Is 34 too old to become a nurse?

[CareerChange24]

Is 34 too old to become a nurse by the time i qualify? And could people give me advice on how best I go about getting into nursing. Already have a degree but in a humanities subject, have A’s at GCSE in science, but no science A levels. Worked in an office but have had a caring role for an elderly parent they last few years and that’s now come to an end it’s given me the drive to want to do something completely different and nursing really appeals.

Go for it OP! Provided you can support yourself through the training, it sounds brilliant.
You still have a good 30 years of work ahead of you!

Definitely not. I know someone older, going through the training now and loving it.

Say work starts at 18. That's 16 years ago. Retirement age is 67/68+ - that's twice as long.

Go for it!

There are several different ways of training to be a nurse these days, a friend did the
dapprenticeship route it took longer but she got paid and didn't have any fees
Maybe apply to the hospital bank to gey some experience aa a HCA

Start looking at entry requirements for universities that you would apply to. Email the admissions tutor if you have any questions. There might be some flexibility for mature students. Good luck!

Well our friend started training at 46! ( at the same time as her DD!) Now fully trained and up and running. You are no way too old OP go for it!

Also, no you're not too old at all 😃

I started at 33 and qualify in 2 months! You can do this!!

I went to uni for my nursing degree at 37, well over half of my cohort were 30+, some 50+. Its far from unusual to go into nursing as a "mature" student, even the younger ones, very few were straight from alevel age.

The nursing profession welcomes more mature applicants. Life experience is extremely valuable when it comes to nursing.

Go for it @CareerChange24 it’s the best job in the world.

I went back to university and did a PGCE when I was 33 and changed career to be a teacher, and it worked out really well! It was quite daunting studying again, especially with a 2 year old, but I managed.

@Gryffindoratheart congrats and that’s really encouraging! Did you have to do access course - or does anyone know if I will have to do one or would I be able to go straight to uni?

@SilentSilhouette that’s a lot to juggle I don’t have children. It is definitely daunting thinking about going back to uni though, strangely I never worried when I was younger just did it. But now I’m questioning would I be upto writing essays etc.

I’m a nurse and someone on my course was 44 when we qualified. She still had 15 years nursing before she retired! Definitely not too old. Life experience is helpful in nursing.
It’s been a while since I trained but there used to be an access course for mature students to get into HCP roles, might be worth looking into that as a way to train? The other option is to consider doing the assistant practitioner role - you train on the job as a band 3, when you finish you are a band 4 with the option to top up to the degree to become a qualified nurse over 18 months. The positive of this is you are paid as you train rather than having to get loans and go into debt to train.

Go for it. My mum started training earlier 30s and there was a lot of students her age studying the same course.

I can’t help with the how, but don’t let age - any age hold you back ! It’s lovely that you want to do this.

My cousin qualified in her 40’s, your age definitely isn’t a bar.

I started my OT training the year I turned forty. Had a full and varied 20 years , I think the extra life experience and maturity helped me, I would have struggled to cope with some of the distressing situations you see as a HCP in my early 20s .

@blarneebeekeeper can I ask if you did an access course or how you went about it? I should definitely contact so local unis for more information

I did the access course, i did mine at home whilst working as a HCA, but others on my course were accepted with previous degrees in a none healthcare related subjects. I would email admissions of the uni/unis you are looking to apply to and see what their admissions are and if they will accept a previous degree. There is also the MSc which is the same as the second 2 years of the BSc, if you could get the 600 hours of experience by working as a HCA first. Without the 600 of care experience though you would be looking at the BSc which you may have the qualifications for anyway. My uni def hand held us through the first years assignments too so i wouldnt worry much about those

I know two people who have just qualified as midwives one is 40 and the other in her early 50s.

Look at the courses you are interested in at particular unis and see what qualifications are needed
you still have 30 plus years to work til state pension age so go for it

No way is it too old. When I was a student there were several people in my group over 40 training. Lots of mature students go into nursing.

@NeverEnoughPants thank you! I don’t know if anyone else feels like it but I for sure have lost my confidence a little whereas when you are younger you think you can take on the world! Reassuring thank you.

@blarneebeekeeper thank you for responding and great to hear you did it at a similar age. Have you any advice on the best route into it - did you do an access course?

Sorry! Didn’t realise I’d already responded!