Student Nurses over 35 and Second Career????

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Hi everyone, new to the site! I love it! I did most of my research on the internet and found that this site was very informational and gave alot of life experience that I needed to help make this bold decision!

Okay, I'm 37 2 kids (age 2 and 13) and a devoted husband. I have worked for a very popular technology company for 14yrs! I've been a customer service supervisor, Buyer and now i'm a Accountant. Needless to say-I HATE IT.

With the economy the way it is, I thank God that I have a good job now but I don't want to mis this opportunity... I love encouraging and working with others, i'm very compassionate with it comes to people and making them better. I have no experience in the Health Care field and i'm very anxious about starting school. My plan: CNA night classes to began in fall 2009. Summer 09 I will take my math, biology, chem (during the evenign) classes for the Nursing pre-req. Spring 10 apply for the LPN program at community college then go into the LPN to RN bridge. I know I will have to eventaully quick my very well paying job at some point (probably when I'm accepted into the Nursing program) and that will be very challenging I expect. But that is why I want to get my CNA so at least I will have some kind of income coming in (75% less income than what i have now).

Is it realistic to believe that with my skilss that I may be able to work 2 jobs to regain my current income?

I currently also work from home 3 days a week, so studying won't be a probably.

Is there any of you that have similuar situations? I would love your feedback! Thank you all !!!!:bugeyes:

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Specializes in Telemetry.

Hi lovefromabove! I just wanted to say good luck on your new path. I'm 36 with 2 kids also and went back to school to become a nurse 4 years ago. I finished my pre-reqs, got certified as a CNA and EMT and I'm in the process of applying to programs. I think that becoming a CNA is a great idea and a great way to work and gain experience in the healthcare field. Good luck to you... study hard! :heartbeat

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Wow thank you sooo much chickapea for replying... I was just about to cry when I kept going back to the forum and seeing "no reply" :)... Was the EMT a certificate? Did you make good pay at this?

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Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

I was 36 when I started my nursing program, and worked as a hospital CNA to gain experience while I was pursuing my RN. The work was far more varied and interesting than that in LTC, plus the pay was considerably better.....on NOC shift, I was earning $11.08 an hour while most nursing-home aides were earning $7 an hour if they were lucky.

Yes, I did have help in getting through school---my sister was invaluable, and my husband also pitched in, as we had four children under age 13 at the time. But working, studying, going to school fulltime AND being a mom isn't easy no matter how much assistance you have; you have to learn time management and most importantly, the use of the word "No"---when the PTA wants you to bake six dozen cookies on a night when you've got a term paper due, when your church asks you to serve on yet another committee, when the kids want to go to the movies and your tuition needs to be paid.

It can be done, though, if you want it badly enough. Good luck to you!!

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Hi All~ I'm also in this group :) I'm 40, went back to school a year ago to start the pre-req's for the LPN program. I just applied and got accepted to that program last week! I start next summer :D

In the mean time, I'm working as a CNA and trying to save up enough $$ that I can work part time during clinicals next year. And finding I'm enjoying that job more than I ever thought I would. I'm glad to see there are more folks in the club with me :) Good luck to you all in your goals!

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hello!! i'm so happy to see this thread!! i was starting to feel that i may be the only older person starting their lives over again. i am 42 and will be starting a cna class in march. :yelclap: i have already completed all my pre-req's for the lvn program, which i will apply to in the fall 09. i thought that becoming a cna would help in becoming a lvn then hopefully a rn. i, like many of you, started out a little late, but i figure... better late then never!! i got caught up in life and a good paying job (that i hated, but it paid the bills) and put my goals on the back burner. then the opportunity came up for me to be able to leave my job and pursue my dreams!! i am lucky to have a very supportive husband, who wants me to accomplish my goals. also, to have found this site that is full of info and support!

i wish you all the best in your pursuit of nursing!!! :wink2:

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THANK GOD! I hope that we all can keep in touch! I'm sorry, but what is a LVN? I start my CNA in Aug. I will be enrolling for my pre-req on 3/2 and starting in May. The only problem I have is that im still trying to hold on to my current job as an accountant. I work from home, so studying and going to classes at night should not be a problem. I'm afraid that when and if I quite my job that I will not find a good CNA position that will help pay the bills... My husband is very support, praise God! I hope that you all will keep in touch! We are blessed to have this second chance to pursue our dreams and we need encouragement from others in our same postion to help ease the blow. I'm glad I started this thread!

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I'm in California and we have LVN's (Licensed Vocational Nurse) which is the same as LPN in other states.

If there is a will there is a way!!! We will do what needs to be done to become what we want to be... A Nurse! I'm just praying that when I apply to the LVN program (at the local college) that I will be accepted!! It won't start until Jan 2010. I really do not want to pay the price to go to a private school. Who has $20 grand!! The one thing I do worry about is, will I be able to find a job, the economy just keeps getting worse. However, I am determined!! I try to think positively that I will pass CNA and get a job.

I'm glad this thread was started as well!!!

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Specializes in Telemetry.

Yes lovefromabove, the EMT is a certificate as well. I still have not worked as one... applying like crazy though! The pay is not great, about 10 an hour unless you're a tech in the hospital, then I think 15-16 an hour maybe (which is hard to get w/o experience). I think it would be very rewarding though and provide tons of experience like the CNA. Good luck to you all!

p.s. haha... I love it... second chance... I'm still on my first chance, just had never figured out what I wanted to be till I was 30! :)

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Specializes in Infusion.

Me too! I am almost 38 (in April) and just starting my pre-reqs to apply for an LPN program. So I hope to start that in Fall 2010. And then work on the RN bridge program.....

My DS is 7 and my DD is 3. I am a SAHM now...so my life will be studying. I am grateful I am able to concentrate on that!

Have a great weekend!

Natascha

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Your not alone!!!! I am married to a very supportive husband with 2 kids (9 & 7). I went back to school at age 42 to do my prereq's for nursing school, which took a year and a half -taking 4 courses every semester, it was tough. I'm done with my prereq's now and I received my acceptance letter last week to the nursing school that I wanted to attend:wink2: for fall 09 part time program-YEAH!!!!!!!. In the meantime, I am taking a 6 month course in CNA, EKG and Phlebotomy which I will be finished with in April. Hopefully I will be able to get a job as a CNA or a tech in a hospital before I start nursing school so I will get income too. I'm 44 now, so hopefully I will be done with nursing school before I'm 50! Ha Ha!!! It's never too late.

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Specializes in LTC private/CBRF.

Woohoo! I'm 44 and am taking classes for CNA and should be certified in April. I have an appt. with the counselor at our tech school next week to see what I need to do over the next year to get into the next LPN program which (hopefully) would be next Spring. Yay for us 'mature women'!!!

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