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Nursing - A Mid-Life Career Change
Has anyone on here made a mid-life (I'm 28, but I'm including myself in that) career change and gone to nursing school?
Can anyone tell me what they thought of nursing school? How you feel about your job now? I've realized over the past year that I really, really, really want to be a nurse. It's the perfect career for me - I'm good at taking care of sick people, I enjoy it, and I have experience in the medical field. Plus I love hospitals. But I'm secretly terrified of nursing school. I'm worried it'll be too hard, too complex - especially if I'm working at the same time. And I worry that since nursing is dominated by women, the work environment will be catty and gossipy. I've worked with mostly women before, and it was all drama and gossip. I'm supposed to start school next fall, so I have plenty of time to do more research and assuage my fears. I read all the books in my county's library system (there were five), I've talked to nurses who're in the field, but I'm still worried I'm getting into something I can't handle. Anyone have advice? |
I have not thought about a career change...yet.
But when my bff graduated from nursing school, one of her fellow classmates was a man in his 50's (i would guess) and he had gone to both medical school and law school. He said that he worked in both fields for a while, but didn't feel fulfilled, so he decided to try nursing school. According to him, nursing school was BY FAR the hardest thing he ever did....but it was totally worth it. |
I've got a contact for you at the GU School of Nursing and Health Studies who is a PhD/RN. PM me with your email address and I can facilitate a conversation.
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My mom is an RN (she has a BSN).
Are we talking starting from the entry level of the profession and becoming an STNA (nurses aid) or an LPN? Or are we talking going back to a college/university to get a Bachelors in Nursing? From what I hear, the nursing programs at schools here are all pretty rigorous. |
I'd be getting an RN at a local community college. I could do it at the local college, too, but it would cost a lot more. I probably will go back for a BSN at some point, though.
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If you have a bachelors degree already, a BSN might be useless, honestly. Essentially, the BSN means that you have a bachelor's degree with the first two years of basic studies and the second two years are essentially what you do to get your RN. It's an RN with a bachelor's degree, from what I understand. You can check with an academic advisor on that to be certain though.
I'm not a nurse but as both an Occupational Therapist and an IT person in health care research, I've worked with nurses for 22 years. I don't see the kind of cattiness you refer to as much on medical floors as I do in the corporate/business end of medical research. I think most people who go into nursing like people and are caregivers so you see less of that. From my own observations, I would say the hardest things about nursing are (not necessarily in this order) 1) being on your feet for 8-12 hours a day 2) crappy shifts until you get some seniority, unless you like working nights/afternoons 3) having to work weekends and holidays 4) having to deal with people dying and 5) many hospitals are severely understaffed On the plus side, working 3-12 hour shifts a week sounds nice to me. Yeah, those three days are really demanding but then you don't have to go in again (*except* they will call you and beg you to do overtime a lot, but then the money is very good too!) There is some flexibility as hospitals try to accomodate nurses. A lot of nurses I know work one job full time and then are in a pool somewhere else. They may work 3-12's at the full time job and then pick up a couple 8 hour shifts as a pool nurse. They rake in the money, but they work very hard too. The hard thing about doing nursing school while working is the clinicals. I'm not sure how you'd schedule those unless your job is kind of flexible. |
^^^ That helps a lot, thank you. Useful information.
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I guess I could also note that I made a mid-life career change, from Occupational Therapy to IT. It was scary at the time but I'm glad I did it. It worked out best for me both physically and emotionally. I was 35 when I made the change. I'm looking around to figure out what my third career will be now...lol. I get bored quickly I guess.
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I've done something somewhat similar...I worked for three years out of college in public relations, then went back to school doing law school evenings (working full-time). It's really hard to go back to school, especially something in a difficult field (as I'd imagine a science-based field like nursing would be), but I can say that it's worth it if it's what you want to do. That probably sounds a bit cliche, but it's the truth. As for the cattiness - I've seen cattiness in every office where I've worked, so I don't think you'll see it in nursing any more than in other professions. Good luck! |
My oldest sister did a complete career switch after her son was born from food science to nursing. She was going through a bit of a life crisis at the time (just had a baby, divorcing her cheating husband, etc...) and I think it helped her have a "fresh start" so to speak.
