, televisions, etc. (All-around handy guy with Leatherman tool.) Yes, I do offer advice when asked based on my extensive studies with Robert Young. (Watched "Father Knows Best" and "Marcus Welby".) I respect the unt secretaries who do the job as a career. They all have their approaches that we can learn from. Be nice to them and they can save your day. I recommend working as a unit secretary for anyone who is going on to nursing or med school. It's a way to get paid to learn many of the things that you'll be paying tuition to learn later on.

I'm still in nursing school but my size and gray hair have prompted frequent questions as to my job title. With my best Arnold Schwarzenegger voice impression, I explain how I have been sent to protect and care for them. Upon leaving, my trademark line is, "Stay in ze bed. I'll be back!" Laughter is the best medicine! The Nursinator

Dustin - I got my BS as a pre-med at U of I in 1972 but had decided in my junior year that I didn't want t go to med school. Back in those days, nursing wasn't even discussed as an option if you were a guy. I had a great career in the electronics business for 30 years and then decided to do an accelerated BSN. I hated that program and switched to the nursing program at my local community college. It's a great program and the educational deal of the century. Go to Parkland and get your prerequisites out of the way. That will save you money and give you time to decide whether to stay there and do the ADN program or transfer to a school like U of I to follow the BSN or pre-med track there. In your spare time, read the read the January 31, 2005 issue of U.S. News and World Report. If that article had come out in 1968 I would have decided to be a nurse back then. Good luck! Brian

It's about quality, not quantity, my dear. Good luck!