Honest answers? Would you start training to be a nurse at age 40?

[manchestermum82]

Due to needing to do the access course first I wouldn't qualify till I was 45!
I've never had a career, even though I was quite bright at school and always wanted to be a nurse. I was married and had children young and due to Dh's job moving us away from family I always stayed at home and picked up part time minimum wage jobs to fit round the children.
I'm now 40 and the dc are all getting more independent, dh earns a good wage which I have full access to and I always thought I would be content working part time for extra "pocket money" then hopefully being childcare for my own children at some point so they can have the careers they are working towards.
I don't know if it's turning 40 that's changed things but I'm now realising I'm older than my managers (retail job) and treated like a bit of dirt most of the time. I still fit into the "mums working around kids" group but don't want to move into the "this is my forever job now" older group who openly say they hate the job.
I feel now is the time to either do something about it or suck up the fact I'll be moving around basic type jobs forever with no progression or decent pension of my own etc.
By the time I do the access course though I'll end up in uni with classmates younger than my oldest dc

Have you thought about dental nursing? Much quicker to become qualified. To start with the wage is rubbish but once qualified a bright nurse could work up to clinical lead/ practice management fairly quickly. Sociable hours too.

Yes! My mum started training at 40 and that was with a retirement age of 60. You have years to work, why not invest a few if those years to train in something you're interested in?

I got my degree at 45 so age is not an issue. However now retired I would not recommend nursing as a career. Stress, stress and more stress it became a thankless task for me, ruined my health in the process. Long hours away from family, missing out on special days if you have to be on shift. Dealing with obnoxious people when you are trying to help them, staff shortages and unsupportive managers etc. On the plus side it was also very uplifting to go home knowing you had made a difference to someone. I was also proud to have achieved a degree having never had the chance in younger years. It was all in all a very challenging process so be aware of what you may be getting yourself into.

I did a two year PGDip at 43, qualified as a nurse at 45. I love my work but it's not for everyone. I guess the access course would help you decide that? I wonder if you could also get a shift per week on bank as an HCA or at a care home to get some caring experience and see whether you like the feel of that work environment

I've been thinking about it a lot too actually. I come from a family of nurses but went into Engineering, which I bloody hated! Then moved on to EFL which I love but the wages were not great.
I'm going to be 40 this year and I've been thinking an awful lot about doing something else. I've been caring for someone for the last 5 years and what am I going to say when asked about it on my CV? There will be a massive gap there and I keep thinking about all the younger kids fresh out of school.
Have you thought about were you're going to apply? Does anyone know somebody who's been at home for so long and still got accepted?

There were loads of mature students on the course when I did my nursing degree, many in their 40s, some in their 50s.

I’m 50, always wanted to be a nurse. Got given a Trainee Nursing Associate role on a plate last year. Was due to start Uni in Jan this year. I didn’t! I was placed in a role in the Community in November part time ( would have been four days including weekends and evenings, and a day in uni). Working in the Community was the biggest eye opener ever, I just could not believe what I was seeing. All felt too much. Dropped down to a HCA, and 7 months later I’m hoping to get out soon. It was the biggest, saddest shock. I tried it, couldn't cope with the job, never mind uni! Might have been very different if I’d done it at 18!

i wouldn’t , but I started my nurse training at 18 and left at 47/48 after having both shoulders repaired and I only worked very PT for most of my career .

I'm 36 and start the foundation nursing year in September it's the right time in my life for me to do it and I'm looking forward to doing something for me instead of the dcs and dh

Yes. Best job ever!

There was mature student who was 44 when we qualified on my course. She’s just retired. You could easily work for 20 years if you qualify in your mid 40s.

Like pp say, nursing is hard graft for low pay and crappy hours…but I know if I hadn’t done it I’d have regretted it. I’m about to move up to a band 6 specialist nurse post - no weekends, no evenings, no nights, no bank
holidays! It’ll be quite a change. Nursing isn’t just about the ward. There’s plenty of options out there.

It’s worth doing your access course and looking into different roles including AHPs. If I had my time again I too would have explored OT more. The other thing to consider if doing your nursing associate - you get paid to train and can always convert to nursing if you decide to later (think it’s a further 18 months study).

I’m a nurse. My head tells you to not do it because staffing shortages have made the role really stressful. My heart however tells you to go for it. Even on my worse day something happens that reminds me why I became a nurse and why I love being a nurse.

Do it! I qualified last year at 51 and absolutely love my job. Being in uni and having to work was really hard work, I won't lie. But I found I had (and still have) a thirst for knowledge.
I love love being a nurse. Some days are dismal. Some are amazing. Most vary between the 2. Yes, we are often short staffed. But I think I went into this with my eyes open.
The money could definitely be better but I bank most weeks which helps.
I don't regret it for one minute.

Don't do it. It's hell.
There are easier jobs with better working conditions, less stress and more pay.

How could you afford to train for 4 years? You can't work a job due to the long and unpredictable placement hours. What job would let you be off for 6 weeks at a time before you're working 37.5 hours a week at placement?
The 5k bursary won't get you far and student finance is awful. Not to mention the £9,250 a year tuition fees.

I'm a third year. I regret my decision. Love my patients but due to current staffing it's near impossible to give good care to all. It's depressing.

It’s a seriously physical job, and that’s the easy part of it. And at the end of the shift, you go home and do more cleaning, more caring, more admin. You don’t get to drop the ball unless you’re bed bound yourself.

You’ll find more examples of mid-life retraining here, OP:

Mature Study and Retraining board -

www.mumsnet.com/talk/mature_students

Haven't read the replies but I did my nurse training at 40, wasn't the oldest on the course either. I love it, would do it all over again.

I’m a nurse, I don’t feel I am treated like shit by everybody as others suggest. It can be very rewarding and it is certainly something you can do as a mature student and still have a fulfilling career.

I’ve been qualified more than 20 years and to be honest, I’ve had enough. It’s never the patients though, I love patient care but the higher you go, the less direct patient care there is and I am certainly experiencing that as a ward manager.

Good luck if you decide to go for it.

YES! Many nurses are middle aged and older, and lots of people don't start til 40-45 ish. Go for it @manchestermum82

My favourite aunty did this and worked as a psychiatric nurse for 25 years, starting with training at 40.

I'm 45 and just coming to the end of my first year of the nursing degree. I've loved it so far and really glad I went for it after mulling it over for years. I'm not the oldest in my cohort, there are some in their 50s. It's hard work juggling academic work with 40 hour weeks on placement and family life but I'm managing it well so far.

It's very tiring . Get ready for that.

I was mid 30’s when I started and I wasn’t the oldest. I think she was 51 or maybe 52.

Absolutely not. I was a nurse for 20 years and left at 40 totally done in. I then went and trained to be a podiatrist and have done that in the NHS for 20 years i. Iove it and we all work 9 to 5 with weekends and Bank Holidays off.
Nursing killed .me mentally and physically.

I wouldn't train to be a nurse right now, it is a brutal professional currently, particularly for newly qualified staff. Pay is poor, stress very high, really impacts your family due to the never ending long hours.