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Getting out of MT - am I too old for dream job - sm

Posted: May 28, 2013

I will be starting college this fall. I am no longer going to be in transcription - just can't do it anymore. I want to be an RN. After I finish college I will be 40. Now, I know 40 isn't old, but is it too old to be a nurse? I feel like hospitals and clinics would want the 20 something nurses who have endless amounts of energy.

You should be fine. I was attending a JC Nursing program for a while, and - there were plenty of students in that age range.

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Many of the students were returning students in at least their late 20s to mid 30s (my age range at the time), and a good many were older than that too, some in their 40s and even a couple in their 50s.

Are you going for an Associate's or a Bachelor's degree? Especially with a Bachelor's, you should have no trouble finding a job at all. You could always go back for a Bachelor's later too. A lot of charge nurses seem to have B.A. or higher degrees (I probably don't have to tell you, but charge nurses sit on their tuckuses more than other nurses, doing paperwork and delegating, so preferable for older folks).

Initially I will get Associate's and later on Bachelor's - thanks for your reply! nm

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nm

I hope not! Sm - Okmt

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I start an Associates RN program in the fall, and I will be 40 when I graduate. I do plan on going for my Bachelors as well though. Even though the country is in bad need of nurses, it is still very competitive to get accepted into a program. Out of approximately 400 applicants this year, my school only took 30! Good luck! :-)

Getting out of MT - Denver mom

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You are absolutely NOT too old. Many years ago there was a man who made the news in Denver because he had received his M.D. degree--at age 62! Highly unusual, yes, but if you have a dream, go for it. And I know some 40 year olds who have more energy than 20 year olds. If it is your dream, I say go for it!

Denver Mom - Littleton Mom

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Hey Denver Mom: I live in Littleton and have been transcribing forever; perhaps we know each other. I worked at Swedish before,then Edix, came in and we were outsourced; also worked at Porter for about a year p.r.n, under Dindra. Feel free to e-mail if you prefer.

Littleton Mom - Denver Mom

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I worked at St. Joseph's back in the day when they were really St. Joseph's. Lived in Capitol Hill. Small world!

My Sister - Was in her late 40s

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My sister took an accelerated program and got her R.N. when she was in her late 40s. After a few years, they had her doing just home assessments, which is much less grueling than hospital rounds/work. She is still employed by the hospital, but she doesn't do the hospital work anymore. You could always keep that in mind as a possibility.

Definitely not too old!!! - ZvilleMT

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Go for it!! Wishing you boat-loads of luck in school and as a nurse :)

I'm in my late 50s and I can't stand doing this anymore. SM - justme

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Problem is, I don't know how to do anything else. I've been doing this for 25 years.

I'm in my 50s as well, and it IS a problem, BUT - --

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if we can do this job, we have sufficient intelligence to learn how to do virtually anything else. We'll be older when we finish our education, but then we will know how to do something else!

We can do it!

In your 50s as well - Old Pro

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I used to mentor people in MT and sometimes a seasoned MT who was older in age would say something like "I would like to become a (whatever) but in five years I will be 60." And I would say, "No matter whether you do or don't become a (whatever) in five years, you will be 60. Go for it!"

Exactly, Old Pro. You sound like a great motivator! nm - In my 50s as well

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x

I'm just not sure what to do. I'm tired of listening to crap doctors and trying to make it - justme

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100% perfect. It gets worse and worse. Plus jumping from account to account I find very nonproductive.

I actually used to like doing this, got up early in the morning and stayed late. Now I can hardly stand it.

I know I can learn something new, just not sure what to do.

justme - Old Pro

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Have you thought of seeing a certified career counselor? Sometimes they can be really helpful in getting people focused on what they would like to do and are best suited to do.

I'm actually looking for a career in nutrition. SM - justme

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Thanks for the idea and the help.

I think it might be good for me to be around people a little more. Working at home is so isolating.

justme - Old Pro

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I know what you mean. I was getting to the point of going bonkers being alone in the house. I had actually marked the calendar with the days until my retirement! I have nieces, nephews, etc. and they are a lot of fun, but it is just nice to be able to get out with other adults who share my interests (i.e., people who are not afraid of large dogs. :)). I have no data to back this up, but I have a private theory that many MTs actually suffer from some degree of depression due to the isolation. I know I surely did. (And no, I do not have any credentials in psychology.) I just really and truly wish that the MT world were not where it is now. I wish I could fix it for everybody. I think you have made a good career choice, and I am betting you will feel better once you are around others. Best of luck to you!