She got her RN through a community college and also worked FT. I don't think the classwork was necessarily difficult, but the intensity of everything (especially while being a single mom) was maybe more than she thought. She now works as a nurse manager at a nursing home even though she originally went to school with the intention of becoming a L&D nurse. She really enjoys what she does. |
I have been a nurse for 37 years...since before dirt... and I have seen many people who have changed careers and decided to become nurses. It is a wonderful option with so many different types of nursing to choose from. I myself went back to school at age 55 and completed my BSN through a program that my hospital sponsored. Everything was paid for!
There are also some programs out there and I know Indianapolis has 2 of them that are specifically for someone who has a bachelor's degree in a different field, and you are able to earn a BSN in 18 months. It is a very intense program and difficult to work more than a few hours a week while you take it but wow what a way to go! My daughter-in-law is currently enrolled in a community college ASN program and will complete her RN in 2 years. It really takes about 3 because they require all the prereq's be done first and it is very competetive to get into, usually requiring at least a 3.5 or better GPA. Once she starts working as an RN then the hospital will pay for her to get her BSN. Oh, and she is working nights as a unit secretary and the hospital is helping pay for her ASN. She had 3 years of college in a chemistry major and then dropped out to work for a while. Now at 27, she knows what she wants and is going after it. I agree that nursing has some draw backs, mainly nights, weekends and holidays, but it has really served me well as a career I am proud to have. Please PM me if you have any questions. I love my career and hope that you will find it a long and satisfying one, too. |
This is really helpful and encouraging. I think I just needed the reassurance that nursing school isn't rocket science and I'm not the first one to make a career change.
I would love to hear more stories, though, either from nurses (about how they like their jobs) or from other people who've made career changes. |
For God sakes, you are 28. You are not in mid-life. I know people who started medical school when they were 10 years older than you. My cousin went to law school when she was in her 40s.
My Sr. year room mate was a nursing student. She was very smart and she said it was tough. Physio was a lot of memorization and fitting in Clinical among your classes, activities and working is tough. For her it paid off. She is Director of Nursing of one of the largest hospitals in the US and has a Master's Degree, as well. You go into a career because you want to and you have time to do it, not because you feel it will be too hard. If you think it is too hard, become a Practical Nurse. |
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The info about your senior year roommate seems informative, though. She sounds very successful. |
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If you want to do it, I saw DO IT!! What's the worse that could happen? I'd rather die knowing that I've done/attempted everything my heart desires than to ever wonder "what if...." I wish you the best of luck!!! :D :D |
I'm looking to make a change in 2010 as well. I have a BS in Health Admin, but I was finding it tough to find a job in that field right after graduation. Everyone wanted more experience or nurses. I started working at a company that has nothing to do with health, and provides general business services. I've decided that I want to get my Nursing Home Administrator's License. It requires a 1000 hr Administrator-in-Training internship that I just don't have time for right now because I'm currently pursuing my MBA. If I had it to do over, I would've chosen to pursue the license instead of the MBA. Grad school just seemed like the next logical step, and I don't want to quit because I'll be finished next year. It just delays the internship by a year.
Lol--I said all of that just to say that I understand the OP wanting to change. |
Thanks! That's just what I needed to hear!
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Anyway, to the OP, DO IT!! I am a certified teacher, (almost) licensed attorney, and I'm going to nursing school next year. And that's just the beginning! LOL! I know that people think I'm crazy (I think it too sometimes!!), but I love learning and I want to do something the benefits me in the long run. Just make a plan for yourself. Don't worry if people think you are nuts. It's YOUR life and you only have one to live. I got this via email and I've already sent for more info on this as well. I don't know if you'd interested, but just in case.... *** If you would like to apply to medical school but need to complete undergraduate science course requirements, we'd like to tell you about an outstanding program to help you achieve your goals. The Columbia University Post-baccalaureate Pre-medical Program is the oldest and largest program of its kind in the United States. With an internationally recognized faculty, Columbia's commitment to post-baccalaureate pre-medical and pre-health students is proven by a placement rate of above 90 percent of graduates in American medical schools. Mission For more than fifty years, Columbia University's faculty has been committed to a simple, but important idea - regardless of when you decide to pursue an education and career in the health sciences, you should have the same rigorous program in the sciences available to you that is available