Youngest NP?

Jo Dirt · Apr 7, 2009

I heard of one 27. If someone has his/her business together it wouldn't be unheard of. I didn't start into nursing until age 22 and being in a rural area without access to all the opportunities that were available and didn't realize a lot of the options I had...I would have probably accomplished more at a younger age, myself.

The worst thing I did was give credit to people who talked about how difficult and almost impossible it was for them to get into nursing school. I remember being a CNA and listening to this other CNA talk about how she had been turned down to get in an RN program and her GPA was 3.4 something...I felt so discouraged but a couple of years later I decided to give it a try regardless and got in the first time.

Some people are so full of it. If there is something you want to do here is a word of wisdom: DON'T listen to goobers who try to make you have self-doubt and will discourage you from making a go to do what you want.

jer_sd · Apr 7, 2009

I was 26 when I finished my first NP program, but I was a RN at 20.....

NurseJi · Apr 7, 2009

I am going to turn 27 right before I graduate next year!

BabyLady, BSN, RN · Apr 7, 2009

25...Yes, I can see that.

If she went to 4 years of school, that would put her at 22 upon graduation.

2 to 3 years to finish an NP program, plus boards.

Very doable.

Even younger if you went summers.

sunray12 · Apr 7, 2009

Some people are RN's by the time they're 20/21. It only takes 2-3 years after that for a MSN - NP specialty. So it's possible to be a NP under the age of 25. I'm thinking a lot of young nurses might not be confident to take that step but then again being young often means you can take steps without overthinking them. Sometimes it takes being older for worry and fear to set in.

VivaRN · Apr 8, 2009

I'm 25, though the youngest in my NP class was 24. Not a big deal. If you can do the job, you earn respect.

I_LOVE_TRAUMA, RN · Apr 8, 2009

I am currently a MSN/ACNP student at age 30, but just a perspective. I graduated high school when I was 16, had an ADN at 18, and a BSN at 20. So if I would have continued my education at that point, the 16 months of the current program that I am in would have put me at 22 for my NP. It can be done, but its kinda scary when I look back at how immature I was then, I still get scared now even though I have been at the bedside in a major trauma center and an ICU for 12 years!

Jennifer0512 · Apr 8, 2009

Depending on what month we graduate in I will either almost be 25 or have just turned 25 by the time I graduate from NP school. Definitely possible.

luvmy3babies · Apr 8, 2009

Hi everyone,

Just wanted to say how smart it is for all of you going and getting your education so young to be a NP. I am so impressed. I am a LPN working towards my BSN and wanting my NP. My question is do any of you know of any good NP schools on line ? I have waited so long to return to school and now have a family a can not afford to quit work totally to devote to school.

Alisabeth, BSN, MSN, DNP · Apr 8, 2009

I will be 25 when I graduate with my FNP this summer. Several classmates of mine will only be 23 when they graduate this summer also. They went straight into the program from nursing school with no experience.

inthesky · Apr 10, 2009

I'm hoping that I will have my NP by the time I am 28. I'm 25 right now and sometimes have issues with age credibility. I suppose nursing has aged me because it is nowhere nearly as bad as it was when I was a 21 year old nursing student.. "are you the candy striper? when do you graduate high school?"

Has anyone else had age credibility issues? I'm sure they get much worse when you are suddenly supervising 20+year experienced RNs. When I first got onto the floor, I was intimidated by techs who did not want to take direction from green young me.