Thanks, you too! nm - justme

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xxx

As a patient, I'd rather have a 40+ yr-old nurse - with experience & endless patience! -Meerkat

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(I should clarify that by saying "life experience!" - -Meerkat

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That was my impression of my fellow older classmates in nursing school. - sm

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More life experience made for better nursing skills and more empathy while being not yet as jaded and burned-out (I foresaw a struggle for myself against that eventual "inevitability") as nurses of a similar older age who'd been in the biz longer.

the problem with college - as I see it

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I'm all for people getting education toward a new career, don't get me wrong, but do you know what's involved in a bachelor's degree? I went through that at 18 and in my early 20s, and I couldn't and wouldn't do it now. The English classes alone. Get with your small group and compare and contrast these literary works. Math. You must pass it. 3 hours of biology or chemistry, plus a lab. A speech or an art class (I helped my son with an art history class recently; it seemed like master's level to me. This was at a junior college.) AND THEN you can focus on your 2 years of classes toward your major. I admire anyone who is willing to start this at our age, but I for one simply couldn't do it for love or money. An associates degree that focuses on the actual job makes a lot more sense to me.

The problem with college - Old Pro

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The way I see it, the problem with college is that the times have changed. It used to be that a B.S. was really worth something. Nowdays someone said that a B.S. is now what a high school degree used to be. College is extremely expensive. Graduate studies are even more so. I have a (much) younger friend who graduated from med school a couple of years back and she owed $200,000 on the day of graduation! She is becoming a cardiologist, so she will probably be able to pay off her loans, but that is one heck of a lot of money to pay off. If I were doing it again (and I did get both an undergrad and graduate degree), I would consider technical school of some sort. I think this idea that every must go to college is nonsense. I have a friend who is a retired language professor (romance languages) and she tells me that now the universities have all but done away with the tenure track positions in favor of hiring part-timers and if she had it to go again, no way would she get a Ph.D. Our world is changing so very rapidly. I do not pretend to understand it. I'm just a silly old woman but I say, whatever it is you like to do, whether it is being a heart surgeon or selling umbrellas at the beach, do it. Don't listen to popular opinion. Don't go to college because you think you "have to." You don't! :)

Well, college isn't for everyone. Everyone is supposed to - need it, so we put trade school classes

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in state and local colleges and issue "college" certificates. I have a friend with one of those who literally has no idea what a real college class is. Sweet woman, but she thinks she went to college.

If I could go back and do it over, I'd absolutely get my masters. Sure wish I had, but I was making good money at the--time which we needed, had children to tend, a semester of classes at my state college cost residents a couple hundred dollars, and I thought I could always go back any time I wanted.

Times always change, but sometimes the change turns out to be a major 30-year dive.

Right. At 50K there was not much incentive - to go back to school

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back in the day a friend was encouraging me to get a masters in health admin, but I was making more than she was at the time.

And sometimes it does not work out anyway - Old Pro

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When I started college, I wanted to be a civil engineer--until I actually got into engineering math! Didn't have the math skills. My MT beginning was supposed to be a summer gig. I had been a medical receptionist in a doc's office (this was back in the Sixties when they stil did that) and finally went to work for a hospital where I got more training, and just stayed on. I could have done what I did without college. (I did graduate, but not in engineering, needless to say.)

Agreed. A class at my local - anneonymous

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community college costs a little over $1000, not including textbooks (avg $100 each). I've taken a few classes, more for personal interest, and they were not challenging at all.

Oh, gosh, no. If only I had 20 years ago. And there are - so many, many things to do as an RN. nm

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x

RN, etc. Dream job? - anon

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That is not too old at all! I know a lot of friends who are now nurses starting their careers later in life.

I forget the exact quote but something along the lines of if you love what you are doing, you will never work a day in your life.

My best friend got into nursing, not because she wanted to (loved working with handicapped kids and teaching) but because of what her fiance wanted her to do (who left her). She not only hates it but does not even make enough money to live comfortably on despite working night shifts at a major hospital. Several other friends of mine are nurses also and have the same problem. Pick your field of nursing prior to starting a job and continue your education from there. While my best friend works less hours than I do, I certainly make a lot more money than she does (this includes all bad dictators, where I spend a great deal of time, as I cannot leave many blanks at all).

If you are considering this field from a financial viewpoint only and have experience in MT, why not use your hard-earned skills and obtain your own clients? It is much more rewarding, both financial and otherwise. Of course, my opinion is somewhat tainted because I am unable to work outside the home due to disabilities, but I am more fullfilled from my business than several of my close friends who are nurses. Good luck in your endeavor!

Thanks for your reply, but yes, RN is my dream job - sm

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I love helping people and I've always wanted to be an RN and work with the elderly. I am a single mom, sole supporter, and have not had health insurance for myself for years. I am an IC working for one company as I have just recently lost my other IC job and I simply cannot live like this anymore. I've wanted to be an RN for years but was always afraid to take the steps to do it. I just recently volunteered at a nursing home for a month and I loved it and didn't want to leave! I truly feel this is my passion and what I'm really meant to do in life!! I would rather love my job and make okay money than hate my job and make a lot of money.

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