What was I thinking?

[RanieRN]

A brief vent questioning my sanity in returning to school for RN to BSN to MSN.

It's been 13 years since I graduated with my ADN. If I complete this program in a timely fashion I'll be around 50 years old. Class only started this past Monday and I'm already stressed. Although given my first class is Applied Statistics, a class I've always dreaded, I'm not surprised I've already added to my grey hair collection. It's time though. The kids are all in school and have all agreed "it's time you put yourself first Mom". I question if my brain's ready for this. Other than keeping up with required CEs to maintain my license, there's been no formal education going on up there. Sigh.

Ok, vent done. Off to study. Thanks for listening. :)

[wanderlea]

I was a nurse for 10 years when I decided to go back for my BSN last year and now I'm 2 classes away from graduation! I know it's hard to get back into the swing of things after being away from school for so long but it comes back to you quickly. You definetly should have started with an easier class though, lol. Hang in there! You will be glad you did it in the end! And I agree that the PERLA program was a life saver ?

[hgrimmett]

I'm a month away from 50 and in my 2nd quarter of an ADN-RN program. I do plan to eventually get my Master's afterwards, assuming I can find a bridge program that I can afford and can get into. There's lots of days I wonder what was I thinking. Sure glad I didn't start with stats though.. I HATE statistics. Thankfully I don't have to take it for a few quarters yet. :)

[old_dude]

45 when I started ADN and then went on to get BSN then later MSN. Not sorry and you will not be either. It was actually "fun" in some respects.

I want to be you...... I'm 45 now, just finished my prereqs and will start Nursing School in Jan. (by then I will be 46), and hope to eventually get my MSN.

To the original poster: I got my BA 20 years ago as a less than stellar student. 20 years later I am older, wiser and more motivated. I have a 4.0 at in my prereqs and am really enjoying being a student again.

[Nascar nurse, ASN, RN]

Got my LPN at 19. Got my ASN at 38. Next year my daughter will be out on her own and my son will leave for the navy. I'll be 46 & I plan to dig back in! We can do it.

[BrendaH84, BSN]

what made u want to obtain your masters? what will you do once you have it :)

[RanieRN, MSN, RN]

what made u want to obtain your masters? what will you do once you have it :)[/quote

A few reasons, the big one being I want to do more with my career. I have some physical health issues that have made bedside nursing more challenging than I would have liked at my age, and they're not likely to improve and an advanced degree would open up some choices.

I never really minded when the nursing students came to visit, or being a preceptor, and thought being a clinical instructor might be interesting and an advanced degree is a must for that.

I was considering certification in pain management and/or hospice, and an advanced degree would again open more choices.

My kids are all in school, at work, or out of the house (they range from 6 to 25), I work second shift (my husband works first), and my brain's going to mush with nothing substantial to do other than talk to the dog during the day.

Once upon an eon ago, my original life plan after graduating from high school was to become an APN. Stuff happened, some less than optimal choices were made, and career plans got shelved.

I enjoyed nursing school and I like challenging myself.

[Nursing24/7, LVN]

I'll be 41 in Dec and I am going into nursing as a complete 360 degree career change. Have always been interested in nursing since I was a teen (in fact half my family are nurses) but my first passion was journalism, so that's what I ended up majoring in and getting my BA in college. But about 1 year ago, I started to feel the nursing bug heavily again, so I really started to research going back to school to become a nurse. :) My plan was to start prereqs this past spring, but I got laid off from my job in April, so that plan got completely thrown out the window. Still looking for a job, so I don't anticipate being able to start prereqs until this summer *crossing fingers*. I am planning on doing a BSN program that will take me 2-3 years, so I'll be 44 ish when I get my BSN. Not 100% sure that I want to get my MSN, it all depends if I survive BSN program lol. I've never been a fan of school in general, so I know it will be a struggle to get though but I am ready for the challenge, I am just ready to be a nurse!.

I have sooo many fears like you do but I'm pushing myself to just take it one day at a time. The math will be a challenge for me too, as I have never been strongest at math. Sciences too also prove to be a little tricky for me, so I just plan to really take my time and study especially hard on those subjects. I've also decided that I will pre prep myself by getting anatomy & physiology & microbiology books in advance and just read them in my spare time to get familar with the subject material well in advance of starting the prereqs. I think with me being an older student, I just need to give myself a jumpstart in order to excel and study a little harder to get there but I WILL get there!

We can do this ladies!!!!

[ThePrincessBride, MSN, RN, NP]

I admire you all for having the courage to go back to school at a more mature age. I'm 21 in a BSN program, and I plan to get all of my schooling out the way (master's included) by 27 years of age. I know I wouldn't have the patience to go back after a long hiatus.

[BrendaH84, BSN]

SNFRN, well good luck to you, we can always use good instructors!

I had an office job for many years and felt the Nursing bug, I am great at it, but I wish I would have stayed in an office. I miss 9-5, mon through friday and I miss being treated well by co-workers :) lol. but now I am hooked on the RN wages! , and I can't waste those four years in school for Nursing, at least I do love my patients :)

[mariebailey, MSN, RN]

I'm willing to bet you'll do well. I did an accelerated program, and the students who particularly seemed to excel were the middle-aged women who raised or were raising children. I was a twenty-something wondering how they always seemed so composed and prepared. I think "non-traditional" students have an upper hand b/c you've battled much more in life than a silly statistics course.

[tokmom, BSN, RN]

Good luck to you OP!! I'm going to be 50 in just a couple of weeks and am heading back for an online BSN course. I'm nervous about writing papers, working full time and doing so with a family. However, I'm taking only one class at a time, so I pray it's doable.

I think being older and going back has its perks or at least hope it does, lol.

[RanieRN, MSN, RN]

Just an update: finished the class with an 84.6 final grade :). Now on to nursing leadership and management.