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

[WestCoastSunRN]

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?

[TicTok411]

To enter a program I do not think there should be an age limit, but to practice I believe there should be peer reviews along the way to determine if someone is well passed their prime. Over the years I have seen several RNs, midlevel and MDs who were more of a danger than a help and someone should have stepped in and helped them retire.

I remember on MD who fell asleep charting almost everyday. We had to check on him and wake him up, fix his orders and keep an eye on him as if he were a patient. He would chart on the wrong patient daily. But no one really followed up and made efforts to confront his poor practice.

I worked with an RN in the ICU who was in her 70s and she could perform no physical aspect of her job. She could not lift, turn or even respond to codes. She made mistakes and never finished her daily responsibilities but she had been with the facility for 40 years and they never did squat.

In clinical rotation there was a PA in the clinic that I thought was a confused patient when I first met him. He was the most dangerous of all, but it was a rural clinic and that was all they could get.

I want to wok until I am about 60 then i hope to teach part or full time. I read and keep up on EBP as I do not want to be the bad examples I have seen along the way..

[Bluebolt]

I'd say 60 years or older is to old to switch from RN to APRN.

[jennw79]

As a recent graduate, and a 38 year old - just think about the monetary investment, along with the time away from your family, especially if you really like your current career.

[HikingNinja, BSN, MSN, DNP, RN, APRN, NP]

Where do you want to be in 5 years? 10 years? Health, and life in general is enigmatic. You might have a serendipitous life or one frought with poor health and calamities. There's little way to tell. Just ask yourself "Is this really what I want to do with my life in 5 or 10 years?" I started my journey to a PMHNP in my 30's by obtaining my BSN, I received an MSN in Education in my early 40's and am now wrapping up in PMHNP program. I'll be mid 40's when I graduate. Bedside nursing has been challenging and rewarding, but it was never my personal original goal. It is not where I want to be. So you can only answer this for yourself. If the reason you want an NP is for greater autonomy, or you have a discovered a passion that will only be satisfied at the provider level, then go for it. If you simply want to find a career that that is less physically demanding for your later years then I would encourage you to explore alternatives. Case manager, any management position, teaching, research. Many of the older nurses I have seen are now in PACU or surgical centers, community health, home health, etc.

[chiromed0]

Honestly, that question can't be answered b/c it depends on YOU. Age? What's that got to do with it? There's 90+ y.o. nurses still practicing, 80+ y.o. doc's and mid-levels. So you could theoretically practice another 50 years. In that light, the question of age is irrelevant. Now if you are not motivated, have too much personal obligation, etc. then those ARE factors. The schooling is not harder--it's different and more advanced.

My story? I started at 44 y.o. as an RN and NP school, worked full time and finished at 46 y.o. so age? Meh...show them young whipper snappers what you're made of.

[terwynrn30]

I am 72 and just entering ANP program. Age for me is of no significance. I still work 32 hrs per week, out work my coworkers with energy and work ethic. I graduated from Diploma program 1965, BSN 1997, now Dermal filler injector -no qualms in going back to school

[JMcConville]

I'm 45 and just graduated with MSN FNP. RN for 14 years. I went to an interview last week and the practice manager had tears of joy in her eyes that I had actual professional nursing experience. You will be working for what 25-30 years...do what will bring you joy.

[Riburn3, BSN, MSN, APRN, NP]

I think the only time it might be considered "too old" is if you plan on retiring around the same time you'd be finishing your degree. If you're 70 and still plan on going strong for another 10-15 years, go for it. If you're 50 and want to retire when you're 55, it might not be worth the added stress. If you want it for education satisfaction, you're never too old.

You have to remember that even in your 40's, you still likely have another 20-30 years of work remaining (if you're like most Americans), so there's no reason to not go for it. You'll find that you're not alone in your age group in your program. Both my FNP and AGACNP programs had nurses in their 40's, 50's, and even 1 in their 60's. I also think being an NP in your 60's and 70's is a heck of a lot easier than being a bedside nurse or even nurse administrator.

[terwynrn30]

I haven't been staff nurse in many years. Now dermal filler injector.

[SirJohnny]

Hi there:

- Started nursing school back in 2004 (you can actually look up my first post on allnurses.com to verify). After several years in Long Term Care, I made the switch over to Pediatric Private Duty Nursing (which I absolutely love). I am hoping to someday work as a pediatric psychiatric nurse practitioner.

- I am currently 53 years old, and about half-way through the DNP/PMHNP program at the University of Pittsburgh. I am also near deaf, and had open heart surgery in 2010 (aortic valve replacement). I am a little slow, but not dead, and just keep plugging along. I also adore fly-fishing for wild brown trout (which keeps me going).

- I really don't see myself retiring, hence one reason to get out of the more physical demands of bedside nursing. We have several instructors in the nursing department at Pitt who are in their late 70's or early 80's and still going strong. One still has her own FNP practice.

- My advice, just go for it. What else are you going to do? Sit around and watch Bonanza and Star Trek reruns?

- Just my two cents.

Johnny in Pennsylvania.

[SoundofMusic]

Well, I graduated at 50 from NP school. I've been doing it for about 3-4 years now and I will say -- it's demanding. But you aren't lifting 700 pound people anymore, pushing or pulling, so it's physically easier. That said, you must know that you will still work very hard as an NP -- just in a different way.

Overall I'm glad I did it, with mixed feelings. I miss the camaraderie of nursing, but I enjoy the intellectual stimulation, working with great doctors, and the respect and extra pay it brings. Working with and diagnosing patients is hard, though -- it takes studying and reading that NEVER ends ...ever, because it's always all changing every five minutes. It takes skill to deal with patients, their personalities, their complaints, their badgering. You really need to have a backbone at times. And you have to be entirely ethical and take great care with documentation.

If you can do all that at an older age, then go for it. It's not really an age thing -- it's a skill thing. Some people can manage all that, have tons of energy, skill and brainpower, no matter what their age. If you were 35 and had all the energy, yet didn't have the brains or interpersonal skill, or discipline to learn and continuously study to be an NP, then you would not be an NP. What I'm saying, is age just isn't everything .... If you have what it takes to be an NP, then you have what it takes, no matter what your age. Hope that makes sense.