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I will be 32 this winter. I am currently a massage therapist, and I love my work but need/want something else to supplement my income as well as to 'fall back on' if the economy gets worse as well as when my massage days are over. I want to stay in healthcare type fields but also want/need to be able to pay my own way.
I was originally set to go to nursing school 3 kids and a lifetime ago. I'm not sure I have what it takes to go into oncology like I had planned, but nursing still appeals to me. If I get the finances organized I can start nursing pre-reqs in the spring and be done by spring 2011 and ready to sit for the boards.
My questions-
Am I completely out of my mind to think I can start *now* at my age and make a career in nursing? Especially if I stay an LPN for a year or two before applying to bridge programs for RN if I choose to go that route?
I see local hospitals advertising for LPNs all the time but advertisement doesn't always mean jobs. Are there actually a decent number of jobs available in the current market? What do the trends look like?
I am going to call in the morning and schedule a meeting with an advisor but while I wait I wanted to see what answers I can find from people actually out in the real world, not just an advisor trying to meet enrollment quotas or whatever.
Hmmn. Thank you. I was originally thinking about that. One of the girls at the peds office told me the RN Program here is hard to get into. 32 slots per semester and they average 200-500 applications. First priority/choice is to those who have an A in all pre-reqs and near perfect TEAS scores. She said the advisors recommend going into the LPN program and then doing the bridge program at Indiana State, which is all online and they co-ordinate with local hospitals and doctors to handle clinical hours. They *just* updated the transition program this past fall so it should hold for a couple of years.
I appreciate the advice. I will be going over my options with the advisors hopefully tomorrow but nothing beats real-world advice, kwim?
Mind if I ask what pay rate your area has right out of school? Indeed shows $22-$26/hr entry level but it also shows massage therapists making $75/hr! There is only one therapist in our area charging that much, and she's been at it over twenty years and has just about every certification and continuing ed class available to MTs.
I have no idea about pay I haven't worked as an LPN for over 25 years.
If you plan on remaining in the same area and can get a confirmation in writing about being elegible for the bridge program go for it, however, I did the LPN thing then they changed the program and would have required me to start all over and refused to accept any of my credits from the same school so be careful.
Why not just become an RN? I know some programs that take a little bit longer than the LPN programs and you make more money as an RN.
33 is not too old, not at all.
You're doing the right thing by trying to have something to fall back on. I did however read day spas are doing well because of the demand for massages...
The day spa industry nationwide is growing by leaps and bounds but in our area, which is seriously automotive-industry heavy, not so much. A much beloved spa in our area closed this year after fifteen years in business because most of their clients are now out of work. I would love to eventually teach massage but the school I went to is now closed and the other schools in ou area require a college degree in order to be on the faculty, no amount of certifications or years in business is acceptable for substitution.
Location: Sometimes Maryland, sometimes NoVA. Depends on the day of the week
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Well, I'm complemplating something very similar and I'll be 35 in a few weeks Not nursing, but radiology. It would be a huge pay cut for me, but I have to get out of a paper pushing office and into helping people.
My girlfriend is in medical school with someone who is in his late 30's. He won't be done with his school/residency until he is over 45. You are never too old to start a new career!
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I would love to eventually teach massage but the school I went to is now closed and the other schools in ou area require a college degree in order to be on the faculty, no amount of certifications or years in business is acceptable for substitution.
Not nursing, but radiology. It would be a huge pay cut for me, but I have to get out of a paper pushing office and into helping people.
