Starting Nursing Career Later

~MIA~, ASN, RN · Feb 11, 2009

Go For It!! It's never too late to start. Plenty of people start at 40, 50 and even 60 yrs. You can do anything you set your mind to. I'm 40 and just graduated and I absolutely LOVE it!:heartbeat:redbeathe:heartbeat:redbeathe

MisterSimba, BSN · Feb 11, 2009

Go For It!! It's never too late to start. Plenty of people start at 40, 50 and even 60 yrs. You can do anything you set your mind to. I'm 40 and just graduated and I absolutely LOVE it!:heartbeat:redbeathe:heartbeat:redbeathe

How exciting! Good for you! :heartbeat My mom worked as a nurse in Germany (where our family is from) and I keep telling her to get back into nursing.....and she tells me that she's too old! Nothing I tell her seems to convince her otherwise!

To the OP: at 36, you're not old at all! Go for it! You don't want to look back years from now and have regrets....

VORB · Feb 11, 2009

::

There were folks in my class from teens to 60s. It's all good.

The good thing (maybe) is that once you get out there, folks will think you've been nursing for years. [chuckle]

MisMatch, LPN · Feb 11, 2009

I'm 52 y/o, just became a LPN last month and am now continuing on to my RN.

Go for it!

FLmomof5 · Feb 11, 2009

46 yo here and you will find many posts on "old" folks going to NS! It is never too late. (Unless you are 6 ft down! LOL )

Equinox_93 · Feb 11, 2009

Hello,
I am a 36 y/o mom who has worked most of her time in the healthcare insurance field. I married at 30 had a daughter a little over a year later. Then had twins (boy/girl) almost 3 years later. So yes, I am 36 with 3 kids under 4 (aaaahhh!). I have always had the desire to work in a hospital and out of high school started to become an RN at a community college. Other things were more important at that time so I never finished. Lately, I've been thinking of pursing that dream of mine again. My question, anyone out there start their nursing career at a later age? If so, what can I expect. I don't care to make a lot of money I just want to enjoy what I do.
Thanks!

.. I'm 30 and just starting out as an STNA... I think it's probably more common than you might think :)

klbinaug · Feb 11, 2009

I actually recall reading somewhere that the average nursing student age is about 35. I'm taking prereqs with a couple of women in their 50's. One is a business owner, but she also wants to be a nurse!

Whispera, MSN, RN · Feb 11, 2009

I started nursing school at age 38, and it was the best decision I ever made. I found that I thought differently than the younger students I saw more of the big picture while they saw more details. I was able to problem solve more easily than they were. They had better memory and energy than I did. Instructors were great.

School is lots of hard work and so is nursing, but if you want to do it, you should be able to do a good job! Good luck!

buggszephyr · Feb 11, 2009

I'm 48. Just applying to ABSN programs. EVERYONE in medicine I have asked about starting later says the same thing: "Go for it!"

Best of luck!

eriksoln, BSN, RN · Feb 11, 2009

I started when I was 30. Not bad. I think it helped in some ways, that I was a little older. I had worked as a landscaper for a number of years and during school, when things got tough, I would recall that and get re-energised.

quotetheraven · Feb 11, 2009

I am old enough to be your mom and am now "lady in waiting". Have been on the list for almost a year, with a predicted 3-4 semester wait. Never too old, considering overall health, to begin a new career and to do something you have always wanted. Only problem I have had is algebra. But it was always the only subject I had trouble with. The pre-reqs were not difficult, not to me at least. I think having kids at home and trying to do anything else is hard and have a lot of respect for mom's going through school with young ones still at home. But you can organize anything, after all, that's what mom's do. Organize and delagate. The best of luck to you.