The career of nursing is changing these days. Everything from the new healthcare bill and the rolling tide of a “nursing shortage” versus an over-saturated workforce can make entering our profession a difficult choice.
To make matters worse, many tie their decision to their age. Somewhere along the way, the naysayers started influencing our profession in such negative ways:
“You’re too young to be a nurse”
“You’re too old to be a nurse”
(Side note: I have no IDEA who these naysayers are. I’ve learned over the years that these people come from all walks of life, and they contribute nothing positive to the profession.)
Hogwash. Poppycock. Nonsense. Ballyhoo. Rubbish. Gibberish. (I wanted to use stronger words, but I’m trying to keep it professional.)
Here are a couple of things I’ve noticed in my short time in this profession:
The younger nursing student
- Can be naïve and have less life experience
- May find time management skills challenging
- Will not have many habits that need to be “unlearned”
- Is great with technology
The older nursing student
- Can be an asset with additional life experiences
- Is great with time management
- Will have some habits that need to be “unlearned”
- Can find technology challenging
Nothing more. Nothing less. Both have SO much to contribute to our profession and have unlimited potential; they need only to do the work.
The next time someone discounts a student’s age, I’d like to find out what the “ideal” age really is. The last time I checked, age is simply a number. It only determines where you start…it has no bearing on where you finish.
Do you agree? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
This article was republished with permission from SCRUBS Magazine.
I had a bad experience with nursing school, 20-something years ago, because (A) I am male, and at the time, nursing was still apparently strongly prejudiced against men, (B) I was a paramedic, which gave me far more practical experience than the people “training” me had, and they were greatly threatened by that, (C) some of the people in the “teaching” position were clearly damaged goods. I was inspired to realize the adage, “those that can, do. Those that can’t, teach”. At that point I had never heard the saying; I generated it spontaneously from sheer inspiration. To this day I scorn nursing, even as my wife is a MSN/CCRN/NP, and my daughter is pursuing the same path, already having her BSN. Long story short, nursing school made me appreciate the virtues of being a paramedic, and I have since successfully retired from that profession, against the odds of doing so. [due to the physical, emotional, financial/liabilities and other stressors involved with street medicine, I will wager not 20% of paramedics survive it to retire from it]. I have many beloved friends and relationships in nursing, but I forever will resent the judgemental posturing of those trying to teach it. After all, nursing, like teaching, should be about building up, not beating down. This ain’t boot camp!
I became a LPN at 54. I was old as the youngest and next oldest combined. I graduated highest in my class and went on for my RN while working full time at one of the most prestigious employers in our area. My former classmates are trailing behind with their continuing education.
It’s just when you start later in life you don’t have the option of taking time to accomplish your goals.
Memorization gets harder when you get older, but life experiences can bridge that.
And yes, age is just a number. My best study partner is a whopping 19 years old.
I became an RN when I was 40 and now am 68. Still work as a RN. Being a Nurse is not a job. It is who you are and becomes part of you.
I’ve been a nurse for almost 40 years with many years of nursing education, management and leadership, and here is what I’ve experienced.
The younger nursing student
•Can be naïve and have less life experience YES, BUT I DIDN’T FIND THIS A MAJOR PROBLEM, TIME USUALLY FIXED THIS ISSUES.
•May find time management skills challenging YES, AGAIN BUT I FOUND THAT TIME ALSO USUALLY FIXED THIS ISSUE.
•Will not have many habits that need to be “unlearned” YES, IN NURSING, BUT SOME SOCIAL ISSUES HAD TO BE ADDRESSED AT TIMES. OVERALL GOOD THOUGH. THEY ARE A SPONGE.
•Is great with technology BOOM, THIS IS THE BIG ONE, THESE YOUNG ONES ARE AMAZING WITH THE TECHONOLGY. THEY PICK IT UP AT LIGHT SPEED. I USE THEM CONSTANTLY AND I SEE ALL THE OTHER SENIOR NURSES DOING THE SAME THING. IT’S THEIR THING, USE IT TO THE FULLEST ADVANTAGE.
