What if I can't do it???

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Hi everyone,

I am taking an online class this summer and that will complete my pre-reg requirements. I should be getting a letter from my school sometime before June 1st letting me know if I've made it into the nursing program. My nursing advisor told me that I should not have a problem being accepted since they only go by gpa, and my gpa is fine. Anyway, I'm an older student (39) and will not graduate until I am 42. I really wished that I would have went to college right after high school because I'm running out of options if this does not work out. I'm assuming that it is normal for a pre-nursing student to worry about the "what-ifs" but I'm not young enough to start over again. I have always wanted to work in an occupation where I was helping others, so originally I thought about being a social worker. That never happened for me, I got married 16 years ago and had 4 wonderful children who are currently aged 15, 12, 8, and 3. I started realizing 3 years ago after the death of my parents that I needed to start doing something with my life. I'm just worried that I won't cut it...ya know? I'm a good student, I've carried a 4.0 the entire 2 years I've been in college, and I am dedicated, love to learn, and I am determined to make this happen. I'm scared of being the "new" person, I'm afraid that i won't learn everything that I need to know, I'm afraid that I'll do something wrong that will harm a patient, I'm afriad of looking "stupid", I'm afraid that my age will hinder me on the job market...I'm just so scared because if this doesn't work for me then I've wasted 5 years of my life! Are these feelings normal? or am I just crazy? :)

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hi everyone,

i am taking an online class this summer and that will complete my pre-reg requirements. i should be getting a letter from my school sometime before june 1st letting me know if i've made it into the nursing program. my nursing advisor told me that i should not have a problem being accepted since they only go by gpa, and my gpa is fine. anyway, i'm an older student (39) and will not graduate until i am 42. i really wished that i would have went to college right after high school because i'm running out of options if this does not work out. i'm assuming that it is normal for a pre-nursing student to worry about the "what-ifs" but i'm not young enough to start over again. i have always wanted to work in an occupation where i was helping others, so originally i thought about being a social worker. that never happened for me, i got married 16 years ago and had 4 wonderful children who are currently aged 15, 12, 8, and 3. i started realizing 3 years ago after the death of my parents that i needed to start doing something with my life. i'm just worried that i won't cut it...ya know? i'm a good student, i've carried a 4.0 the entire 2 years i've been in college, and i am dedicated, love to learn, and i am determined to make this happen. i'm scared of being the "new" person, i'm afraid that i won't learn everything that i need to know, i'm afraid that i'll do something wrong that will harm a patient, i'm afriad of looking "stupid", i'm afraid that my age will hinder me on the job market...i'm just so scared because if this doesn't work for me then i've wasted 5 years of my life! are these feelings normal? or am i just crazy? :)

try being 44! i am scared to death!!!! i live in an area where it is very difficultto get into nursing school. i have a 3.75 and it is not good enough. i haveworked so hard this past couple of years to get this far, just to see my dreamgetting farther and farther away. the schooli attend has a 2 year wait list, and i just can't wait that long. i now have toconsider changing schools, and i am looking at a private nursing collage withan accelerated bsn and since i have all my pre reqs i can finish in just 2years. just the thought of the work loadscares me, but i am starting to think this is my only choice. i don't have aproblem with setting aside the next two years of my life to fulfill my dream; ijust don't want my dream to become my nightmare...when you are an older student,you don't have the luxury of thinking well if i fail at this i will trysomething else. so i know exactly what you are feeling.

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I feel exactly as you do, being 34 and starting all over. So a few weeks back I posted something similar to this. Here is the link. https://allnurses.com/pre-nursing-student/terrified-about-starting-687026.html

I received a whole bunch of responses from nurses and nursing students much older then us who are doing it. Chin up girl, you can do this. We can do this!!

"Life had no limitations, except the ones you make"-Les Brown

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Specializes in Psych nurse.
Hi everyone,

I am taking an online class this summer and that will complete my pre-reg requirements. I should be getting a letter from my school sometime before June 1st letting me know if I've made it into the nursing program. My nursing advisor told me that I should not have a problem being accepted since they only go by gpa, and my gpa is fine. Anyway, I'm an older student (39) and will not graduate until I am 42. I really wished that I would have went to college right after high school because I'm running out of options if this does not work out. I'm assuming that it is normal for a pre-nursing student to worry about the "what-ifs" but I'm not young enough to start over again. I have always wanted to work in an occupation where I was helping others, so originally I thought about being a social worker. That never happened for me, I got married 16 years ago and had 4 wonderful children who are currently aged 15, 12, 8, and 3. I started realizing 3 years ago after the death of my parents that I needed to start doing something with my life. I'm just worried that I won't cut it...ya know? I'm a good student, I've carried a 4.0 the entire 2 years I've been in college, and I am dedicated, love to learn, and I am determined to make this happen. I'm scared of being the "new" person, I'm afraid that i won't learn everything that I need to know, I'm afraid that I'll do something wrong that will harm a patient, I'm afriad of looking "stupid", I'm afraid that my age will hinder me on the job market...I'm just so scared because if this doesn't work for me then I've wasted 5 years of my life! Are these feelings normal? or am I just crazy? :)

You're not crazy. You just have a little anxiety - perfectly normal. I'm 42 and starting over with NS. Think positive all the time. Keep focused on the future and the excitement of it.

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Specializes in Psych/Mental Health.

You raised four children and managed to maintain a 4.0 gpa, I think you can do it!

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I'm starting my CNA class a week before my 49th birthday. I figure it'll take me a while to get tuition reimbursement to even start my prerequisites. I'm thinking I'll be a nurse in my 50s. (Either that or a surgical techologist...still haven't decided). I've been a desk jockey since I was 14. So this is a BIG change and out of my comfort zone. But I'm excited! Good luck to all of us...the "nontraditional students!"

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