Too late to be a nurse?

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Hello everyone,

Thank you for reading my questions. I am turning 59 in two weeks and really want to be a nurse. Practically speaking, is it possible for me to be too old to learn the skills I'll need? And too old to be hired somewhere? Thank you for any advice - your points of view are invaluable to me right now.

Some of you have heard the story of one of my students who was 62. She had been married for forty-plus years to an old SOB (not "short of breath," either) who told her how stupid and worthless she was and how nothing she ever wanted to do was the least bit useful. And when he died she took the life insurance money and went to nursing school, bless her.

She wasn't any better at nursing (or any worse) than any of her 18-year-old chickie classmates, But she had something that they didn't, and that was life experience. She had seen her mother and father die, seen how families coped with adversity, knew what it was like to be a mother and a grandmother; she could sit down at a bedside and calm a frightened person just because she was a white-haired older lady who didn't panic and knew what to say, when to say it, and when to be quiet and just be there. Maturity counts.

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Specializes in LAD.
Some of you have heard the story of one of my students who was 62...

Amazing! Just amazing!

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1992, 51 year old woman graduated USC medical school, oldest graduate there.

Medical Marvel : At 51, Woman Becomes Oldest Graduate From USC School - Los Angeles Times

2004, 61 man graduates medical school. 61-year-old graduates medical school - amednews.com

Older medical students persist, leverage life experience to achieve dreams:

Older medical students persist, leverage life experience to achieve dreams | The DO

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Specializes in cardiac-telemetry, hospice, ICU.

I graduated at 60, was hired in my ideal job in a hospital 2 months later and am happily working at same for over a year now. I have stayed in good physical shape (a necessity- this job is tough) and can work as hard as any of the 20 somethings. If you feel the same way about yourself- go to school and become a nurse. Not to brag, but I studied hard and ended at the top of my class- with lots of hard work.

If you do decide to go ahead, the best advice I can give you is to get a job, any job, at the institution you would like to work at while you are in school. Many institutions like to hire from within, they like a 'known' entity, not a person from a stack of electronically delivered applications.

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Hello - Thank you all. I have the highest admiration for nursing and will continue to move forward with my plans - thank you for your advice. I wish I wouldn't have to take on debt, but unfortunately that seems to be the case now. Ultimately, I simply must continue with my goal. Thanks again - your stories mean a lot to me.

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Go for it! ( and if that is your real name, change it if you are going to be on this site.)Good luck!

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I'm sure you are thinking about this, but be very careful about incurring debt as you enter your 60s. Getting a degree in nursing does not guarantee you a stable job: Competition is fierce in certain areas, like California, and you will probably need to bridge to a BSN, thus taking on more debt and spending more time in school. Many people think that once they get their ADN in nursing, their place of employment will pay for the BSN, but now it is getting increasingly difficult to even get that first job without a BSN.

I don't mean to discourage you, but the practicalities should come into play. The flip side is that salaries in California seem to be good, so if you've planned out the financials and feel confident about your employment prospects, what I've said might not even be a problem. Good luck to you!

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I am thinking about this and realize that it may be a big financial mistake. I'm meeting with financial counselors at school, also. Thank you for your advice!

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We have a couple of ladies in our BSN program who are in their 60's. Never too late.

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Hello everyone Thank you for reading my questions. I am turning 59 in two weeks and really want to be a nurse. Practically speaking, is it possible for me to be too old to learn the skills I'll need? And too old to be hired somewhere? Thank you for any advice - your points of view are invaluable to me right now.[/quote'] Woodland , A dear friend of mine is in her second year of nursing school. She already had a Masters degree in music theory. She's 62. I've always thought about nursing school in retrospect I wish I had gone to nursing school instead of getting my Master's degree at 49. I'm 60 and am in my 30 the year of teaching. I wish we lived near each other. If I had someone to take classes with it would seem more feasible. Do you have all your pre requisites done? I don't have to work any more our house is paid for and we're financially ok but nursing is always something I've wanted to do but I'd have to start from scratch. Stay in touch please ! Cathy
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We have a couple of ladies in our BSN program who are in their 60's. Never too late.

Really !! That's amazing. Can I ask you what university these 60 year olds are attending?

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.

I'm about your age, OP, and still at the bedside after all those decades. Medicine and nursing are continually growing and changing and we all have to learn new things in order to keep up. You're not too old to learn what you need to learn or to keep up with the physical aspects of the job.

You may find it easier to get a job that some of your classmates -- you have all that maturity and life experience and can be hired for a new grad's salary! There is ageism in nursing, but I suspect that a lot of it has to do with not wanting to pay salaries at the top end of the pay scale rather than any thing else.

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