What age is "too old" to switch from RN to APRN?

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Hi all. I'm early 40's, been a nurse for awhile -- almost all of it critical care. My plan was always to return to school for my masters so I could retire out of a physically-less-demanding but intellectually stimulating hands-on patient care role.

I've recently landed a critical care "dream job". I'm super stoked about all the professional growth this opportunity affords as it's in a new specialty for me with lots of new learning curves. I know I could stay busy learning this new specialty and working on new certifications, and just enjoying the work for awhile. I like the flexibility, the 12 hour shifts, the pay, the challenge.... its all good.

But it's very stressful and very physical and I'm not getting any younger. So I keep thinking about advanced practice and wonder how long I have to pursue that route. While I had planned to work and go to school at the same time, I'd like to put school on the back-burner for awhile and get into a groove with this new job and just be able to focus on it.

But how long is too long for me to put off school? How old is "too old" to become an NP?

I always feel sad for those really old nurses who are 60+ where many of their patients are younger than them. Nursing can be labor intensive with all the pulling, lifting and turning these morbidly obese patients. I do not blame the old timers from getting away from the bedside by any means possible. Hospitals will work you short staffed, freeze raises and make you work every crappy shift there is. It is tough to make a 30 year career as an RN at the bedside. If NP is your way out then take it and do not let anyone discourage you or tell you what you ought to be doing. Unless they are paying your bills their opinion does not matter.

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Specializes in Critical Care and ED.

The only thing I will say, to play Devil's Advocate, is that I started this journey when I had just turned 48. I'm now turning 50 and menopause is rearing its ugly head and kicking my butt. I am having some real issues with symptoms and if I had known how that would be then I might not have signed up for this. I am entering my final year and it's absolutely brutal. I go to a tough program with many demands and am also working full time and I wish I was 20 years younger and had the energy I used to have. I struggle with the physical demands of clinical days on top of working which I know wouldn't have been an issue a few years ago. That's the stuff no one tells you but I suppose it's going to happen no matter what you're doing in life. Nothing to do but cling on and press forward. In contrast, there's a guy in my class who's nearly 60 and has no issues at all with energy. Ladies, enjoy your youth because getting older is a .....

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.
I'm now turning 50 and menopause is rearing its ugly head and kicking my butt. I am having some real issues with symptoms and if I had known how that would be then I might not have signed up for this.

I appreciate your candor and warning to those who are blindly assuming they will be the picture of health and working well into their 70s. Not that there isn't that rare 80 year old still driving herself, albeit at 15 mile per hour, to the Piggly Wiggly and prescribing meds as a NP but personally I know the data tells a different story for the majority of us. Trust me when I say our health is only excellent until it isn't and the chances of major illness increases exponentially as we age.

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Specializes in Critical Care and ED.

Jules, I agree. Lots of people take health for granted. Luckily I'm getting some bioidentical hormone treatment (had an implant last night actually) and I know that always makes me feel better. As long as one takes care of themselves one should be able to work as long as they wish but it's prudent to warn younger women that menopause can be quite devastating and to plan for it. On the other hand my mother-in-law is 83 and is still working full time as a nurse!

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Specializes in Hospital medicine; NP precepting; staff education.
Jules, I agree. Lots of people take health for granted. Luckily I'm getting some bioidentical hormone treatment (had an implant last night actually) and I know that always makes me feel better. As long as one takes care of themselves one should be able to work as long as they wish but it's prudent to warn younger women that menopause can be quite devastating and to plan for it. On the other hand my mother-in-law is 83 and is still working full time as a nurse!

The other day at work I had such an intense hot flash that I literally stood with my torso and face halfway in the freezer in our break room. And my energy fluctuates. It's better, of course, when I can get good rest, when I'm not waking up because I'm in pain or too hot or have to pee again. Exercising helps, but finding the balance between responsibilities and getting into a routine is a challenge.

Always a work in progress.

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Specializes in CVICU, MICU, Burn ICU.

These are great points and definitely need to be considerations. Thank you very much for sharing.

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The oldest nurse I ever met was 80ish as that was all we could get out of him. He was an LPN and wore black dress shoes with his scrubs as he said tennis shoes hurt his feet. He didn't drive, he rode the bus and worked the night shift. He was not very fast, but he got around. i would always think I would hate to still be working bedside at his age.

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Specializes in Critical Care and ED.
The other day at work I had such an intense hot flash that I literally stood with my torso and face halfway in the freezer in our break room. And my energy fluctuates. It's better, of course, when I can get good rest, when I'm not waking up because I'm in pain or too hot or have to pee again. Exercising helps, but finding the balance between responsibilities and getting into a routine is a challenge.

Always a work in progress.

I feel you. The one thing I haven't had yet is hot flashes but I have crushing fatigue, brain fog and terrible pain from the endometriosis. I hate when I can't think and when I'm so exhausted I just want to lay down. That's not me. Although, I spent a couple days in the ICU last week with the APRN and the difference in the working day between her and the RNs was quite staggering and made me feel hopeful. We spent a lot of time walking around in rounds but while the nurses were running crazy, we had time to talk and think and look things up while discussing care. I found it far less physical than what I'm used to. I was happy to find that my hunch was right. As long as I can think I'll be fine!

BTW, have you tried Black Cohosh? My partner uses it and barely has any hot flashes since she started taking it. She used to get them all the time. We also both use testosterone and I also use progesterone. I've also ordered Emerita Estriol cream online from Amazon which might help too as my estrogen is now low. Good luck!

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Never too old! Just began my first job as a NP at the ripe old age of 47. Your experience is going to make you seem like a rock star to your 20 something classmates.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, NICU.

There really is no age "too" old for school. However, from a financial standpoint, I would try to get at least ten years in if student loans are involved. I plan to retire young, so I hope to be done with all of my formal schooling by 30ish and retire in my early to mid-fifties. If I planned to work into my sixties or seventies, I could see myself going to school even later.

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.
Never too old!

Really, NEVER? I truly believe there needs to be insight into our wants, wishes, dreams...and the reality of what is practical financially, physically, mentally. As much as I wish it wasn't true the fact is we as humans do indeed have a shelf life.

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Specializes in ICU, trauma, neuro.

There was an article I read about a nurse back around 2008 about a nurse named Peggy Morris. I believe she worked in Nevada. Anyways, she was in her 60;s when she went to nursing school (she was bored after her husband passed away) and was working bedside well into her 80's. I'm 48 and going back to school to become a Psych NP. I will say that I have a friend at work who has a hernia from lifting our 400 pound patients in the ICU without help. Bottom line you will never be any younger than you are today. I would encourage you to pursue an NP degree as soon as possible to minimize the physical aspects of the job is that fits with your desires.

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