58 years old - Am I too old to start nursing school??

Dear Nurse Beth Advice Column - The following letter submitted anonymously in search for answers. Join the conversation!

You are reading page 3 of 58 years old - Am I too old to start nursing school??

Specializes in Registered Nurse.
ConnielCanada said:
WOW is all I can say in regards to the continuation of perpetuating a serious issue. As a practicing midwife I see the same treatment of women having babies after the age of 26 by physicians. You are just too old to have a baby, and yet women are having babies "successfully" after the age of 30 every day.

The only way to change a wrong doing is by stopping the ridiculous rhetoric. I will have a job when I graduate, and I will be successful. I have a lot of life experience, wisdom, greater patience, and no children to keep me out of work, these are all very good marketable qualities. I would turn your statements around and say "Look at all I have to offer, over a 20 something that has no real work experience, doesn't already know how to play in the sand box with her co workers.

Ageism has got to stop, and all those who think they are doing someone a favor by "telling them the truth of the matter" is just feeding the myth. I have more stamina, business sense, and stability than most new graduates. I will be successful, as I already am successful, and I have a LOT of years left for anyone to invest their time in.

Seriously? Now this would be something I did not know. Docs don't like women having babies over the ripe old age of 26?

Specializes in Occ. Hlth, Education, ICU, Med-Surg.

You're never too old...you'll be 59 soon no matter what you do... :)

However, I would give serious consideration to the toll that the stress will take on you physically and I would give serious consideration to whether or not you would see a return on your investment.

Specializes in ER, Med-surg.

Honestly, nursing school is incredibly stressful and draining, and being a new grad even more so- assuming you could find a new grad program willing to hire someone in their sixties, which is, unfortunately, by no means guaranteed. Faced with a new grad who has less than a decade before retirement and one who has forty years, many hiring managers will hire the younger worker. This may not be fair, but it is true. I do know some working bedside nurses in their sixties, but they are all experienced, and again if we are being honest here, most of them struggle a great deal with the demands of the job (as, frankly, do most people these days- the workload is ever-increasing) and talk about their enthusiasm for their imminent retirement. Most of the nurses I know in their sixties work in management/case management and other non-direct-patient-care positions, but those are only available after years of bedside care that may not ever be offered to you starting at this point.

It's not to say that it's impossible, but if the stress of an exam has already destroyed your sleep and weakened your immune system, the years of school and work to come will likely be even worse. Bedside nursing is also very physically demanding work, and 14 hour days and starting on night shift are typical expectations of new grads.

If money is an issue, I think this is a risky investment for you- you'll be spending a lot of money upfront on a job that you may not even be able to get, and may struggle to perform for any length of time. Calculate the amount you'll spend on schooling (don't forget to include the lost wages from whatever work you do currently that you won't make while in school) and then figure out how many years you'd have to work at your area's starting nursing salary to recoup your investment to see if financially, this is a viable plan.

If money is no object, I think there are much lower-stress ways you could help people, including volunteer work or other training programs in the helping professions that don't entail so much sleep deprivation and manual labor.

Personally, nursing school and being a new grad broke me down physically as a healthy twenty-something, and now in my thirties I'm exploring options to get away from the bedside, despite my love for actual nursing. I've noticed a strong pattern between bad periods at work (low staffing, high census and acuity, pressure to work overtime) and difficulty sleeping/developing sickness. I can't imagine doing this for the rest of my thirties, let alone my sixties.

Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

I'm 34 years old with a little less than 10 years of nursing experience. I'm already laying the groundwork to make a permanent exit from bedside nursing because I simply do not want to do it in upper middle age. I already struggle to work three 12-hour shifts in a row due to a health issue.

Bedside nursing is brutal to the body, mind and spirit. A person can only take so much, regardless of their youth or advancing age.

Specializes in Registered Nurse.
TheCommuter said:
I'm 34 years old with a little less than 10 years of nursing experience. I'm already laying the groundwork to make a permanent exit from bedside nursing because I simply do not want to do it in upper middle age. I already struggle to work three 12-hour shifts in a row due to a health issue.

