I am 35. Too old to become an RN?

[Anonymous]

I feel like the clock is ticking. I have 3 kids.

[Anonymous]

Not at all! It is a great career and I know several people who have gone to nursing school in their 30s and 40s.

[Anonymous]

Not too old at all. One of my friends just did it and finished last year. She's 43 and has 4 kids.

That said, I think you need to go in with your eyes open. People on this site seem to have an inflated sense both of the job and what nurses make. Most nursing jobs are not glamorous and they're not particularly intellectually stimulating. You basically spend your days following the orders of other people (physicians) who may or may not be competent. You'll start out making $55K and in 10 years you'll probably probably be making $80K. People on here always talk about their "neighbor's sister's cousin" who makes "$150K as a hospital nurse" but that isn't happening in real life unless you're 1) working 70 hours a week which is almost physically impossible in nursing 2) working in California where nurses are unionized and literally make twice what they do anywhere else or 3) working as a CRNA. Speaking of that, everyone on DCUM talks about becoming a CRNA, mainly for the salary. Sure, it pays the most of any specialty in nursing. But in many ways it isn't even nursing anymore. You spend your days in OR or procedure rooms with patients who are asleep. And the world only needs so many. There schooling is expensive and intense and 99% of actual nurses would have no interest in actually becoming one. It's like saying to all new lawyer grads "you should work in Big law, you can make a ton of money!". Sure, some can but most don't want to--they have no interest in the material, they have no interest in the lifestyle, etc.

That all said, I've been a nurse for almost 20 years and am now early 40's with 3 kids. I love what I do. I love the flexibility and the variety of things I've done during my career. What other career lets you change specialties and or jobs within your field every few years and never makes you retrain? You get bored in nursing, you move on. It's been great. I love the interactions with patients and I love patient education. I'm not in it for the money or the power (you'll get very little of the former and pretty much none of the later). But it's a great job for the right person.

[Anonymous]

OP - Do you have your BSN? Is it too far fetched to think that after I get a BSN I can be an NP or will I definitely be too old by that point?

Anonymous wrote:Not too old at all. One of my friends just did it and finished last year. She's 43 and has 4 kids.

That said, I think you need to go in with your eyes open. People on this site seem to have an inflated sense both of the job and what nurses make. Most nursing jobs are not glamorous and they're not particularly intellectually stimulating. You basically spend your days following the orders of other people (physicians) who may or may not be competent. You'll start out making $55K and in 10 years you'll probably probably be making $80K. People on here always talk about their "neighbor's sister's cousin" who makes "$150K as a hospital nurse" but that isn't happening in real life unless you're 1) working 70 hours a week which is almost physically impossible in nursing 2) working in California where nurses are unionized and literally make twice what they do anywhere else or 3) working as a CRNA. Speaking of that, everyone on DCUM talks about becoming a CRNA, mainly for the salary. Sure, it pays the most of any specialty in nursing. But in many ways it isn't even nursing anymore. You spend your days in OR or procedure rooms with patients who are asleep. And the world only needs so many. There schooling is expensive and intense and 99% of actual nurses would have no interest in actually becoming one. It's like saying to all new lawyer grads "you should work in Big law, you can make a ton of money!". Sure, some can but most don't want to--they have no interest in the material, they have no interest in the lifestyle, etc.

That all said, I've been a nurse for almost 20 years and am now early 40's with 3 kids. I love what I do. I love the flexibility and the variety of things I've done during my career. What other career lets you change specialties and or jobs within your field every few years and never makes you retrain? You get bored in nursing, you move on. It's been great. I love the interactions with patients and I love patient education. I'm not in it for the money or the power (you'll get very little of the former and pretty much none of the later). But it's a great job for the right person.

[Anonymous]

I have a friend who did this at about 32 with 3 kids - she is a pediatric RN in another state and loves it!

[Anonymous]

A dear friend just got her BSN at age 42 after being in marketing for two decades. She is so happy and thrilled with the change. And it sounds like there were plenty of career changes in school with her.

[Anonymous]

My husband started medical school at 35.

I know a woman who has been an LPN for decades, and is starting an RN program in her 50s.

There is a great need for nurses, so if you can hack the program and the job, go for it!

[Anonymous]

I think if it’s what you want to do go for it! But like the previous poster said go with your eyes wide open. The first few years are hard— I think hospital experience is good but then after you have it time to move on! I am 36 and have been a nurse for 15 years. I have worked in the ER, an urgent care, a doctors office, occupational health, a school and now I work from home for an insurance company. It’s great to have so many options, especially with kids. It is hard work but for me I like the ability to change jobs so easily depending on what works best during that time of my life. How long would the program take you to complete?

