Thinking About Starting Nursing School at age 50

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I am thinking about starting nursing school next August, if I am accepted. I have taken all the prerequisites and would like to make application in March for the class that starts in August. I will be 50 years old when I start. I would like to know if there is anyone with my similar situation. I have a very good paying job with great benefits. I have been with this company for 25 years and I have 6 more years until I can retire. I have been dissatisfied with my job for the last 8 years. I have no promotion opportunity and I feel unfulfilled and would like a job where I can contribute more. I am very scared about pursuing nursing. I do get tired a lot easier these days and I would be scared that nursing would be too much for me down the road. I have thought about other healthcare careers, but nothing really interests me as much as nursing does. Is this crazy of me to think that I would be able to do this. I want so much to have something to look forward to like this.

Specializes in geri, peds with ventilators, home health.

Oh now I See how you got that. I have 30 years nursing experience from working private pay in peoples homes. I actually only have been a licensed nurse for 2 years. I am 50 now. I may still be working at 77 with this economy, Have a good day

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This is an interesting post.

I started nursing school at age 50, got my BSN at age 52, worked ICU 1 year, Med-surg 1 year, became a certified wound and ostomy nurse, and have been doing that for 2 years. I am in an MSN program, will be done in a year.

That being said, I did this because my 25 year career in computers had gone belly up. All the companies I worked for closed due to the tech crash. If you have a stable job, and will get a pension at retirement and bennies, for heaven's sake, stick with it! It's a cold cruel world out there.

But good luck with whatever you decide.

Oldiebutgoodie

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Thank you so much for taking the time to answer. This is great information and I really appreciate your view point.

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Hello,

I have read some of the replies & feel a little disheartened by them but I'm forging ahead & definitely feeling positive about my decision. I'm about your age & just started a nursing program. I tire easily, yes, but I feel younger now than I did at my last job which was very stressful. I am taking better care of myself - maybe what they are teaching is actually sinking in. Getting rest & exercise, eating better, etc.

What would you actually give up? Are some of your retirement benefits portable? Do you have any alternatives for health insurance?

Volunteer work sounds like a really good option if you must hold out for retirement. Plus it may take a couple of years to complete pre-reqs. If you get pre-reqs out of the way before you start a nursing program, you can focus only on the nurse training when the time comes.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Acute Rehab.

Candyy...I graduated last December a week after I turned 59! I went for a second degree after having been a teacher and working in the dental field. Make sure that you are in good shape, physically and mentally. I am very energetic, but in school, I had gained a lot of weight. As soon as I started working, I made up my mind to eat better and that, combined with the physical rigors of nursing, helped the weight come off pretty quickly. I feel so much better and see many younger, overweight nurses lumbering around the floor. I guess if you are younger, the weight might be less of an issue, but if you are over 45, you need to be in good shape. I love nursing and wish you the best of luck.

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Its funny cause I was just wondering if I am too old to go back to school to take my BSN. Only I am 28....

I have been working as a LPN the past 2 years and really want to go back to school to get my BSN. It would take me 3 years to complete instead of 4 since I have my LPN already. I was worried that I am too old to do this... I just got married and my husband and I would like to have children some day. Only problem, if I go back to school right away that puts me at 31 when I graduate and I worry that is too old to start a family. But I am sure that we we started a family before I went back to school that I would never go back and do it.

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Its funny cause I was just wondering if I am too old to go back to school to take my BSN. Only I am 28....

I have been working as a LPN the past 2 years and really want to go back to school to get my BSN. It would take me 3 years to complete instead of 4 since I have my LPN already. I was worried that I am too old to do this... I just got married and my husband and I would like to have children some day. Only problem, if I go back to school right away that puts me at 31 when I graduate and I worry that is too old to start a family. But I am sure that we we started a family before I went back to school that I would never go back and do it.

In my opinion, putting family first will always yield the greatest rewards. The rest can be filled in around that. None ever looks back and regrets the effort they put into their family. But some do look back and regret the things they gave up for a career which in the end is just a job.

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