Is 33 Too Old To Enter The Nursing Field? (education, hired, good)

[graterdaze]

Absolutely Not, some places are hurting bad for nurses too.

[NCN]

So the question is "how old would you be when you finish nursing school?" And the next question is "how old will you be in that length of time if you don't finish nursing school?" The only difference is what you do in that length of time.

My daughter who had a four year degree in marketing decided she wanted to be a nurse. She was 40 when she made the change. She is now 43 and working in the hospital emergency room. The job is challenging, but she comes home every day knowing that she may have helped save someone's life that day.

It is never too late to change one's occupation. You may die going to school, but you will die happy for having the courage to make the change.

[pmnurse4u]

I was 37 years young when I went back to school first to get my high school diploma. I took one class at a time and, it took me some time but, it is the best decision I ever made. I have been a nurse LVN for about 5 years now. Started off on a med surg floor and just recently became a Hospice nurse. It's never too late when it comes to education.. Go girl!!! You will be glad you did..

[leira]

Originally Posted by lisdol

Can I ask those of you who have direct/indirect experience with nursing when you aren't so young? (RMD, INTN, Houston, and anyone else)?

How physically exhausting is it (school, work) as a nurse? I'm pushing 40 (with 4 kids ages 2-10) and am considering going back to a health program (I already have my 4-yr degree with a focus area in community health education). I wonder about the physical demands. I originally was in a pre-BSN track back when I was a bright and perky college student who ran, biked, lifted weights, etc... and I am sure I would have had no problem with the reduced hours of sleep etc... of the program and then the physical demands of the job. Alas, I foolishly changed my major. Now, I wonder how much harder it would be. I remember getting physical therapy when I was in college and my PT, who was in her 40s, was considering law school b/c she was getting "too old to be moving and lifting very heavy patients".

I'm considering many options from accelerated BSN (12 mos) to regular BSN to a 12 mo LPN, or medical assistant, to radiography to respiratory therapy.

Was in my 20's when I finished nursing school. It was and still is demanding physically--even if you work in an area of nursing where you don't do all that much pulling around of patients or if some of your patients are tiny ones. It is hard on your legs, back, shoulders, head, emotions, psyche, spirit, and brains--this can be especially true depending on which areas you specialize. Critical care nursing in a university hospital setting can require a lot of brain power, critical thinking and judgment, and great physical demands--and crazy shifts and schedules and rotations and holidays, etc. You really have to want it to be great in it. Or you can be OK smart and play the game and be mediocre. Sadly I have met a number of nurses that are like that, and sadly they are therefore the most politically destructive in the workplace. If you are a smart individual with strong ethics and strong commitment to patient advocacy, well, be prepared for struggles that have more to do with insecurities and office politics then anything else. Its the latter that makes the field intolerable for many nurses. And this is why many nurses leave the field or move around a lot. Office politics is tough and hard in the office, but when people's lives depend on you so much, and when you are innudated with critical crisis after crisis, and on top of that are concerned about protecting your license, well the office politics become the insufferable straw that breaks the camel's back.

Hiring freezes are big right now, although most facilities are trying to stay tight-lipped about it. They could use more nurses but won't b/c of the economic grip right now. So all the hype you hear about the healthcare field being the top area that is recession proof, etc, well, it is nonsense, at least for nursing. No one field and no job is economic crisis/recession-proof. And there have even been nurse lay-offs at many places. The lunancy to replace nurses with glorified techs is still a huge problem. They learn some tasks, but not the art and science of nursing--as well as a great deal of many other things, which like it or not, depending on the area of nursing one works in, can come very close to medicine in reality. Nurses cover themselves in this regard by using nursing diagnoses, which relates to the person and their various responses, rather than medical diagnoses which relate to the pathophysiology, etc. But nurses must know and understand a lot about medical diagnoses, treatment, and pathophysiology. And this is part of the reason any good school will require a strong foundation in the natural sciences as well as the social sciences.

I won't candy coat it for you. It is a very tough field to work in--at least for many areas--such as critical care areas. Plus, believe it or not, sadly it can be a very competitive, cut-throat field. I wish with all my heart this were not so; but often enough it certainly is. Of course there are those great people that are awesome to work with. . .unfortunately teams of nurses like that can be harder to find than one realizes.

I could right tomes on relevant topics in nursing as well as other aspects of it.

It's not too late; but realize that, especially depending on which areas and the particular cultures and environments you end up working in, it will be extremely demanding physically, mentally (brain-wise), psychologically/emotionally, socially, and even spiritually. I have enjoyed and learned so much by working in critical care nursing. Yet my colleagues and I as well as many other fellow nurses have also suffered a lot in the field. It's not until after school that you really begin to see what it's all about. Just try your best to make sure this is really what you want. (Plus, you can be exposed to a lot of infectious or chemically or radiation toxicity, not to mention patient physical violence. . .and a lot of verbal abuse. I've been fortunate to not have had any real physical violence against me, and most of the time my patients and families have been quite appreciative. I have been exposed to many infectious and toxic substances. You have to be careful all the time, not only for your patients, but for yourself--and there is a lot of time spent on covering your butt legally--the paperwork anymore can be overwhelming, even with mass computerized systems.