[Anonymous]

You won’t be too old for your NP if you decide to go that route- but I would recommend you start as a nurse first and then decide if you want to go the NP route. It’s not always worth it depending on what you want to do

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not too old at all. One of my friends just did it and finished last year. She's 43 and has 4 kids.

That said, I think you need to go in with your eyes open. People on this site seem to have an inflated sense both of the job and what nurses make. Most nursing jobs are not glamorous and they're not particularly intellectually stimulating. You basically spend your days following the orders of other people (physicians) who may or may not be competent. You'll start out making $55K and in 10 years you'll probably probably be making $80K. People on here always talk about their "neighbor's sister's cousin" who makes "$150K as a hospital nurse" but that isn't happening in real life unless you're 1) working 70 hours a week which is almost physically impossible in nursing 2) working in California where nurses are unionized and literally make twice what they do anywhere else or 3) working as a CRNA. Speaking of that, everyone on DCUM talks about becoming a CRNA, mainly for the salary. Sure, it pays the most of any specialty in nursing. But in many ways it isn't even nursing anymore. You spend your days in OR or procedure rooms with patients who are asleep. And the world only needs so many. There schooling is expensive and intense and 99% of actual nurses would have no interest in actually becoming one. It's like saying to all new lawyer grads "you should work in Big law, you can make a ton of money!". Sure, some can but most don't want to--they have no interest in the material, they have no interest in the lifestyle, etc.

That all said, I've been a nurse for almost 20 years and am now early 40's with 3 kids. I love what I do. I love the flexibility and the variety of things I've done during my career. What other career lets you change specialties and or jobs within your field every few years and never makes you retrain? You get bored in nursing, you move on. It's been great. I love the interactions with patients and I love patient education. I'm not in it for the money or the power (you'll get very little of the former and pretty much none of the later). But it's a great job for the right person.

I'm not sure where you live, but this is not accurate. If it took you 10 years to make 80K, then shame on you for not exploring all possibilities and opportunities within nursing. I'm on my 9th year and I make six figures working for the Feds. I only do 40 hours a week and have two telework days.

While my position may not be the norm for most nurses, all you need to do is think outside the box and explore your opportunities. If you do that, you will easily make 80k within two years, three years max.

And as the poster said above, if you work overtime, there's an opportunity to make more. Age is just a number. Whether you are physically up to working overtime depends on your home situation, fitness level and the type of nursing job. There are physically demanding jobs and there are office-based jobs and there are jobs that are in between.

Go to allnurses and start exploring!

BTW, I became a nurse when I was 35, and I plan on getting my MSN by the age of 47 or 48. I might even get my doctorate. Who knows? I'm not letting age stop me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not at all! It is a great career and I know several people who have gone to nursing school in their 30s and 40s.

Me too, and they are really happy.

[Anonymous]

Man I'm 37 and think almost every week I wish I'd become a nurse in my 20s and before I had little kids. It feels too late a lot of the time. You all give me hope that maybe it's still possible...

[Anonymous]

I'm 32 and going back to school to become an RN (with an eye one becoming a CRNA, ultimately). Sure, I'll be about forty when I finish all my education, but if I don't do it, it will never be done, and I'll be stuck in a dead end field (marketing) forever. With nursing I'll have so much more opportunity to grow and earn than I ever will currently.

[Anonymous]

I went back to school in my late 20s to get a BSN and lamented how old I was back then (I’m 40 now). I was far from the oldest in my program.

I do agree in some ways with the long PP about going into it with an open mind and realistic expectations. I was an ICU RN for 6 years and for the last 3 was working while getting my MSN. I’ve been an NP for the past 5 years.

It’s not a perfect job/career but I love it. I make a little over $100k, have a great family-friendly schedule, lots of autonomy and love 75-90% of what I do which I think is about as good as it gets.

I had/have zero interest in being a CRNA but a lot of ICU nurses go on to do that. Agree w PP that the schooling is intense and you cannot work while in school. Also very competitive to get in.

When I first started nursing school I thought I wanted to be a midwife. It did not take more than one OB rotation to relieve me of that idea. I never thought 15 years ago when I started considering it that I’d have had the jobs ive had—it’s a profession that lends itself to figuring things out as you go.

[Anonymous]

50 with BSN. Got RN at 45. Never too late!