40 yr old with GED. Is a MSN even possible?

ShalishaJohnson · May 30, 2016

Watch this video. It's very encouraging. Good luck to you.

Buyer beware, BSN · May 30, 2016

You are prime material for the for-profit colleges such as those run by Educational Management Corporation and University of Phoenix to get their hands on to exploit for your student loan money. You are not too old to become a nurse but you have to be extremely careful and do your homework. Don't be discouraged by people you speak to at many community colleges who are just plain mean and unhelpful. Take your prerec courses at a inexpensive community college and get a feel for what nursing really is. You may find it's not for you, but then again, maybe it is. But you have to be smart. Do not consider for-profit nursing schools no matter how nice they are to you or who tells you they're ok. An internet search will help you uncover things they will never tell you. Good luck but move ahead slowly and cautiously. They're are lots of sharks in nursing education these days.

grakiasaurus · May 30, 2016

You are great encouragement for my journey thank you!

GGirll22 · May 30, 2016

Stay on this website and read some posts....

So many experiences and stories.

MissRN_Dior, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · May 31, 2016

If you want to be a nurse ... Do it! When I received my second degree the lady next to me said she wasn't stopping till she became a Doctor and she was 80 years old!!! When I decided that I was going to become a nurse I didn't tell anyone but my mom, too many family and friends were Debbie Downers, the way everyone found out from me was a Facebook post of me getting pinned!

Buyer beware, BSN · May 31, 2016

You can totally do this!!!! People earn a GED for a ton of reasons so don't feel that you are less capable academically. I was a teacher and taught GED prep and it's a really difficult test so I commend you!
As others have said, check out your local Community College to get your Associates in Nursing (called ASN/ADN) first; work as a nurse for a bit then then get your BSN online (I'm doing it right now after getting my ADN) then see if you want to continue on for your MSN.
Best of luck to you!!!!

This is great advice. The online route is good for a BSN, but having ADN first is sine qua non of advice. Without the ADN first, the online experience can be confusing and daunting and in my experience students without essential ADN nursing experience don't do well. This the educators at any school won't tell you.

Caveat:

1. Stay away from for-profit online schools. They are loan mills first and foremost, are very expensive and have extremely poor retention and graduation rates. These,again, are things they won't tell you. Go to collegescorecard.edu.gov to evaluate schools. Although they don't evaluate online programs,you can look up their ground schools and make reasonable assumption regarding the quality of their programs. The whole idea is not to get screwed. Ask lots of questions and don't be taken in by the sound of a caring, empathetic voice. This is a business, make them earn your patronage. Also, do a thorough internet search to uncover the truth behind the sell as much as possible.

Singh005 · May 31, 2016

Thank you so much for adkin academy. It has proved to have helped me a lot. I was so depressed after I failed my test once because my school gives us only two chances. Then I came across your website by chance as I was browsing on the Internet. As I studied for my test with adkin academy I didn't only pass my test but got 85%. And that is amazing especially after failing and English is also my second language. Brain was an excellent teacher and he knew exactly how to make you understand the material in an easy way. He also provide you with the greatest material for the study. So if you're struggling like I did with Teas then this is for sure the answer and I'm willing to answer all the questions that you might have. I do recommend this academy and the money you pay is definitely worth it.

missourinurse2b, BSN, RN · Jun 2, 2016

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!

I could have written this post!! Same thing with me, did horrible in high school but excelled in college classes when I started at age 38. We can do whatever we want if we are willing to work hard to achieve it.

NICUorbust, ADN · Jun 3, 2016

Just DO IT! Don't listen to the naysayers and haters! I'm 44, will be 45 in Sept. I got my GED at 17. I am currently in an ADN program at WNMU. I'm also taking extra classes so I can complete all of my requirements for my BSN as soon as possible after. (Will take me less than a year to complete since i'll only need nursing classes) I have 5 kids, 2 in college, and the youngest two are 10 and 12. I also have a husband who went into heart failure in Nov. so we've been dealing with that whole scenario ever since. If I can make this happen, SO CAN YOU!! Prove them all wrong! It's fun!

Oh...and TALK TO A DIFFERENT COUNSELOR! She's a *****!

NurseJackie_X3 · Jun 4, 2016

I myself did not finish high school and got my GED around 20 years old. I went into Medical Assisting around 22 years old and graduated with an Associates. I worked with that degree for about 2 years before I started the process to get into Nursing School. I always knew nursing was a career I wanted to pursue but I still wanted to test the waters and see if the healthcare field was where I really wanted to be. So my advice to you is to make sure this is something you really want because it is a lot of hard work and will require an endless amount of effort. But it is definitely well worth it. Nursing for me is more than just a career, it is a passion and I believe my calling.

Having a GED will not stop you from reaching your goals and neither will your age. Don't let anyone make you feel any different. I did not let anything stop me and I now have my BSN Degree at 30 years old. I work in Pediatrics and absolutely love it. I am currently looking into MSN programs because, like you, that is my goal (for now anyways).

So kudos to you for having a dream. Now set those goals, start achieving them, and be proud of yourself every step of the way. Best of luck to you in your future endeavors!!

Lingjayna · Jun 4, 2016

I had a rough childhood. I was poor. I dealt with abuse. I got my GED. Today I am a Nurse practitioner. You can do anything that you want to.

4monsters · Jun 4, 2016

You should totally do it! As long as you are committed to school there is no reason you wont succeed.

Before I started my prerequisites for nursing school I had only completed the 8th grade. Armed with only a GED and an 8th grade education I started nursing school at 40 with 4 kids at home including one who had a mental health condition requiring 3 hospitalizations during the time I was in nursing school. Was it hard? Absolutely, but I knew if I did not succeed then all of our families sacrifices would be for nothing. I ended up graduating Summa Cum Laude with an ADN in 2012. I was in the top 10% of my class with a 8th grade education. Went on to take my NCLEX and passed with 75 questions. I will graduate with honors with my BSN in about 4 weeks. It took me awhile to complete my BSN not because I couldn't but because I wanted to take a break. I have several classmates well into their MSN programs who are close to my age.

I am not telling you all of this to brag only to let you know if you want it you can achieve it. It is just up to you and how hard you are willing to work to live your dream.