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 😊
You need to listen to your sister and her daughter. This is not only networking, this is family advice. If you're beyond burnt out in interior design... you need to research nursing burn out.
Are you an excellent student in math and science? Then attempt nursing.
Yes, as I mentioned, I already have a degree from this school and a 3.9GPA. Design students need math and science credits to graduate, too.
And the burnout, as I mentioned, comes from working on commission. Not from the work itself.
Specializes in Peds leukemia, APON, GI in a clinic.
I went back to school at 40 for my RN and it was easily the best decision I have ever made. Do it and do it now. But first get thee to your nearest community college/tech college for your CNA or NAR license, then to a hospital and start working as an aid on the floor. This was the best advice I received as I was preparing to become a RN. You start learning the language, rhythms, responsibilities and relationships of the nursing world. Keep your eyes open and ask intelligent questions of supportive RNs and you can get a real feel for our profession before you invest thousands of dollars and years of your life towards your degree.
Sadly, you also need to realize there are terrific managers and co-workers out there and terrible ones. They can make or break your experience. I am fortunate enough to have found an amazing group of people to call my friends and co-workers.
Specializes in Peds leukemia, APON, GI in a clinic.
I went back to school at 40 for my RN and it was easily the best decision I have ever made. Do it and do it now. But first get thee to your nearest community college/tech college for your CNA or NAR license, then to a hospital and start working as an aid on the floor. This was the best advice I received as I was preparing to become a RN. You start learning the language, rhythms, responsibilities and relationships of the nursing world. Keep your eyes open and ask intelligent questions of supportive RNs and you can get a real feel for our profession before you invest thousands of dollars and years of your life towards your degree.
Sadly, you also need to realize there are terrific managers and co-workers out there and terrible ones. They can make or break your experience. I am fortunate enough to have found an amazing group of people to call my friends and co-workers.
I am a bit older than you and will be starting a nursing program this fall as part of a planned career change. I would say absolutely go-for-it! There's a reason Nursing came to mind! Think about whether there is any other career that has the same appeal and go from there. If you don't care for the traditional hospital nurse positions there are many, many alternatives which makes this career so attractive. As a Registered Nurse there are so many specialties and non-traditional options! You can start your own business, do pharma sales, insurance company representative, traveling nurse, legal review for attorneys, discharge planner - and the list goes on-and-on. Do a google search of nursing careers. I'm sure you'll be amazed at what is out there! Best of luck on this adventure - find those that support your dreams and go-for-it!
Please don't let ANYONE stop you from following your dreams! I did in my 30s and they were probably right at the time although I'll never know. I had three kids in school then and I had my own business to run, somewhat similar to yours, an antiques shop so I stayed in place, raised my kids who are all very successful now. My oldest daughter in fact is an RN! My youngest daughter a family financial planner and my son a fireman : ) Then in my mid 50s (yes I said IN MY MID 50s!) Due to a life changing event (my husband was badly burned in a house fire and we spent months in a burn clinic 100 miles from our home where I learned to care for him and his burns) and boom! I came home from that hospital experience a changed woman. When I left there the doctors and nurses asked if I had ever wanted to be a nurse and when I said yes, they said I should consider it as they felt I had a real talent for nursing. I had learned among other things, to debride my husbands burns and they said my efforts had saved him from at least two additional surgeries. I told them I would LOVE to be a nurse but I felt I was too old. They assured me I was not and even sent me to their nurse recruiter at the hospital. She told me to find the best nursing school in my area if that was what I wanted to do and that my age would not be a disadvantage with her, that in some ways it might even be an advantage! She said if I wanted to come that far, they would be happy to have me come back and work with them! I tried reopening my antiques shop when I returned home but quickly found my heart was no longer in it, a business I had built and loved but no more. I closed my shop, auctioned off all the contents and after 30 years in business, I was out in a weekend! I did not feel sad to see it go, I felt free!! I asked nurses I knew and trusted what was the best nursing school in our area and one school kept coming up. I was told it was the BEST and the HARDEST and man were they right! I had NO college, I was a first time college student at age 55! I took everything I needed and all my prereqs, it took about two years. In the middle of all that, I lost my father and had to drop out for a few months to help my mom causing me to miss the deadline to apply that first year, but I didn't let anything stop me!! I went right back to one of the most competitive nursing school programs around. After finishing all my pre reqs with a 4.0 and making a 95 on my NLN nursing exam on my first try, I was ready to apply! I only applied at my one school and at my age, that could have been a BIG mistake as not getting in the first time could have cost me another year but I was determined not to let anything get between me and my dream this time! I was one of 47 accepted into my nursing school program on my first try and I have been told 900+ applied! I am now one Exam and two finals away from my senior year in nursing school!! My graduation is scheduled for May 2016. Don't get me wrong, nursing school has been the HARDEST and most challenging thing I have ever attempted. When people tell you it's hard take whatever you think that means and multiply it by 1000!! I have shadowed and done my hospital clinicals and observations and except for nursing care plans and the dreaded paradigms (Ha!) I LOVE nursing!! My rotation in the OR stands out as it brought my A & P text books to life in a way no YouTube video ever could!! Fascinating, but I've found I LOVE hands on patient care the most. When I am in the hospital taking care of my patients, I am in my element. I know the challenges of nursing and there are many, but despite that I know it is what I was meant to do!! I tell you all this just to let you know, it is not too late (yet). Don't wait, I almost let it get "too late" for me but even at age 59, I'm not letting ANYTHING get between me and my dream of becoming an RN!! Get ready, get set and GO FOR IT!! As my key chain reads, "You WILL finish nursing school" and you will!! I wish you all the BEST!!