The older nursing student
•Can be an asset with additional life experiences YES, THEY ARE THE BEST TO ASK FOR A DIFFERENT THOUGHT.
•Is great with time management YES, USUALLY, SOMETIMES IF THEY HAD A LIFE WHERE THIS WAS NOT A MAJOR ISSUE, BUT FOUND THEY ALSO DEVELOPED THIS QUICKLY.
•Will have some habits that need to be “unlearned” YES, THIS DOES HAPPEN, THE ONLY ISSES IF THEY REFUSE TO ‘UNLEARN” THOSE HABITS. CAN BE QUICK TO PUT UP A GUARD WHERE THE YOUNG ONES ARE MORE OF A SPONGE.
•Can find technology challenging UNFORTUNATELY, THIS IS AN AGE THING, HAS NOTHING TO DO IF YOU ARE GOING INTO NURSING OLDER OR IF YOU ARE OLDER NURSE IN NURSING. TECHNOLOGY IS CHANGING SO FAST IT IS DIFFICULT TO KEEP UP. I HAVE TO SAY THAT UNFORTUNATELY I HAVE LOST SOME GOOD OLDER NURSES BECAUSE THEY COULDN’T KEEP UP ANYMORE WITH TECHNOLOGY. THIS IS THE ONLY CONSIDERATION THAT AN OLDER STUDENT SHOULD BE TOTALLY AWARE OF WHEN THEY MAKE THE DECISION TO GO TO NURSING SCHOOL THAT IS THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM.
SUMMARY: I AGREE, SIMPLY A NUMBER AGE SHOULD NOT BE THE FACTOR, THE PERSON NEEDS TO KNOW THAT NURSING IS THE GREATEST AND MOST TURSTED PROFESSION ON THE PLANET. IF YOU LOVE HELPING OTHERS, YOU CARE ABOUT PEOPLE, YOUR NOT TO OLD, JUST MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE OF WHAT KIND OF NURSE BECAUSE THERE ARE NURSING JOBS THAT I COULDN’T DO NOW DUE TO THE DEMAND AND TECHNOLOGY. GREAT ARTICLE AND LOVED EVERYONE’S RESPONSE.
i am a woman of 40 years, am interesred in nursing profession jeane laporta, sharon and frank lomprez, please shed more light.
I got my LPN at age 18. I definitely feel the disadvantage of not having a lot of general life experience, but I still love nursing and can’t wait to learn more and continue to get better. I feel that nursing involves a learning curve no matter what age you start. Age and experience are invaluable and I think it’s nice that there’s such a variety so that both young and mature can work together to give care. There’s a lot to learn from each other. Also, nursing is such a diverse field, so it’s good to have diverse nurses with different strengths and weaknesses. Nice article, really enjoyed it!
Became an RN at 44 and am 68 now. Nursing is who you are. Not just a job.
Jean – I love your story. Education and life experiences are life-long. Are you working for the foreseeable future? Happy to hear about all your accomplishments and aspirations. This made my day:)
I was not able to attend nursing school as a young woman because I married and had a child. Nursing school then was only open to “unmarried” women “no children”. That’s how old I am! Through the years, I completed all requisite course work, received an AS and BS in health, health education, and community health and enjoyed a career as an assistant and administrator for a private practice for more than 20 years. My employers retirement caused me to revisit the idea of nursing school. I graduated with honors at age 56! Passed the boards with 100%. For the eight years since, I have been happily employed as a staff nurse, unit manger and board certified case manager for an ER and I do per diem with a pediatric practice. How rewarding this is!
Yes! Life experience provides advantages. My younger classmates often asked me to be their study buddy because I helped them focus on concepts about study and learning. Challenges? On being a mature “new” nurse and the questions that raises.
Jeane, I too graduated when I was 56 years old. Enjoyed nursing every step of the way:) Now I have my master’s degree and teaching at a local university. Also, I am working on my DNP since I can teach as long as I am able. Good luck to your future health and success.
I started my LPN classes, as a woman knowing I would be widowed. My then husband encouraged me to get some schooling, as I had loved being a home health can. At the ripe age of 55 I started and finished my one year course with honors. I would recommend it to anyone that loves helping others.