Considerably older guy...

Hi-- first time here. Last evening I went to my first night of an associate's RN program, about which I'm majorly psyched.
I'm unusual in the class for two reasons:
1) I'm 55-- fit as a fiddle (which I also play :D )
2) I've been a practicing podiatrist for over 28 years.

That one really sets people back a bit! Why would I want to take such a step backwards? I consider nursing more of a step sideways. The part of podiatry that I still love is the hands on care of my patients. That never fails to bring joy. The parts that I HATE increasingly are insurance companies running everything, government regs, the nitty gritty of actually running my own practice, being at the mercy of the Northeast weather (snow=everyone cancels=$0.00), etc.

This way, I'll do my job (lots of choices there!), take my check and leave the heartache behind for the weekend.

Brewerpaul wrote:This way, I'll do my job (lots of choices there!), take my check and leave the heartache behind for the weekend.

What kind of nursing are you going to do that you don't work weekends? If it's in the hospital most nurses I know work every other or every 3rd weekend. You'll have to change the giving orders to the taking orders :) Sometimes bedside nurses don't get all of that patient care time either as hospitals cut staff and you get sicker patients and all of these new forms that have to be filled out that JACHO says you have to have and care plans to update and just the general care of a patient for 8-12 hrs a day times 6-10 patients (on a med/surg floor). But I do love my job and I get asked (mostly by my father) why I didn't/don't go to medical school....because I don't want to medicine and nursing have a different focus of care that some people just don't get.

Did you just get to take a transition class and only have to do 1 year of school to get the nursing theory done?

I'm seeing myself more clinic or community based than a hospital, perhaps even home health. I'll let ya know after my first clinical rotation on 1/23...

Actually, I may try to market myself to several medical practices along WITH my podiatry degree. That way, I could do RN stuff like taking histories, giving immunizations, dressing changes etc, PLUS I could treat ingrown nails, foot ulcers etc. The point would be to work FOR someone, not be self employed. Lots of time to figger it out....

In response to your posting... While there is a slightly better quality of life for nurses i.e only working 3 twelve hour shifts a week it is still a high stress and strenuous career. Weekends, holidays, and sometimes nights are some of the sacrifices we make. Also some units require you to take call. So be sure when securing a position you ask them what are the requirements. As with most jobs you will have to deal with the politics. Have you considered a career in Pharmaceutical Sales? I know several RNs who have taken that career path and the pay + perks i.e no nights, weekends or holidays seems well worth a looking in to. On the downside there is travel involved and paperwork. Best of luck to you.
From A Girl Who Thinks 55 is NOT Considerably Older :)