Please don't let ANYONE stop you from following your dreams! I did in my 30s and they were probably right at the time although I'll never know. I had three kids in school then and I had my own business to run, somewhat similar to yours, an antiques shop so I stayed in place, raised my kids who are all very successful now. My oldest daughter in fact is an RN! My youngest daughter a family financial planner and my son a fireman : ) Then in my mid 50s (yes I said IN MY MID 50s!) Due to a life changing event (my husband was badly burned in a house fire and we spent months in a burn clinic 100 miles from our home where I learned to care for him and his burns) and boom! I came home from that hospital experience a changed woman. When I left there the doctors and nurses asked if I had ever wanted to be a nurse and when I said yes, they said I should consider it as they felt I had a real talent for nursing. I had learned among other things, to debride my husbands burns and they said my efforts had saved him from at least two additional surgeries. I told them I would LOVE to be a nurse but I felt I was too old. They assured me I was not and even sent me to their nurse recruiter at the hospital. She told me to find the best nursing school in my area if that was what I wanted to do and that my age would not be a disadvantage with her, that in some ways it might even be an advantage! She said if I wanted to come that far, they would be happy to have me come back and work with them! I tried reopening my antiques shop when I returned home but quickly found my heart was no longer in it, a business I had built and loved but no more. I closed my shop, auctioned off all the contents and after 30 years in business, I was out in a weekend! I did not feel sad to see it go, I felt free!! I asked nurses I knew and trusted what was the best nursing school in our area and one school kept coming up. I was told it was the BEST and the HARDEST and man were they right! I had NO college, I was a first time college student at age 55! I took everything I needed and all my prereqs, it took about two years. In the middle of all that, I lost my father and had to drop out for a few months to help my mom causing me to miss the deadline to apply that first year, but I didn't let anything stop me!! I went right back to one of the most competitive nursing school programs around. After finishing all my pre reqs with a 4.0 and making a 95 on my NLN nursing exam on my first try, I was ready to apply! I only applied at my one school and at my age, that could have been a BIG mistake as not getting in the first time could have cost me another year but I was determined not to let anything get between me and my dream this time! I was one of 47 accepted into my nursing school program on my first try and I have been told 900+ applied! I am now one Exam and two finals away from my senior year in nursing school!! My graduation is scheduled for May 2016. Don't get me wrong, nursing school has been the HARDEST and most challenging thing I have ever attempted. When people tell you it's hard take whatever you think that means and multiply it by 1000!! I have shadowed and done my hospital clinicals and observations and except for nursing care plans and the dreaded paradigms (Ha!) I LOVE nursing!! My rotation in the OR stands out as it brought my A & P text books to life in a way no YouTube video ever could!! Fascinating, but I've found I LOVE hands on patient care the most. When I am in the hospital taking care of my patients, I am in my element. I know the challenges of nursing and there are many, but despite that I know it is what I was meant to do!! I tell you all this just to let you know, it is not too late (yet). Don't wait, I almost let it get "too late" for me but even at age 59, I'm not letting ANYTHING get between me and my dream of becoming an RN!! Get ready, get set and GO FOR IT!! As my key chain reads, "You WILL finish nursing school" and you will!! I wish you all the BEST!!
WOW!! What a great story. I almost didn't read it when I saw the "follow your dream" stuff because it seems most of those folks are in dreamland and don't have a clue.
But YOU have VISION. I can almost hear the gritting of your teeth as those little obstacles like death and pre-reqs popped up.
Really though you just had to get over your own prejudices (I'm too old, I can't change, I can't get into college) and just act as if there is no reason why you can't DO IT.
If you had a GoFundMe site, I would send you 50 bucks so you could buy yourself a nice drink and a big "YOU GO GIRL" card.
signed, Mav
P.S. What kind of nursing do you think you want to go into?
Having someone who supports you can make all the difference. What's really keeping me going is that I can switch specialties if I need/want. There are so many aspects of nursing that if you find 12 hour shifts as a floor nurse exhausting or not your thing, you can go elsewhere. While I realize I will most likely need to spend at least the 1st year on the floor, that it doesn't have to be the be-all-end-all. My point? If you go through with the degree, there are so many different things you can do with it, that I'm sure you'll find your niche! Keep us posted.
Having someone who supports you can make all the difference. What's really keeping me going is that I can switch specialties if I need/want. There are so many aspects of nursing that if you find 12 hour shifts as a floor nurse exhausting or not your thing, you can go elsewhere. While I realize I will most likely need to spend at least the 1st year on the floor, that it doesn't have to be the be-all-end-all. My point? If you go through with the degree, there are so many different things you can do with it, that I'm sure you'll find your niche! Keep us posted.
Thanks! I start taking my prerequisites in a couple weeks. I've started to collect info on local schools that offer CNA training. I take the HESI exam mid June. I start volunteering at a hospital early July. I am also getting a tax ID # for my design business.
margaretann
16 Posts
Yes, as I mentioned, I already have a degree from this school and a 3.9GPA. Design students need math and science credits to graduate, too.
And the burnout, as I mentioned, comes from working on commission. Not from the work itself.