I'm a 41 year old single mom (joint custody) who will be an empty nester in 4 years. I'm not sure if I'm going through a midlife crisis but lately my corporate insurance job no longer lights my fire and I am yearning for a career that gives me a strong sense of purpose and the feeling that I'm doing something meaningful.
I have family members who are nurses and they've been encouraging me to consider Nursing.
I'm looking into getting in the GEPN at University of Hawaii- Manoa on the DNP path.
I know that once I start, there's no turning back because I'll be using part of my IRA money for living expenses while I do the 1 year intensive prelicensure before taking the NCLEX.
Do you think Nursing school is a good return of investment at my age (41)?
The problem is not in any way your age starting nursing school. The problem is leaving what seems to be a very good Mon- Fri 9-5 job, although you haven't mentioned your salary.
With the belief that nursing will be "fulfilling".
The problem is not in any way your age starting nursing school. The problem is leaving what seems to be a very good Mon- Fri 9-5 job, although you haven't mentioned your salary.
With the belief that nursing will be "fulfilling".
And most of the time, it won't be.
Exactly my point. In fact, I know a lot of nurse's who would love to switch places with the op. With the current conditions of nursing, it hard to feel fulfilled.Like someone mentioned if the op was working in Taco Bell, then maybe it would be a good switch. The op needs to think really hard. I recently met a second career nurse and their making a switch back to their original career, they realized that nursing was not all it was cracked up to be.
Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.
A lot of valid points from former posters but I disagree with some of the dissuading comments. Nursing is a great stable career and a great return on investment.
It's only a great return on investment if you do the math and it works out. You have to factor in the cost of the schooling itself, the lost wages and pension accrual from your previous job, and the loss of actual accrued pension being spent. Now figure what you can expect to make when you're working again, what kind of pension you can accrue and how long you have to work to be financially where you were before. I disagree that you should wait to research nursing employer pension plans. Do it now as part of the decision-making progress.
If the math works, go for it. If the math doesn't work, but you think you'd be happier anyway, then go for it.
The one thing that stands out to me is not you switching careers, it's taking money out of your IRA when you are over 40. That's a bad idea in my opinion.
Could you go to community college and use grants and loans to pay for things? I would not mess with your retirement.
Also know, while there are those days of satisfaction in nursing, they are few and far between. I'm working Christmas Eve and day so I won't see my family for the holiday.
Often, I get home after a 13-14 hour shift both physically and mentally exhausted. My days off are not spent doing exciting things. I'm catching up on sleep.
Nursing may very well be for you. I ask that you shadow a nurse or two, on different units, and different shifts. Expect to work nights at first.
Just go in with your eyes wide open and finances in order.
A high school friend of mine got her degree in Art, back in the dark ages. She met a man with a big career, married and raised a family. She was a stay at home mother. In the meantime, she had some experiences that changed her perspective. Her brother had a traumatic brain injury in a motorcycle accident.
fat forward 35 years, at the age of 57, she got her RN license. The last I knew, it was going well. She is currently in a hospital setting. It is stressful.
But she has a big safety net. She isn't paying off loans. She doesn't really have to work for a living, haha.
A lot of valid points from former posters but I disagree with some of the dissuading comments. Nursing is a great stable career and a great return on investment.
It's only a great return on investment if you do the math and it works out. You have to factor in the cost of the schooling itself, the lost wages and pension accrual from your previous job, and the loss of actual accrued pension being spent. Now figure what you can expect to make when you're working again, what kind of pension you can accrue and how long you have to work to be financially where you were before. I disagree that you should wait to research nursing employer pension plans. Do it now as part of the decision-making progress.
If the math works, go for it. If the math doesn't work, but you think you'd be happier anyway, then go for it.
Agree in general, except that pensions are mostly gone these days even in healthcare. My hospital froze ours after it was acquired by a national chain, but also it was a church pension anyway therefore it didn't even pay into the gov't insurance pension plan so if it goes bankrupt you are out of luck and this unfortunately has been happening to people already!
Forget pensions. You may still get one if you take a government job, but it will be at a significantly reduced salary.
If someone of any age is contemplating going into nursing, in no way should they expect a pension. That would be a very unusual situation and you would also have to work there long enough to collect it.
Pretty unlikely for a person already in their 40's, looking at several years of school.
I dont want you to do this. Nursing is like a macabre assembly line. It is damaging to body and soul with the way the current system is set up. Please count your blessings and stay where you are.
Another thing to consider: OP, are you prepared to go from that "executive" level back down to the novice level? It can be a bitter pill when you have a lot of experience but you suddenly find yourself on the bottom of the heap again. Even if you go directly to a graduate degree when becoming an RN, you will have the same amount of RN experience (none) as the ADN graduate who takes the NCLEX on the same day as you.
I wish somebody would have convinced me of this when I made the same decision at about the same age. Perhaps I wouldn't be trying to support myself with unreliable employment at an age where I should be retired and concentrating on my own declining health. I wasted my retirement nest egg on a nursing education. Don't make the same mistake.
Nursing is "unreliable employment?"
I'm in a similar situation: Age, wanting to go back to school, management in a fortune 50 company. I have an income that is higher than what I'll expect to make coming out of school. However, in the corporate world, it's always "what have you done for me lately", even if you're good at the job.
My ex-wife is a nurse and I was there as she was going through nursing school and during the beginning of her nursing career. I know it was unbelievably tough and stressful. There were times she took a lot of mental stuff home with her. However, unstable? Never. She is constantly getting recruited by hospitals with salary increases. Also, when she's off work, she's off.
On the other hand, I'm never completely off work. I have to respond to "fire drills" all the time. I've had to log in and work on my vacation and have to log in and work at night all the time to get stuff done. When I do that, I see several other managers and directors also online doing the same thing at midnight. And for what? Job security doesn't always seem like a sure thing, especially in a performance-based position. There have been times I've thought "Maybe we shouldn't have bought this house, car, etc..."
I get that nursing is no bowl of cherries, but I also understand what the poster means about job fulfillment. Oh, and managing people sucks.
I also have a Bachelors in business, an MBA, and have managed up to 20 people at a time for 15+ years. I'm hoping if bedside doesn't work out I'll be able to find something within a hospital setting.
I'm about ready to graduate an ADN program in a month and I've gotta say some of these comments sure are demoralizing. I'm 33, soon to be 34. I've always wanted to be involved in healthcare but some of these comments are scary. Don't people want new nurses to eventually replace current OG nurses when they retire? I don't get it.
But then again, I guess everything is relative. I've been at my current job for 9 years pretty soon (I drive a delivery truck and deliver groceries to a bunch of wealthy pompous/condescending customers every day. Okay, they're not all like that, many of our customers are very kind and treat us well.) and I just want something different. The money isn't particularly bad, but the job ruins your body, you've gotta deal with the elements, and I'm over it. I guess you'll deal with much the same with nursing, but at least in nursing you have many many options whereas at my job, this is kinda it.
Oldmahubbard
1,487 Posts
The problem is not in any way your age starting nursing school. The problem is leaving what seems to be a very good Mon- Fri 9-5 job, although you haven't mentioned your salary.
With the belief that nursing will be "fulfilling".
And most of the time, it won't be.