Are you ever to old to becomee a nurse?

Posts: 18 · Joined: 19 Jan 2005 Posts: 18 Location: Seattle

In my mid forties I am considering a job back in the hospital. Do you think I can still get hired on or are the interested in the younger nurses?

Posts: 46 · Joined: 25 Feb 2005 Posts: 46

Check out this thread in the nursing news..

It's never too late to find the career of your dreams, even if you need a second undergraduate degree to start it. Between 40 and 50 students who have already graduated from other colleges are currently enrolled in the School of Nursing as undergraduates.

http://www.nurse-forum.com/viewtopic.php?t=4927

Posts: 47 · Joined: 01 Feb 2005 Posts: 47 Location: San Diego

It is never too late because of the shortage of nurses. California is currently feeling the shortage more than any other state, so your best bet would be to find a hospital in the more remote regions of California. The major metro hospitals tend to be a little more rigid in their requirements, but that not to say that the positions don't exhist for nurses getting back into bedside nursing.

That being said, the general concensus is that nurses whom have been out of the field for more than 2-3 years should enroll in a 6 month refresher course prior to their re-entry into the profession.

There are always going to be exceptions, but this is what most facilities I work with insist upon. You might be able to get a hospital to pay for your re-entry program if you commit to working with that facility when you complete the program for a given time period. I hope that helps.

Posts: 18 · Joined: 22 Apr 2005 Posts: 18

I dont really think age is an issue. In my nursing class, we had more "older" students than anyone else. One of my best friends..well actually, she practially raised me...she went to nursing school in her 50's....shes now almost 65 and still working....

i think it all depends on the person...thier desires, thier physical well-being...etc...

LisaRN

Posts: 3 · Posted: Sat Oct 08, 2005 5:40 pm

I started taking prereqs at 46 and graduated at 49. I turned 50 about a month after residency started. I was very worried about the age factor, but it never seemed to be anyone else's concern. Age brings some advantages to the table. No one will make excuses for you though; you have to belly up to the bar and take your medicine just like everyone else. Nurses are great.

Posts: 14 · Joined: 01 Oct 2005 Posts: 14 Location: PA

Hi Jennifer! That's great you'd like to enter the nursing profession. I began nursing school right after high school and my age group was the minority. Most students were in their 30's/40's who wanted a career change or had raised families. In fact, one student was a grandmother in her early 50s(no exaggeration) and a current coworker in her 40's just started nursing school. One is never 'too old' to learn or pursue a career. Smile

Posts: 61 · Joined: 08 Mar 2006 Posts: 61 Location: Florida

When I was in LPN school we had a student who was 65. She worked for 2 years and then retired. Just a matter of her dreams she said. Go forward and make it happen.

Posts: 4 · Joined: 17 May 2007 Posts: 4

Hi,

I was already in my 40's when I went back in 2002. 4 years later, I can be working anywhere I choose.

But, I don't really look 40. (lol)

Posts: 1 · Joined: 17 Jul 2007 Posts: 1 Location: Long Beach, CA

I'm in my late 40's and I'm not anywhere near even thinking about retiring. I'd have to agree with everyone here. I only work at a small clinic, but I know that there is definitely a need for lots of nurses and age doesn't have too much to do with it.

I work with these people:
LASIK Surgery Information

Posts: 2 · Joined: 06 Apr 2006 Posts: 2

Jennifer wrote:

In my mid forties I am considering a job back in the hospital. Do you think I can still get hired on or are the interested in the younger nurses?

As a nurse in her late 40's, I don't find age to be a factor in the hiring of nurses in the hospitals. As long as you haven't been out of your particular specialty for any real length of time, then less orientation and teaching is needed to incorporate you into the hospital. Hospitals are hurting now, especially small town places. I particularly wanted to be trained into L&D, but didn't know how to get the experience I needed. I put my resume online and requested a fulltime position in L&D. I had several calls and all of them were willing to give me the 4-6 months of training I needed. I've been here over a year now and things are going great. I'm loving it..!! Good Luck To You..!!