Should he or shouldn't he?

mustangsheba · Dec 22, 2000

I think you would be accepted just fine, but I hope that won't be the deciding factor in your pursuit of being a nurse. With your background, you should do well and should have a lot of prerequisites out of the way. Good luck.

buckboomer, BSN, RN · Dec 22, 2000

You may be right, don't count your chickens; however nursing may be the right job for you. In nursing there is a big umbrella that covers many different kinds of nursing, ie homecare, hospice, radiology, OR, etc,etc. I recommend getting a degree, and exploring different options, I have worked 10 glorious years as a RN. I originally planned on being a home care nurse. I worked as a home health aide before and during nursing school. I got a job in a teaching hospital, after my first year in nursing school. I then worked in hospitals, agency nursing and with ventilator dependent quadriplegics, in a home care situation. I am now 45, and feel that I may continue in nursing indefinitely. Working in hospitals can be very stressful. What job doesn't have any stress? Your age is an advantage, I feel, because of your life experiences and maturity, as well as your gender. So go with your plans, and find your spot under the nursing umbrella. Don't be surprised by some male bashing, and nursing school is tough for every nurse. That is the one common link or experience all nurses share, a very stressful, tedious, and difficult education experience. I definitely encourage you to work less than full time. I have in 10 years, and that has helped keep me from burnout. I work to live! Nursing has allowed me to live, working parttime. Take a chance, and go for it. Remember lower your standards so you won't be disappointed. Buenas suerte, and good luck!

babs_rn · Dec 27, 2000

You'll be accepted fine, but every area of nursing consumes its members and every area of nursing has the potential to cause severe burnout. Home care and hospice, as mentioned above, require call time and mountains of paperwork (14 pages for an admission, 7 pages every time one of your patients goes to the ER or has a complaint that requires "reassessment" and MD notification) and, in my experience, unreasonable deadlines for the completion and submission of the paperwork. Hospitals are always understaffed and stressful and usually hospital experience is required before you branch out into other areas of nursing. I'm back in school now to get out of it because I just can't see keeping up the pace of it into my 50s. I SURE don't want to keep these hours that long - they've interfered with enough relationships (including that with my children) for far too long.

Best of luck to you.

Babs