I'll try to make it short. I'll be 40 this December. I got my GED when I was 18 and I've been a hairstylist/salon owner since I was 20. Looking for a career change and nursing has always been the field I wanted to pursue.
But boy to I have some Debbie downers around. From family to even my perspective counselor. Family days I'm too old and the counselor said basically that because of the time frame since I got my GED until now that it would be extremely hard & time consuming for me. She wasn't the nicest person while communicating this to me as well. I left out in tears.
So I was hoping there were some nurses/students here with similar situations like mine that can motivate me and hopefully can share any advice. I appreciate you guys.
Thank you very much. I'm so glad you posted. MSN is the end goal and I think it is very much obtainable. I would have to work my tush off but obtainable nevertheless. A CNA doesn't interest me at all. I respect every position in the healthcare industry however here locally a CNA equates to diaper changer. No thanks. My plan was going for ASN first at my local CC as others have stated. I start in fall. From there onto my BSN or for ASN to MSN. I don't know but yes everything will be one step at a time and yes I have at least a year of pre-req's before I could even start the actual nursing program. I'm going for it. Thank you.
You will have to deal with poop, urine and sputum as a nurse. Get over it now:)
It's one thing to say u want to be a nurse and it's another to actually get there and u find out it's not for you. If I were u, just to get my feet wet and see if nursing is truly for me ...I would start out as a CNA working in hospitals. Bcos in the hospital you get to see and learn a whole lot more than in nursing homes. Plus, u get to see what other nurses go through. Trust me, nursing profession is NOT easy. After a years worth, and u know for sure this is what u TRULY want..look into a BSN program and start taking your pre-requisite. I'm not going to lie to u, the further u go, the harder it becomes. With you being a salon owner, you might want to think about how your going to hold your job AND be a student. It's not going to be easy, but it's doable. Good luck.
Specializes in ICU, Radiology,Infectious Disease,Forensic Nursing.
Go for it! I pretty much blew off all of high school- barely graduated. I got older and more mature and wanted to go to college to be a nurse. I started at a community college, took the placement tests and started from there. I studied my behind off and received my BSN within the regular 4 year time frame. As long as you take placement tests so you start off where your education level is you will be set. Sure, it may add some time if you test lower but you will still get where you need to be. You can always take overload courses if you want to be done sooner. Good luck!
Same. I graduated HS with a 2.3 and then decided three years later I wanted to actually try to accomplish something. Made the grades and I got in to my community college ASN program yesterday!!
I just want to tell you, I did hair for 10 years in the same salon and graduated last year with my ADN. I passed my RN-NCLEX shortly after graduation and obtained a job right away.
Changing careers is doable, but it's a crazy amount of work. I did find many concepts in nursing school more difficult to understand than most of my classmates did. But this was mainly because Id never worked in a hospital. I'd never seen the things they were talking about. I took my CNA class, but never worked as one. There were CNAs in my class who still haven't passed their boards, so I wouldn't say that determines your success. Your willingness to learn new concepts and throw yourself into the unknown determines your success.
And there's a huge thing people are missing, at least something that was helpful to me. Hairstylists have the ability to make their own schedule! That was huge for me. I could go clinical for the day and then stop at the salon to do a foil and a haircut and make a quick $100. I actually found my work schedule to be way more accommodating for school than my classmates. I'm not sure how your flexible your schedule can be when you're the business owner, as I didn't have to deal with those issues.
But I just wanted to throw it out there that you can do it! You CAN change careers and be successful at it. Best of luck :)
Specializes in Pediatric Home Care, Dr Office/Clinic.
I'm 44 & just starting my nursing journey(just started prereqs a year ago), so I totally understand as I have faced a lot of the same negativity about me changing careers & going back to school as an older student. But you will find enough positive support once you get going! Don't listen to them! Go for it! I love your enthusiasm & motivation, but you definitely want to slow down & take baby steps. Start with looking into ADN & BSN programs in your area & figure out which route you want to take first. Call the schools & ask a lot of questions. Then once you decide on 2-3 schools you'd like to apply to, find common preqs between those few programs & start knocking those prereqs out. But start with 1 class to get back into the groove of things & then up the course load slowly. Talk to the nursing schools you are applying to also & ask if they accept credits from CLEP & DSST exams(these are exams that you can take instead of taking the full course & get full credit--I can talk to you more about this if you're interested, as I am taking the CLEP for a few of my prereqs.), as these exams can help you get through your general education prereqs a little faster.
Feel free to pm me if you just want to talk or have any questions
I went back to school to get my RN in my mid 30's, I am now 41 and considering advancing my ASN to MSN. It can be done. You have to be willing to sacrifice and work hard, but you CAN do it. Don't let any one tell you that you can't. People told me the same thing after 15 years in the factories... I used it as fuel to keep the fire burning when I was worn down... prove them wrong.
subee, MSN, CRNA
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You will have to deal with poop, urine and sputum as a nurse. Get over it now:)