to all Columbia students. Purpose The program's purpose is to enable college graduates to complete the academic prerequisites for admission to schools of medicine, osteopathic medicine, dentistry, and veterinary medicine; advise them about the sorts of practical experiences they must acquire in clinics and laboratories; guide them through the medical school application process, and, through a written committee letter, provide institutional support of their medical school applications. Some 400 men and women are currently enrolled in the program; most of them had little or no exposure to science during their undergraduate studies. The Postbac Student Postbac students are both recent college graduates and/or experienced professionals with backgrounds unrelated to health care. Upon arriving on campus they have completed a rigorous undergraduate education and often extensive life and career experience, yet have taken little or no science coursework. Such students, if their determination is unwavering, tend to find their encounter with Columbia's intensive sciences curriculum and vibrant premedical community to be a rewarding and life-altering experience, as well as superb preparation for medical school. Program Timetable: Traditional, Accelerated, or Part-Time Students who begin the Postbac program in the fall term can expect to complete their coursework after two full academic years of study. In the third year, students apply to medical school while deepening their exposure to medicine through full-time research or volunteer work. Students can expect to complete their coursework in 18 months if they are prepared academically to begin General Chemistry, Physics, and Calculus I and who begin their program in the spring semester. The Postbac Program also affords great flexibility for part-time study. Many students begin by taking a single course while continuing to work a full-time job; this is especially the case for students who begin in the spring or summer terms in order to complete preparatory coursework before enrolling in the required science courses. History Columbia has long been a pioneer in medical education. Founded in 1767, Columbia's medical school was the first to award the M.D. degree in the American colonies. Beginning in the early years of last century, the University formally offered premedical preparation to students who were not matriculated for an undergraduate degree and, in 1955, established the Post-baccalaureate Premedical Program within Columbia University School of General Studies. The combination of Columbia's renowned premedical sciences curriculum and the wealth of clinical and research opportunities in New York City makes for a post-baccalaureate experience of unparalleled richness. Location Columbia's urban campus in New York City rivals the campus of any other Ivy League university. Designed by Mc Kim, Mead, and White, one of the nation's leading architectural firms at the time of construction, the Morningside Heights campus contains many buildings classified as historic landmarks. Lincoln Center and midtown Manhattan are 10 to 20 minutes away by subway or bus; Wall Street is within a 30-minute subway ride. REQUEST MORE INFO HERE Hope that helps!! :) |
Columbia's not an option for me because it's in NYC and I have to stay in DC with my mom (she's sick). But thanks for the info!
Boy, we're a well educated bunch here at GC, aren't we? We have lots of lawyers and doctors and vets and MBAs, etc. Lots of people who didn't stop at 4 years of undergrad. |
I'm a physician, but my mother and sister are L&D nurses. I was actually my sister's roommate while she was going through nursing school. It is tough! My medical school experience was much more pleasant (not from a degree of difficulty perspective but from a basic human dignity perspective!) My sister had a really tough time. Her professors loved to demean their students. One of my favorites was a professor that several times admonished my sister to stop thinking like an LPN! After her experience, I was terrified of how I'd be treated in medical school, but was surprised to find that I was always treated with respect. My advice is to go into nursing school with a thick skin!
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I've never heard medical school referred to as ANY degree of pleasant!
I can't believe the abuse your sister got from her professors. How strange that of all fields, nursing - which is all about caregiving - would have the nasty professors. |
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I wish you the best of luck! :);) |
A job at the CDC (even an entry level one!) would be so cool.
Good to know if I make it as an RN I could always go into health care admin. |
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10 months?! Wow. I heard getting your RN in two YEARS is intense!
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I sound like you, minus the law school. :D I too am a certified teacher and will be taking classes to get into nursing school. I will go the BSN route. I figure most of my credits will transfer anyways. Plus, I am thinking of joining the Navy. They would pay for my BSN and I just have to serve 3 years at a training hospital in either Virginia, Maryland (Walter Reed I believe) or San Diego. Not to bad a trade off. |
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My sister is graduating next month with her LPN. She started at the local tech school her last semester of high school, and is planning on getting her RN at the local community/4 year college (Most of Florida's former community colleges now offer 4 year degrees in some fields including nursing).
