Too old to be a nurse

[mynewcareer]

I'm 59 years old last child off to Uni this time. I want to be useful and have a longing to retrain as a nurse am I too old to re-train as a nurse? I don't want to do voluntary work as I do need the money. I am a hard worker i have non medical degree so not thick but would the NHS laugh at me and send me packing!

I don't know how the training works - would you pay for it yourself? If it's the NHS paying, they might prefer candidates that are likely to work for a number of years. If you sort out your own nursing degree, then I'm sure there will be work opportunities.

I think the problem is the three year training will end when you are 62 and then you will think about retiring. You might have to do an access course too, so 63. The NHS will have invested ££££ in you and you obviously won’t pay off much of any loan. Therefore you won’t be great value for money! Could you work in a nursery or somewhere that does not need a degree?

People in their 50’s do retrain as nurses OP. Admittedly, they tend to be early fifties, qualifying in their mid-50’s rather than qualifying in their 60’s but still.

I think you need to seriously consider the physical and academic demands of modern nurse training. How long have you been out of education? Even if you don’t want to work shifts when you qualify, you will have to work a shift pattern including nights, days, bank holidays and weekends for the duration of your 3 year training. As well as the mental strain of completing academic assignments. It is not an easy course.

As a career, nursing is on its knees. Nurses are burning out at rates like never before. These are experienced, passionate nurses who have lived and worked through plenty of other crises in the profession btw. I left very recently. My PIN (professional registration) was up for renewal and I just couldn’t bring myself to do it, despite loving my job, the unsafe practices (staff:patient ratios, lack of training, chipping away at services, so much more expected with so much less interms of resources etc) and lack of support from management meant that I just couldn’t do it. Too stressful as it was having a negative effect on my health.

I’d counsel anyone to think seriously about entering the nursing workforce at any age. It is more than just a career. There are many other ways to contribute to society and ‘help people’ without becoming a nurse. Especially if you are qualifying at 60+.

Could you train to be something less physically demanding? Occupational therapy, nutrition, nursery nurse or areas like dental hygiene, dental nurse etc. All without night shifts and heavy lifting.

I’ve been nursing the best part of 35 years I have worked in lots of different areas and the changes I’ve seen over the years are indescribable. Nursing has become a highly technical job, requiring a amount knowledge and experience I am frequently in a position where I make life saving decisions about the patients in my care. On top of this caring for people is mentally very draining we don’t just walk away at the end of the shift, and finally the physical side of the job is also very demanding I average 17000 steps a shift most hospital work “long days” which are around 13 hours with 45-60 mins break (if your lucky) I’ve just come home (50 mins late) from a long day. I’ve only had 20 mins for break and drank 400ml all day I’ve had no chance to go to the loo so drinking 400 ml was very useful. Every shift I now juggle often sick patients lack of beds pressure from management increasingly aggressive patients and relatives families with unrealistic demands who can’t wait to put pen to paper to complain, dwindling resources and significant staff shortages all for £1850 a month. Most ward nurses work anti social hours including days and nights in the same week “jet lag” from working a night one day a day the next then a night the day after is common. We have a higher than average incidence of diabetes coronary heart disease depression obesity cancer and dementia all the things associated with nights. I’m in my mid 50’s and am becoming increasingly aware that I can’t keep this up till I retire.
But it is a unique privilege to care for a total stranger and their family at often the worst moment in their life, to reach out a hand and say to the parent of a critically unwell child I care about you and your child and am here for you. To hold the hand of someone literally breathing their last, to see a sick child recover from cancer or a diabetic successfully give their own insulin.
I’ve looked at other professions and even briefly tried a couple but what nursing is is what I am what we stand for and what those who I work along side and what the NHS free health care when you need it regardless of who you are is what I am.
Having said this I personally wouldn’t start it at 59 I don’t j is how you can make yourself useful but ultimately there has to be and easier way.

Like tiredwardsister I have been a nurse for 34 years. I am exhausted with systems and ticking boxes, I don't do a huge amount of clinical work now as a team manager but when I do I still enjoy it and get a sense of satisfaction. At your age it will be hard physically and mentally but if you do manage to train you may have a few years as a band 5 nurse where you experience hands on nursing. I retire soon and hope to return on a part time basis as a band 5, progressing through the ranks has removed the essence of nursing for me.

I’m lucky in my area ward sisters do some care we don’t have HCAs although not as much as band 5’s I guess about 60% of my hours are actual hands on care. If you removed this I would just be a pen pusher in a uniform and that’s the one thing I fight against because it’s not what nursing is or what so trained to do.

