I've been thinking about going back to school to become a nurse. I currently work as an interior designer, I have been in this field 15+ years. I'm beyond burnt out on working for 100% commission. And my field is changing and it's not getting better.
I thought about, and actually started, taking computer aided design courses that would land me a job in automotive design--I live in Detroit. But one major problem--I would hate to be in front of a computer all day!
As an interior designer, my favorite part of my job is human connection. I'd be miserable in front of a screen all day. I'm passionate, hardworking, and a true people person.
I've always been a pretty good student. I've been looking over the HESI exam and I'm not very intimidated by it, even though I plan to study study study.
My sister and her daughter are both nurses. I told her yesterday I was seriously considering going to nursing school. Her first thoughts "you will hate nursing school and you will hate being a nurse."
Is there something I'm not thinking about? I plan on quitting my job next mouth and taking the 3 prerequisites I need to apply. Beaumont hospital has a volunteer program and I will apply for a position there this summer.
Any older students out there? Are you happy? Regretful? Thanks For listening 😊
I don't know your sister or her daughter, but they know YOU. Perhaps your sister is one of those Negative Nancies who just hates being a nurse and therefore thinks you will, too. Or, perhaps she likes what she does, but recognizes that what she knows of your personality, characteristics, whatever, that you are unlikely to be happy taking the same route.
Whatever you decide, good luck in your endeavors! :)
I was thinking something similar. What does your sister know about YOU that makes her think nursing would not be a good fit for you? Question that and see if you agree with her assessment. Sisters can have very different personalities.
What nurses do is so varied. That's what makes this career so wonderful for so many. For the most part though, you work closely with people, need good communication and analytical skills. Trust and integrity have a high priority in most nursing jobs. And there is some physical labor involved. Some would say back-breaking work.
Talk to a real nurse and DO NOT accept the hollywood version of nursing. Nurse Jackie etc. is from the world of entertainment. Not to say TV shows aren't based on a true story. But there is some, shall we say, fictionalization.
Like MaryJean, I'm going to be telling you this from the perspective of a working nurse, not a nursing student. The perspectives will be quite different, as you can see on this thread!
When you are a student, you are full of fresh promise and starry eyes (not a put-down, it's how it ALWAYS is, with every student, and probably should be). The philosophy of "don't let anyone tell you that you shouldn't do it" only goes so far, though. Sometimes, you SHOULD listen if someone is telling you that you shouldn't do something.
I don't know your sister or her daughter, but they know YOU. Perhaps your sister is one of those Negative Nancies who just hates being a nurse and therefore thinks you will, too. Or, perhaps she likes what she does, but recognizes that what she knows of your personality, characteristics, whatever, that you are unlikely to be happy taking the same route. I don't know, but it's worth considering. As a 'for instance', I have a family full of nurses and doctors, and when my sister voiced the idea that she might go to nursing school, it was a pretty unanimous "oh NO you don't!" NOT because we didn't like what we did, NOT because she wasn't a good student. But because we KNEW she would most certainly be unhappy as a nurse....if she even managed to get through the program. She is now quite happy, and quite successful in a career that is VERY "not nursing" and she now knows it would have been a mistake to go against the advice to Just.Say.No. to nursing school.
Anyway, just a thought.
As for the rest, MMJ has some good info for you: school is competitive and you should go in with your eyes wide open. You might be on a wait list for a couple of years. Upon graduation, there may or may not be a job for you, and it may or may not be in an area of nursing that holds any interest for you. Probably the biggest complaint we see from new nurses on AN is "no one told me it would be this hard to find a job" or "I had no idea I would be doing XXX all day! This isn't why I went to school!" And so on.
Whatever you decide, good luck in your endeavors! :)
Thanks, this is good input. And I should tell you: I've always thought one needs to have a "calling" of sorts to do this type of work. At 18, 25 and even 30 years of age I think I would have to say I "wasn't cut out" for this type of work. And I'm pretty sure most of the subject matter in school would have bored me to pieces. But I have to say, that after accessing everything and feeling like a I've been through a few things in my lifetime, I have a new found sense of compassion and a sincere interest in healthcare.
I should also tell you my sister didn't last very long as a nurse. She never stated employed at the same place for a long time, and she hasn't worked in years. And she is a lot older than me and always thinks of me as being a kid. And her daughter has been a nurse for less than a year.
I was thinking something similar. What does your sister know about YOU that makes her think nursing would not be a good fit for you? Question that and see if you agree with her assessment. Sisters can have very different personalities.
