Starting late

[mrjan12]

I am sure this question has been asked on the forum before. I was wondering, just to get some ideas from those, relating. Is 35+ too late to start nursing school. Also, If you did start nursing school at this age, what did you go for, Practical Nursing, or ADN( associate degree nursing) RN? I have been shopping around for a good school.

[nursinghumor]

Hi MrJan,

I went into nursing when I was 28, I often see/talk to students as old as 50, so don't think you're too old.

My thoughts on rn/lpn are that nursing school in general is a major pain in the butt. If you want to become a nurse, why go through that for an LPN and go back later for an RN.

Do your RN first if possible (school waiting lists are growing very quickly) and be done with it. Whether they like to hear it or not, LPN/LVNs are second class citizens in the Nursing field.

My concerns for schools would be their passing rate on the NCLEX, attrition rate of new students (how many complete the full program, how many drop out), and teacher to student ratio.

The most important thing is to make sure nursing is for you. I've been a nurse going on a decade, will stay in nursing a few more. However I am not, recommending it to most people.

Read a few of the articles on this site:
Nurses' Views of the Nursing Profession
http://www.nursefriendly.com/views

They'll provide some details about nursing you won't hear from your guidance counselors or nurse recruiters.

Hope that helps,

Andrew Lopez, RN
http://www.4nursingschools.com

[trier]

I finally finished degree at 56 and am hoping to get into a post grad place at large hospital near here. Anything's possible. I have known nurses in 30's who seemed so old and others older who had a young outlook. I don't think age is a barrier at all. Go for it.

[dixylight]

I'm 30 and I graduated with 3 other ladies in their 50's...they have no regrets! All you need is the will to do it!

[BigRedNurse]

mrjan, I graduated with my ADN @ 46; I know without a doubt that I am where I'm meant to be. Do I question my choice? Yes, there are days. Nurses, as a whole, were an unpleasant surprise to me. I truly expected them to be more welcoming, considering the nursing shortage. Although I haven't been in nursing that long, I swear that I will continue to treat new nurses with respect and gratitude. I do not believe that it's ever too late to fulfill your dreams. The best of luck to you. I realize that this is an old post, hope you're still reading. And, to anyone new or struggling, welcome to the world of nursing. I hope that all of us can add something to make it a better world for all of us.