I am a "youthful" 68 and want to switch careers and become a nurse. Am I too old?

Working in a doctor's office taking blood pressure, taking blood or giving shots doesn't appear that strenuous. Working as a school nurse doesn't seem that tough.

Do it! You're never too old! Nursing school isn't easy but its worth it !

Definitely! I just graduated from nursing school and I'm not 68 (I'm 23) but a lot of my favorite nursing instructors were closer to that age and they still work full time and love it. Go for it, it's worth it!

If you have more strength, stamina and better health than the average nurse- 40 plus, moderately overweight, 5 foot tall Indian or Filipina woman - you’re good for it.

If you are going the RN route, you’ll need four or five prerequisite classes in A and P, psychology and microbiology. Then, you’ll need to take the HESI exam. Then, two years of nursing school at the local community college.

LVN route is faster, but lower paying.

There is a shortage of nurses. You’ll find a job. Then, start working your way to your best fit in nursing which will reveal itself once you get working and know more about the hundreds of options in nursing.

It’s great you’re willing to keep working and help people too. Good for you!

Go for it! Use the nay sayers as motivation.

I turned 66 in May. I retired as a SVU Detective in 2003. After 15 years as a track coach I moved to another state. I am now in the process of being hired as a Patrolmen’s community aide.

I also ask total strangers for life advice.

If you have another undergraduate degree you can do an accelerated program in a year for a RN but would need the nursing pre reqs ( Chemistry , nutrition , anatomy and physiology , human growth and development, microbiology, and whatever else the particular program wants). Lpn programs are two years usually , Lpn to rn programs may be 3-4 years there’s many different ways to do it , and many different careers within nursing some more physically demanding then others.

What's the point of asking here, you will get negative answers from younger people with a higher 'biological age' than you.

It's time for a reality check.

Those who are encouraging Nurse Getty to pursue this "dream" either do not have a clue about the real demands of nursing or do not have a clue about the realities of being 70 years old.

Similar to Nurse Getty, I was a petroleum geologist in my first career. In my late 30's I went back to school and became an RN. Since my wife was an RN, I thought I had a pretty good idea about what I was getting into. In reality, I didn't have a clue. A career in nursing was much more demanding than I could have imagined. It is physically, mentally, and emotionally demanding. On most days you will leave work physically exhausted and emotionally drained. I retired from nursing at 62 and I'm currently 66

Nurse Getty and I are both senior citizens. No matter how hard we try to convince ourselves that we are "youthful", we are still old. I put in 4 miles, almost every day, so I am in fairly good shape for someone my age. Still, I would not consider returning to work because of the physical demands of nursing. The OP is correct. Most nurses are younger and there is a reason for this.

Also, whether Nurse Getty and I like to admit it, as we approach 70, we are not quite as sharp as we were compared to 5 or 10 years ago. In the petroleum industry a mistake might result in a dry hole. In nursing, a mistake can literally kill someone.

I suggest that anyone considering a career in nursing should first become a CNA. This can be done within a few weeks. Working as a CNA for a period of time will give you a feel for whether working in healthcare is for you.

BillytheVic wrote:

In the petroleum industry a mistake might result in a dry hole.

FYI, you can fix that problem with some petroleum-based Vaseline.

Not really a route I would take, but it's up to you. Do you really want to put in the grunt work while your managers and owners are having an easy life and making a lot more money than you?

If it were me, I would be living in Brazil, getting out into nature, learning Portuguese, teaching English, and paying for special time with young women who don't really love me. Substitute Brazil with the country of your choice. You've made it. The race is over.

I worked as an EMT alongside a guy who made a fortune in software then got certified as a paramedic in his early 70s (being a paramedic is far more physically demanding than being a nurse).

The guy was a solid paramedic and really enjoyed it. If you're in great shape and money isn't an issue, I would consider going the EMT or paramedic route. There are fewer education requirements and there's more excitement (if you were an oil and gas guy I'm guessing you like excitement).

But you have to have the personality for it, if you want something more low key or you want more money then I'd say be a nurse.

Age is just a number, do whatever you want to

I say go for it and ignore all of the people they say you care too old. It would another story if you were saying I am going to try to become a Navy Seal at 68.

it's great to chase your dreams!

however, i'd first check if there is a shortage of space in nursing programs.

If there is, i'd think hard about whether it's the right thing to do to effectively take a slot from a younger person who would be able to offer more years of service.

if there's no shortage of space in the nursing program, then, well, why not?

Nobody is all that "youthful" at age 68, and certainly not at 70 by the time you finish school.

Mine That Bird wrote:If you meet the standards, you can not be rejected for the job because of age discrimination; the same as for sex, race, religion, and an alternate lifestyle. Record the job interview if you are able, and if you are told that your age disqualifies you, you will have a huge big money lawsuit drop in your lap.u may have another lawsuit against them.

Do you think they would win? What about an 80 year old, 90 year old, 100 year old?

Hopefully they just wouldn't mention age as reason for a rejection, but it would be very unfortunate if an employer was sued for judging that a 70 year old would not be a suitable long term employee due to the much higher probabilities that they would die, become seriously ill, have age related performance issues or choose to retire.

Joe Biden will turn 80 midway through his first term as president.

A 60 year old got through Army boot camp, second go round after doing it in the 1970s, and he was top 10% of his class.

Their are plenty of old guys doing amazing things. If you stay fit, you can easily outperform the generations of obese people decades younger than you.

You are talking about being a nurse, that is easily performed by unfit, overweight middle aged females. It’s not that physically demanding.

You are not taking spots from anyone if you earn your spot in nursing school. Outwork and then outperform those applying and you deserve the spot. If you can get into nursing school, not easy, and pass and complete clinical, you will be fine.

Joe Biden is the worst example because no one voted for him. They voted for "Anyone but Trump?

The only career change you should be considering at 68 is retirement. regardless of how “youthful” you feel.