What nurses do is so varied. That's what makes this career so wonderful for so many. For the most part though, you work closely with people, need good communication and analytical skills. Trust and integrity have a high priority in most nursing jobs. And there is some physical labor involved. Some would say back-breaking work.
Talk to a real nurse and DO NOT accept the hollywood version of nursing. Nurse Jackie etc. is from the world of entertainment. Not to say TV shows aren't based on a true story. But there is some, shall we say, fictionalization.
Thanks for taking time to write. I love talking to nurses. I have two clients that were interior designers and now they are nurses; that was inspiring to me. What appeals to me most in working closely with people and caring for patients. And learning, school seems very inspiring!
Margaretann, sounds like you are clear-headed and rational. That, in and of itself, will determine how well you handle all that becoming a nurse entails, and the work you would do once the status is achieved.
I think you'll find that there are those who believe, as you do, that there must be a "calling" involved when it comes to nursing. There are others (and I fall into this camp) who do not. I think of a "calling" as Divine Intervention, a Deity infiltrating my subconscious and making me want to do this. I did not find this to be so, and don't to this day. I believe that an interest and ambition concerning ANY line of work is what drives one to do it, be it nursing, medicine, interior design, or gardening.
Like I said before, you sound like you have your head on straight, and that's a big part of the battle right there. There are MANY pre-nursing and nursing students who post on these boards who very clearly don't have much set on straight at all, and it hurts them in the end.
As for your question "do I see many 40+ nurses?" YES. I'd say most of the new grads I see are in their twenties, which is to be expected, and their thirties, for those who took a little longer to "figure it all out". Those older than that are rarer, but NOT so rare as to be surprising or out of place. I've met 25 year olds who complained as if they were 60, and 50 year olds who were as youthful as any college kid. It's up to you!
So...I wish you success, and anticipate seeing you on the Student forums looking for help!
Hi, I'm just about to graduate, and 1/4 of my class is over 40. I'm over 30. I'm in wholehearted agreement that you shadow a nurse and make sure you understand what they really do all day. Here's why: I went in for the human connection, and though it's there, it's diffrent than I anticipated (a ton of time in front of a screen, not as much time as I'd want with the pt). That doesn't mean I no longer want to be a nurse. I want to be a nurse with all my heart, and I'm very excited to be so close. It does mean I went in with unrealistic expectations.
I'm 39, will be 40 later this year. Getting ready to finish my second semester of the program. RNsRWe has given you some great advice. I just got home from a long clinical day. These past few weeks have been a killer. My long clinical day though did not seem so long because I had a great time and finally wasn't so clumsy on my med passes and time management this week!! Nursing school is difficult. It's not anything like the prereqs I breezed through. But I'm learning and I finally can see the light. I'm a single mom and trying to balance it all is difficult, but I do it. I do have my days though when I just want to break down and cry. I have days that cannot seem fair or I'm just too overwhelmed. But then I pick myself back up and go on. It's a lot just make sure it is what you really want.
I see people all the time come on here and say I hate my job, I'm going back to school to be a nurse. Then they find out nursing is a job, just like everything else. You have positive and negative people. You have difficult people (you have no idea what we did to get a cath in today. It was not pretty.). You have people who are great and wonderful and that's when you love your job, and people who will make it so difficult you'll want to tear your hair out. It's a job, just remember that. Then these people realize they don't like nursing and having to clean up poop and vomit and every other bodily secretion. Because they thought only aides did that work. They don't realize you actually have to touch the patient. And yes, I have seen lots of those posts. I think you should shadow a nurse as previously suggested. Look at how much they have to do, how time management is important, and people skills. If you still like it, go for it. Don't worry about your age. What more is it than a number?
I'm 43 and I'm retaking A&P this summer and finishing a pre-req in the fall. If I get into my school's ADN program, I'll be starting in Fall 2016, so no, 40 isn't a big deal. I took a lot of nursing pre-reqs ten years ago and most of them transferred.
I feel like I'll have more to bring to the table as a student and a nurse at this age than I would have in my 20's, honestly.
Girlfriend, you don't know what STUDY, STUDY, STUDY, STUDY, STUDY means. It's not just about studying. It's knowing what to study and how to study in a manner that works for you. It's not like any other type of studying you've ever done. I have two undergrad degrees and an M.A., so am no stranger to studying, and I pretty much had my butt handed to me during my first nursing semester (which is now). I have just recently figured out how to study and what to study.
With that said, go for it! And keep your foot in the door of your first career. I am.