Most people don't have a clue what many nurses must know and do. What's more, quite often it is a thankless job. I work as a teacher as well, and I can tell you that I get a lot more appreciation in that role than I do as a nurse--even though nurses can be responsible for a lot of patient/family teaching. Sure many of patients have told or shown great appreciation for my work with them as a nurse. But the most unendurable lack of appreciation can come from other nurses or administration. It's quite sad. The politics, however, really pushes it over the edge. It's too much with everything else you are responsible for and with which you are dealing. And it is a very "in your face" kind of field.

[lisdol]

Originally Posted by leira

Was in my 20's when I finished nursing school. It was and still is demanding physically--even if you work in an area of nursing where you don't do all that much pulling around of patients or if some of your patients are tiny ones...
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Thank you for your candor.

I have been doing more thinking and have come to the conclusion that, unlike a lot of people who want to go into nursing, I don't want to perform nursing in the hospital setting. If I do decide to pursue the BSN, it will be as a step on the way to getting a MPH to work in public health/community health. Public health has been a strong interest area for me since seeing "And the Band Played On" in college (for a communication class) and watching Matthew Modine try to figure out what this condition was that was killing (mostly) men. I know most people think of nursing and see only the physical and technical tasks, and that is what they are itching to do; for me, I am more interested in teaching, preventive health, working in public health initiatives, and feel the knowledge base and some of the technical skills of an RN would be extremely useful in public health. It would give me the flexibility, say, working in a rural county with a small progam, to not only develop and administer community health programs, but also to provide hands-on care in a clinic setting for say, an immunization clinic.

But, I am getting ahead of myself, b/c that will be a ways down the road if I can do it, and I will have to take things one step at a time and remain flexible (for instance we are moving in one year and won't know where we will go until a few months prior).

I have a huge respect for the technical skills of critical care nurses. And a big respect for all hospital nurses - the work is very demanding.

Again, I thank you for your insight.

[mm_mary73]

Originally Posted by lisdol

.......... it will be as a step on the way to getting a MPH to work in public health/community health. Public health has been a strong interest area for me since seeing "And the Band Played On" in college (for a communication class) and watching Matthew Modine try to figure out what this condition was that was killing (mostly) men. I know most people think of nursing and see only the physical and technical tasks, and that is what they are itching to do; for me, I am more interested in teaching, preventive health, working in public health initiatives, .......

MPH is fine, but Health Educator is what you want: NCHEC - The National Commission For Health Education Credentialing
Go for it!!!!

[lisdol]

Yes I was thinking if I did not do the MPH I could do a Masters in Health Education and get the CHES. When I graduated from undergrad college, I found any community health jobs out there were using RNs. I have also heard it varies by where you are in the country, but it would not hurt to have both. I couldn't get anywhere with my undergrad community health education.

Long term I'd like to do all of that but in about 9 mos we will find out where we go from here, so I can have a better idea of what the following 4 yrs will entail for us. I'm going to have to flex depending on what is available.

Thanks for the encouragement.

[POhdNcrzy]

Originally Posted by mm_mary73

MPH is fine, but Health Educator is what you want: NCHEC - The National Commission For Health Education Credentialing
Go for it!!!!

This may be very good advice. I know of someone who earned an MPH (Masters Degree Public Health) and found it did not lead to gainful employment. This individual (located in the NYC/NJ area) is now employed by a pharmaceutical company in a capacity where she can use parts of the education provided by the MPH degree. This person eventually found the pharma job through networking/personal contacts. She literally looked and applied for work for a couple years after graduating with the MPH degree and could not get hired.

[artsyguy]

There is a lot of politics and competition in the nursing field. Beware.

[nhRN]

Hi! I am also a massage therapist - and started the process for entering nursing school in the fall of 06 by taking pre-requisite courses part time and worked full time. I had my own practice (very successful, busy all the time) and worked my practice around school - mostly took the classes I could at night. I sold my practice (which I had for 12 yrs) last fall when I started Nursing school full time. I will graduate in May with my Associates RN - I will be 52!! School has not been easy, but easier for me at my mature age than for those in their late teens, early 20's.

You will be getting older whether you go into nursing or not! And age is only a state of mind, so if you don't mind, it doesn't matter! Just go for it, especially if it is something you've always wanted to do! I love the similarities b/t you and I - I also have 3 kids (adults now) and wanted to go to school many years ago, but couldn't as I was a single mom of those three.....but I'm so happy with what I am doing now and am eager to start my new career!

Go for it, girl!

Nikki