Bedside nursing is brutal to the body, mind and spirit. A person can only take so much, regardless of their youth or advancing age.

So true.

Specializes in ICU.

First of all, what doctor has a problem with women over the age of 26 getting pregnant? I have never heard of that. Over 36, when someone is considered advanced maternal age, yes I could see that. But not 26. I really think the only reason some of them may have an issue after 35 is because the incidents of birth defects and chromosomal abnormalities go up and the parents aren't ready for that most of the time. Also, the risk of hypertension and gestational diabetes goes up after 35. I think if you look at two women, one is say 23 and pregnant with no support system at all, and a woman who is 30 and the dad wants to be in the picture, the mom is ready and wanting the baby, the child of the 30 year old mom is going to do much better in life because the support system is there. But if you take that same 23 year old woman who has the support needed in place and now you throw a 39 year old woman in there, the chances of having a healthier baby and having a good start in life go to the 23 year old. That is just a generality though, and as we all know every, single situation is unique in this world, so nobody can make a general statement and think it's going to be true for everybody.

To the OP, I don't think 58 is too old to start school. My cousin's other grandma just graduated at the age of 81 last year with her associate's degree. She was the oldest graduate ever from this campus. It's a large Big Ten school, but she went to one of the satellite campuses. It was very exciting to watch that happen for her. She had dropped out of high school at 15 and got married, raised her kids, enjoyed the retirement years with her husband. Then he died and she felt it was time to do something for her. I think it keeps her going mentally.

That being said, this is not about you just going and getting a degree. This is nursing and you will eventually want a job out of this. I don't think we can call this ageism either. Ageism is when you have two nurses with the same degrees and same experience. One is 55, and the other is 30. The hospital hires the nurse who is thirty because they assume the 55 year old can't handle it anymore or they don't want someone who is going to just retire in a few years. That is ageism, discriminating against someone solely because of their age. You would be a brand new grad at 60, I'm guessing. Your health has already declined due to the stress in school. How will it be on the job? Plus, I think a PP said it costs around $100k to train a new grad. I thought it was less than that around $37k, but even if you were able to work until 70, I don't think the hospital is going to get that money back out of you. That would make it a bad investment on their part. I think that with age comes wisdom and maturity. I will be 40 in about 4 months. I know that if someone hires me, they would be much better off than hiring the new grad that is say 22 or 23 just because I feel anyway I've got a little more stability in my life and can handle stressful situations better. But I also look at that energy some of them have, and I know that is not comparable to me. It sucks getting older, doesn't it?

I think there are lots of great things you can do. I don't know if bedside nursing is one of them. I have days for myself that I question it. I also think of my mom who is 61 and just retired and there is no way she could do it. If I were you, I would look into fields where you can still help people, but it isn't maybe as physically and mentally stressful as bedside nursing. You are still just 58, you don't need to be put out to pasture quite yet!!!!!

One of the things I learned years ago is to take care of myself first. You can't take or help other people if you aren't healthy yourself. That is extremely important. I had several health scares a few years ago myself and it took me a little while to get myself healthy and fit and able to get up everyday and feel great. But now that I am there, it's the best feeling in the world. I know at 39 I am so much healthier and feel better than I did even at 30. I see different posts from people that there are nurses working bedside into their 70s and even a few in their 80s, I would like to be one of the exceptions to the rule someday and still be helping out then. Hopefully not full time or because I need money, but just to be helping people. But that depends on me and how well I continue to take care of myself.

Good Luck OP!! I hope you can find what you are looking for and will make you happy in life. We all deserve to fulfill our dreams in one way or another.

Specializes in Registered Nurse.

Just to add some time elements for the OP, on the average 12 hr (or even 8 hr) hospital job....I have had several different hospital jobs at several different hospitals...and at all, through many years, I never got to sit more than 1-2 hrs total (cumulative) to chart (on average) during any shift. The rest of the time is spent on your feet, standing, running, walking, pushing, and pulling or some combo of those.

Age is how you feel and your overall health. I am much older as well! However, I should have my RN some time next year. But, I also have other credentials under my belt so lots to lean on there.