BEFORE you make such a life-altering decision, shadow a nurse for a full 12-hour shift. Please, for your own good.
I personally love nursing and have been a nurse nearly 4 decades, still as a bedside practitioner. But you don't seem to have a good grasp of what a nurse's workday entails. It would benefit you immensely to do so.
^^^ THIS! A shadow experience could really help you to understand a bit more about our daily life and see the environment from our point of view not as a patient.
If you still feel like pursuing it, DO IT!!! 40 is still young in my book and you can have a very fulfilling career as a nurse for plenty of years. I went to a school with a woman who was 58. There is no age limit on learning.
I graduate in 3 weeks and I am 51. Talk about a difficult journey. It's been so hard, and so worth it. I'm a reasonably intelligent person, but nursing school has been like intellectual bootcamp. Two years of it. If you have the drive to do it, there is no reason why you shouldn't. Carpe diem.
Specializes in TCU, Post-surgical, Infection Prevention.
All I can say is look at my username - that was the year I thought I was getting into nursing school, lol. (it gets better)
I had a dream (not a literal one) in 2009 of pursuing nursing. Well, after a good conversation with my mother, a lifelong Psych RN/VA Hospital Administrator-turned-educator; she helped me to see that nursing was a way to help people in a meaningful way, which I couldn't do effectively as an EA at an environmental engineering firm - especially not as a temp. I started my prereqs and because of forethought, was able to transfer GE credits from a previous school, it only took me about a year to get: bio, chem, micro, anat, physio, nutrition, lifespan psych as well as some other courses. I was determined and nothing was going to stop me.
Here I am, in 2015, a 40 year old, former Executive Assistant of about 20 years - a nursing student in her 3rd semester. I am also completing coursework for a BA at a local uni, graduating in exactly a month!
You can do anything you set your mind to do, with the exception of a few things.
So, go for it. Do the research and be willing to make the necessary sacrifices. Also, don't compare your journey to anyone else, that will save you a lot of anguish and anxiety.
Your story is similar to mine. I'm somewhat of a professional student and entered nursing after careers in several other fields. My nursing class had students ranging from 20 to 60.
As far as I'm concerned, 40 is still very young. While age is not really a factor for entrance into nursing school or nursing employment, health is. Bedside nursing is quite physically demanding in most venues. Nevertheless, at one of my jobs, several of the nurses are 60+, one is in her early 70s, and another is 80! The octagenarian has a ton of energy can run circles around nurses and aides a quarter or half of her age!
The previous suggestion to shadow a nurse for a full shift is a great one. Similarly, your plan to volunteer could help you obtain employment after graduation. However, have you considered becoming a certified nursing assistant (CNA)? Experience as a CNA may help to boost confidence during nursing school clinicals. Plus, since you will be supervising CNAs, it would be helpful to have firsthand knowledge of what they do. Also, nurses are still required to perform basic nursing care including toileting, incontinence care, etc.
Nursing is definitely a tough job, but I am making it work for me for now. I work for two facilities and enjoy them both. However, I have enjoyed my previous careers as well ... and nursing is not my last stop.
While your sister may be well meaning, only you can decide if nursing is a good fit for you. Like your sister, I have counseled my sister against nursing school. In her case, I advise against it because, although she is very smart, she does not like and has never liked school. Nursing school is jam packed with reading, APA, papers, group projects, tests, and clinicals. A person has to want the end goal badly enough to jump through all the hoops, of which there are many, required for licensure. That's why I just don't think nursing is for my sister, but I would love for her to prove me wrong, if it's really what she wants!
Many people start the process of prerequisites and nursing school, yet never finish. Additionally, many nurses leave the profession within the first few years. It is easy to burn out in this demanding profession. Please go into it with eyes wide open.
Best wishes on your second-career journey!
P.S. BTW, we're neighbors, as I also live in Detroit.
And keep your foot in the door of your first career. I am.
Mavrick, BSN, RN
1,578 Posts
I was thinking something similar. What does your sister know about YOU that makes her think nursing would not be a good fit for you? Question that and see if you agree with her assessment. Sisters can have very different personalities.
What nurses do is so varied. That's what makes this career so wonderful for so many. For the most part though, you work closely with people, need good communication and analytical skills. Trust and integrity have a high priority in most nursing jobs. And there is some physical labor involved. Some would say back-breaking work.
Talk to a real nurse and DO NOT accept the hollywood version of nursing. Nurse Jackie etc. is from the world of entertainment. Not to say TV shows aren't based on a true story. But there is some, shall we say, fictionalization.