@tiredwardsister and @dottycat123 amazing accounts of your life and dedication, thank you.
OP, I will say what noone else has said, you are mad to think of nurse training at that age, not enough time to train before retirement looming, not enough time to work up a decent pension and all for a very very stressful position with huge responsibility, and not in a so called prestigious role (compared to e.g. consultant).

Well she would not have time to be a Consultant would she?

There are Receptionist jobs and office based jobs in the NHS that would be easier and wold not require a degree. I still feel that they are helping people becaue if they were not there, others on the front line in the NHS would find it difficult to fulfil their roles.

I wouldn't, you will qualify when you are 62/63, its such a hard job and when you get your first rota of three long days, a day off and then a night shift and you're the only trained nurse on duty you will wonder what on earth you have done. How about HCA, community work, mental health support worker (the money is more than qualified nurses).

I really wouldn’t OP, sorry. I have family members who in their 60s aren’t in a financial position to retire from Nursing and it’s extremely difficult, physical work. One relative nearly gave herself a heart attack when resuscitating someone a couple of years back.

I’d agree with a more gentle HCA role (as many HCA roles are very demanding physically too) or a supporting care role in the community. Lots of people advertise for 1 to 1 Personal Assistants for the elderly or adults with autism or other learning disabilities. You’d also be able to start quicker with a job that doesn’t require a nursing degree. Although if you do want to do a degree how about looking at something like Sonography or another allied profession? Providing meet the pre-requisites, of course.

I’m in the same position too but in my early 50s. I already work 12 hour shifts, day, night, weekends, bank holidays, so that doesn’t bother me. NHS pension is a good one. I’ve never worked for a company that has provided a pension, so that’s a draw. Retirement age is looking at 67 now and will no doubt go up. You’ve got another ten years of working and it’s not badly paid either, especially with London weighting. Look at going an access course or an A level to prove recent study. I have a degree too but it’s not anything science based. Or something like physiotherapy will give more normal working hours.

I very much doubt the retirement age for a 59 year old is going to increase past 67.
The OP doesn’t have another 10 years of working assuming she starts her training next year she be 60 at some time she’ll be 63 when she qualifies and thus has only four years of work before she officially retires.
I regularly interview if you were sitting in front of me I’d want to see you have experience in health care before offering you a place on a nursing degree. Why don’t you try’s d get done bank work as an HCA in your local hospital that way you’ll see if you like it and if at 59 you have the physical stamina to do the job.

You can't get a maintenance loan once you're 60, so you'd need to have enough funds to live off.

I'd find something that doesn't require a new degree. The government suggested WASPI Women took up apprenticeships, that might be an option? (Tongue in cheek, you'd be extremely fortunate to find an employer willing to take you on as an apprenticeship, although they couldn't officially blame your age.)

You could look at nursing associates training its 2 years and you get paid a band 3 whilst you’re doing the training and band four when you’re trained. You go into university 1 day a week. Currently on qualifying there are quite a few things you can’t do but as the staffing crisis deepens I suspect that will change. They’re even saying nursing associate will be able to do the extra year to become registered nurse although how this will be funded seems a grey area. You are mainly based in one area during your training we have two on our ward some I know are based in places like fracture clinic. So could choose something less physically demanding. They do experience other areas during their training but its only for 13 weeks in their first year and it appears to be linked to the area you mainly work in and I think you do less time in other areas in your 2nd year.

But it is competitive to get a place we had 80+ applicants for our two places. Again we would be looking for evidence that you had some sort experience to offer.

It is good that I have a nurse friend, because I have heard so many stories about the work of a nurse. It's sooo much work, I don't even understand how they cope with all this

I'm sure they'd take you. The Nhs doesn't invest in you nowadays- you do! You pay for the privilege of training- so if you don't mind, that's ok! Bear in mind it's an exhausting training/ job. You will have to work nights too.
But I'm sure your life experience will make you a great nurse.
Good luck.

You would have to do an access course, then a 3 year degree. If you got onto an access course this September and a degree sept 22 then you’d be 63 when you qualified. What is the likelihood of you working beyond 67? You would have 4 years as a band 5 nurse, from a financial POV you may be better off as as a band2/3 hca for 8 years.
You could look at other routes such as the nursing associate and apprenticeships but anecdotally these are very, very competitive. Look at other AHPs careers (physio, radiography - diagnostic or therapeutic, occupational therapy, SALT, Operating department practitioner etc.)

@leahhem this is a zombie thread from 2019. It's not clear why you re-opened it, but it doesn't seem very appropriate. The OP will have long since made her decision by now.

I've not logged on in ages! My worry is am I too old at 50 to train as a nurse?