Anyone concerned about nursing school due to their age just needs to consider their overall health and stamina. I, for one, feel that I cannot endure the strenuous physical requirements that I have already gone through as an LPN, BUT REALIZE that LPNs (in my state) have less opportunities - usually end up in long term care and the workload is horrible. I had a couple of slight injuries but overall, the 12-hour shifts on my feet constantly with no breaks are what concerned me.

Now, having said that.....think of it this way. Nursing is very DIVERSE! Have you ever done a nursing job search and seen all the opportunities available to you? And if you get a BSN or beyond, there is no stopping you regarding opportunities! But even at the RN level, you could find jobs that are less strenuous than direct patient care - quality management positions, etc.

I hope it works out for you!

If you believe you're too old to do it, then you are too old. What I answer everyone when they ask me about RN school is go get a CNA job (hospitals where I live train for free) to see what its really all about. And, keep that job or ED Tech job all through school to give yourself documented healthcare work experiencing.

No do-overs, no regrets. Things work out the way they are supposed to work out, it can not be any other way. I'm an old fart and cause of death isn't going to be CHF in a SNF.

Specializes in medical surgical.

This can be done. HOWEVER, I would not do hospital nursing. BUT I would not do hospital nursing even if I was in my 30's. I graduated with my Accelerated BSN very late 40's. Worked a few years on a busy med-surg floor and then became a traveler in hospitals. I believe I came on at the end of the good times of hospital nursing. The pay was still good but conditions were beginning to deteriorate for the nurses. I did this for about 2-3 years and completed a travel assignment while doing my MSN and NP program. I might also add that I was a single mother with 3 teens. I am done with corporate hospital jobs. I do not like the mentality but that has nothing to do with age. Many of the CEO's/CFO's are in their 60's and 70's so I do not buy completely in to the ageism factor. Today, I am back in school but it is for a post masters program. I am now old as the hills. I also NEVER lack for a job. I carry myself well, am well spoken and have a can do attitude. I also work well with multi generations. BUT AGAIN, no more corporate!! EVER. I will teach, do local hospice, mentor, ect before I ever step into a hospital environment again.

Honesty, I think so. Why? Because bedside nursing is for the young and generally healthy, and you would have to start out in some sort of direct patient care position. Young nurses with only a few good years of experience are clammering to get out move up into less physically and emotionally taxing positions --- and can, because they at least have working experience. Being a nurse is a lot more physically demanding than most (even students) realize.

As a newer grad, 12 hr. shifts easily turn into 14 hr. shifts. And, just yesterday I went nine (9) HOURS at work without one drink of water. Or anything. It was 1530 before I took my only break. That was my first and only opportunity to hydrate myself at work. I was that busy with a zillion calls, an admission, a discharge, patients coming back from surgery... more calls, more demands... an end of shift discharge. It's really physically difficult to tolerate and I cannot recommend it.

I graduated with my ADN at the age of 48, I followed up and finished with my BSN a little over a year later. I have been working bedside since graduation, BUT, I was the last of my cohort to be offered a job (we were fellows and owed the hospitals 3 years for putting us through school). The position I got was 34 miles from my home, rush hour traffic both directions. I always wanted to be a nurse and this is when the opportunity and timing was right.

Would I do it again? Not sure. Even though my classes were paid for, I had to take out student loans to pay the bills. Those loans seem to last forever.

I love being a nurse. I work 12 hour shifts and sometimes I feel much older than my age at the end of the night. This job does age you, it is a lot of stress, regardless of the area you work in.

If you really want to work in healthcare, I would suggest you become a medical assistant. Doctors are not hiring nurses much to work in offices anymore. It would be less hours a day than the hospital, and may be (?) a shorter program than an ADN. Will you make as much money? Not likely.

If you simply want to help people, and don't need to work, you could consider volunteering at a hospice or similar facility. Many places train volunteers to assist their patients.

Whatever you decide, remember what has been written here over and over again. No job is worth losing your health over.

Best of luck to you!

Blessed be

+ Add a Comment