18 y/o RN!

[PMFB-RN, RN]

Last week while at work I met a very bright young woman. I noticed how young she looked and that her name badge said RN so I had to ask.

She is 18 years old. She graduated at age 17 from a 2 year LPN program her high school had. She then went directly to one of Wisconsin's technical colleges and got her ADN in 9 months. She currently works in a critical care unit of a large hospital and tells me she is enrolled in an online RN to BSN program. She wants to become a travel nurse after she gets a couple years in critical care and her BSN. By then she should be the ripe old age of 20 with a BSN and two years critical care experience! Her long term goal is to become a CRNA or FNP.

I admire her ambition and wish I had had my act so together at such a young age.

[TazziRN, RN]

Geez......not even old enough to drink and she's administering narcs!

Says a lot for her brains, good for her.

[Idon'tcodgerdodge]

Yeah, I graduated nursing school barely 21. I graduated high school in 2002, got my AA degree in 2003 and got into nursing school at 19. I was able to do it because I dual enrolled my senior year of high school and took college classes at the community college and got high school credits as well. I've been working about a year and I can't tell you how many times people have asked how old I am. They don't think I'm old enough to be their nurse. That tells me I need to go on for more education. Hoping to get into an RN to BSN program in a year.

[jollyjenny]

Wow! I admire her! I also wish I would've had my act together when I was that age! I was too busy partying and goofing off. If I could only do it all over...:smackingf

[PMFB-RN, RN]

I can't tell you how many times people have asked how old I am. They don't think I'm old enough to be their nurse.

*** I forgot to mention that this young woman looks (at least to my 36 year old eyes) to be too young to be 18. She is about 4'11 and 95#, I would estimate ,with bright red hair and blue eyes. She mentioned that it's almost a relief when she cares for intubated and sedated patients, no "so how old are you?" questions :)

[CardioTrans, BSN, RN]

I am impressed! Most states have (or had) an age limit on being a licensed nurse. I know that when I graduated RN school I had just turned 20 in Jan and graduated in May....... had I not already turned 20 I couldnt have taken my boards. Strange how things change in 17 yrs.

Good for her though! Most kids (yes I say kids, my oldest son turned 18 this week), at that age have no clue what they want to do. Says alot about her!

[krazy_coconuts]

That is SO awesome! I wish my high school would have offered an LPN course.

[PickyRN]

There is a young nurse that works on my unit who is about five feet tall and 90 lbs or so. When she started, we tried very hard to not comment on her size, but we got to talking about it one day, and nobody wanted to ask her how old she was. I finally said I would. Just then she walked by the nurse's station, and I said, "Can I ask you a personal question?" She said, "Twenty-four," and smiled at me.

[flashpoint]

I went into LPN school straight out of high school. The next youngest person in my class was 35. I was the only peron in my class who didn't have kids, had never had a mammogram, had never had a pap smear, had never seen a doctor other than a pediatrician...LOL. I took a lot of kidding and put up with a lot of skepticism from my classmates. I wish I had been smart enough to go for the RN instead of the LPN.

[coolvibesRN]

Wow at 18 i hated school. I saw it as torture. Liked to go partying and went to college for the heck of it. Had LPN when i was 23, RN at 25 Hoping to get BSN, then MSN before 30. And i thought i had it together lol

Now at 27 i have patients asking me if im 21.

:monkeydance:

[Dom's mom]

WOW is all I can manage to get out. I am almost 30, married, 3 kids, and still in RN school.

[raskolnikov]

I am 18. Left high school at 16, getting my associates in liberal arts in May and transferring as a junior to finish up for a BSN as well as a degree in History. I am also a certified EMT and considering going to medic school. So if all goes well I will have my BSN & EMT-P by 20. (I want to be a flight nurse).

I was just lucky because I've known that I wanted to work in healthcare, but starting early has its drawbacks. Sometimes I wish I just mess around and have fun. But I do love what I do.