There are several people in her LPN program who are switching careers. One of my best friends is in her late 30s and married with two kids. It took her 5 years to get her AA (Mostly because of working and paying for school), but she did it. She had originally meant to go into the police force, but now is starting the nursing program to get her RN. She has told me that there are tons of people her age and older going back to school! I would say there have been a lot of people switching fields during the last 10 years. I always had older people in my college classes training to be teachers. |
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There is a saying out there in the nursing community that nurses "eat their young" Take from that what you will, but I definitely have heard of some quite ridiculous stories about nursing faculty from various schools from many different students. Don't take this as me trying to deter you because I am basically doing exactly what you are right now LOL! I'm 28, have a BA in Political Science and am doing the last of my prerequisites right now at my local community college. I will be doing the CC route for my clinical program based on cost and convenience. I don't know what your first degree was in, but if you stayed away from the sciences the first time, you will have a few prereqs to complete before you enter a program and they are DEFINITELY not easy. I have done very well in my prereqs so far-I have a 4.0, but it took a lot of work, especially in Anatomy and Physiology. I am in part 2 of that right now. Another thing to keep in mind is most nursing programs, regardless of whether its an ADN or BSN are VERY competitive. At my CC the cutoff GPA for accepted applicants into last semesters clinical class was a 3.3, and the school recommends that you maintain at least a 3.5 to maximize your chances. And I see you are in the DC area! If you are interested in an accelerate BSN option, Georgetown has an accelerated BSN that takes 16 months. From what I hear it is VERY rigorous and VERY expensive, but they have a scholarship program with Washington Hospital Center where if you are chosen, WHC will cover your tuition in exchange for a 2 year work commitment (I believe its 2 years). There are lots and lots of options out there. University of MD also has an accelerated program where instead of a BSN, you become eligible to take the NCLEX (the licensing exam-which actually gets you the RN credential) and you also earn a masters degree. |
I have my BS already and I'm looking to make the switch to get my BSN. I'm looking at Stonybrook which offers a 12 month program and Pace, which offers a 12 month program or a 24 month program, depending if you need your pre-reqs (the only one I have for them is stats) or not.
I'm nervous but excited at the same time. I really think that this will be good for me. My hope is to get into school and camp nursing. |
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If you are in a position to do it now- then do it now! It may seem tough but remember that saying. I'm not sure how it goes. Basically, it reminds us that things that are difficult to attain are generally the things that are worth the struggle. If it were easy, then everyone would do it. Good luck! |
While I was in the hospital, I got to talking to the nurse manager and I told her that I was taking courses to go into nursing and she told me that the Banner hospitals (at least in the Phoenix-Metro area) accept "students" and pay for their nursing courses as long as they agree to work in a Banner hospital for 3 years after graduation. Don't know if this is 'true' or not as I haven't had the time, nor actually the energy, to call around to the Banner hospitals to get the information.
Although, I just found out from a mom, to a girl I went to high school with, she went back to school for nursing at U of A, did an 18 month accelerated program and just graduated. Her mom told me that because the Tucson hospitals have done hiring freezes that she might not be placed in her hospital (where she did her clinicals). The problem is that she wouldn't have a job and that was part of her agreement (they paid the tuition and she agreed to work in the Tucson hospital for 3 years). Her mom said that they might have to let her and the other 39 students from her hospital "out" of the contract. But the kicker was that the hospital might try to claim like 1099 on taxes (something like that) where Kelly (the girl I went to high school with) would have to pay back the interest on her education, which would be like 5 grand. Her mom isn't too happy with that option. Hell, if I were Kelly I'd be PO'd. As if it's her fault the economy went to the crapper while she was in school. |
I start my pre-reqs for nursing on Thursday! I'm so nervous but looking forward to it!
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I did a "mid-life" career change to nursing also, at the ripe old age of 32, and this was 15 years ago. Same thing happened to me - a local hospital paid part of my tuition, then when I graduated there was a hiring freeze. They were going to try to make me pay it back, which was going to be tough since then the nursing job market had dried up, and everyone I graduated with was having a hard time finding a job. I waited it out a little while, and ended up working at the hospital that paid my tuition. Left a very bad taste in my mouth though, and in the end I hated nursing.
That's not to say don't do it, but if you do, make sure you are doing it for the right reasons. And I would strongly suggest having some exposure to the medical field before you make that decision. Also, try to go to a community college and get an associates if it's offered. Your starting pay as an RN is exactly the same as a BSN, and the place you work at will more than likely pay for additional schooling to get your BSN. Also, the nursing job market is cyclical. Very high demand over the last ten years, but I've heard, in spite of what nursing schools are telling you, that due to the economy, many hospitals are cutting back. Just be cautious because it was a very high in-demand job when I started nursing school, then the market dried up. I don't see that happening to the extreme it did back in the mid-90's, but be aware that it is a cyclical market. And finally, anyone considering a mid-life career change, needs to know that nursing is a very physically demanding job, and the hours you start with may not be to your liking. I hated night shift, and that's where I had to start - I felt like a vampire. But I would never discourage anyone from making a career change - why not try something you think you may love?:) |
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