34 to old for a career change?

[Anonymous]

i am seriously contemplating a career change to become a nurse practitioner, but i wouldn't get out of school until age 38. and i will have accumulated a fair amount of debt and set myself for a very physical job (this scares me because i have seen people's lives/work seriously disrupted by illness or disability). did i mention i am a single mom?

am i nuts?

[Anonymous]

Noooo! It's a great time to go into nursing. I know a number of women and men going into this profession in their 30's and even 40's. Go for it!

[Anonymous]

Really think this through. Going to school and supporting a family as a single parent is difficult. But if this is what you really want to do and/or it is the best option to earn a decent living for you and DC, go for it! You regret the things you did not do.

[Anonymous]

there are a ton of programs out there to financially lure nurses into the field. You may not incur much debt at all in the lower levels of things if you search out those opportunities.

Go for it!

And the NP's I see at my dr office don't seem to have a particularly physical job- so a lot may depend on the environment.

[Anonymous]

Could you get a less intense nursing degree and then add on additional classes to become a nurse practitioner? Just a thought.

[Anonymous]

Are you a VA resident? GMU has a very well-regarded, intensive 15 month (or so) program. Great way to get it done much faster. Check it out.

[Anonymous]

Talk to four or five nurses. There is nothing better than getting an opinion from someone doing the job.

[Anonymous]

I"m in nursing school.
Changing careers after teaching for 17 years.

There are people in my class in their 50's.
And they're doing GREAT!

GO FOR IT!!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:there are a ton of programs out there to financially lure nurses into the field. You may not incur much debt at all in the lower levels of things if you search out those opportunities.

Go for it!

And the NP's I see at my dr office don't seem to have a particularly physical job- so a lot may depend on the environment.

That word would concern me.

[Anonymous]

When I saw your post, I had a strong feeling you were looking to become a nurse/NP. I have been a nurse for 15 years and there have always been second career nurses out there who wanted a change to a more fulfilling career. I currently work with two who were older -35 and 43 - who made the change. Anyway, you are definitely NOT too old. Do it! I would look into the many scholarships that are out there - most of the money goes untapped simply because people don't know it's out there.

Do you have a bachelor's in another field? as a PP said, there are 'accelerated' programs out there that you can finish in 15 months or so. If you don't have a bachelor's there are many BSN to MSN programs out there as well. GMU's NP program offers their clinicals at GWU so you are getting an excellent practicum there, often working alongside the medical students.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Heck no! One of my (male) friends is currently in nursing school at 36, and he's so happy. Also, my dad worked in a teaching hospital (family practice residency) and said that his best residents were the ones who came to medicine as a second career. He said the older ones are less arrogant, that they learn better and faster, and that they have more natural empathy.

I can't speak to the single mother element, but if you can handle the schedule, there is no downside to getting a well-paying, fulfilling career. We have a chronic nurse shortage in this country, so I'm sure there are scholarship programs you could apply for. Some might even focus on non-traditional students.

[Anonymous]

Given that our life expectancy is about 80+ years old, you have another 50 years on earth. Go for it!

[Anonymous]

My brother for health reasons had to leave his profession and he decided to study nursing. Now at 55 he has just finished his RN. I can't speak to how hard it will be to have a family and do this. My brother didn't have a family to care for but he did have to work while in school and he worked very hard. But the nursing profession is set up differently from when I was young. The programs seem aimed at adults who have busy lives. I bet they're looking for students just like you and my brother.

I'm especially proud of my brother because, although he is very smart, he was never much of a student and didn't finish college as a young guy. (And no matter how many times I told him how smart he was, he didn't really believe it.) He did very well in nursing school and now we joke that he is the only really employable person among the sibs.

He is very happy and very much sought after. If you can handle the work/family balance, I say "go for it!"

[Anonymous]

op here. thanks for all of the feedback. i am in DC and don't have much flexibility due to a shared custody situation and the location of ds school, which is great. i know there are some good opportunities in VA and MD so i wll have to look harder at my flexibility.

i have a BA and so would be looking into the second career programs. i am going to go to georgetown's information session this weekend. they have it set up where you can get your BSN in 1.5 years and then the NP (MSN) in another 1.5 years...

thanks for all of the encouragement!

[Anonymous]

New poster here who is also thinking about a career change. Of of curiousity, what is the ballpark pay range for nursing?