Some people assume that unless they train for their chosen career at a young age, preferably just after leaving high school, that they have missed their chance. Some women have children very early and then put their dreams on hold while raising their kids into adulthood. This leaves some wondering if it is too late to go back and train for the career they have always wanted. So, is it too late to become a nurse at the age of fifty? Absolutely not!
It is Never Too Late
It is never too late to do the things that you want to do and if that means training to be a nurse at the age of fifty, then so be it. The current retirement age is sixty-six and two months for those who were born in 1955. The retirement age is set to increase to sixty-seven for those who were born in 1960 or after. That means that were you to train to be a nurse practitioner now, you would have around twelve years before you reached retirement age. And, of course, there is no law to say you must retire at sixty-seven so you could continue working as a nurse if you were in good health. Some nurses continue working until well into their seventies, purely because they absolutely love what they do.
Benefits of Training to Be a Nurse at 50
Regardless of your age, training to be a nurse offers many benefits and rewards. If you are an older adult, you are likely to have raised your children and will probably have more time to commit to your studying.
Medical jobs board site HealthJobs.com say that nurse practitioner jobs offer attractive salaries of approximately $118,000, whereas those working as registered nurses can earn around $75,000. These high salaries are ideal for helping save towards retirement, particularly if you are at a stage of your life when your mortgage is already almost paid off. It may also help with the cost of college tuition for your children.
Nursing jobs tend to mean flexible shifts, with part-time positions often available. These days, employers are geared more towards providing a healthy work-life balance, so it might be possible to secure the perfect shift pattern to suit your own individual lifestyle.
What is Involved in Training to be a Nurse?
Becoming a nurse practitioner involves a higher level of education than other types of nurses such as a registered nurse. To train as a nurse practitioner, you will first need to achieve a bachelor’s degree, which means three years of full time studying.
After you have your degree, you can become a registered nurse. Once in this position, you can continue with your studying. It is important to be working as a registered nurse and gaining practical experience before you can pursue a master’s degree. A master’s degree in nursing will typically take another one to two years.
After getting your master’s degree, you will need to complete two-years of clinical experience and will then have a national certification exam. If you pass this, you will be a certified, licensed nurse practitioner.
Securing your dream job as a registered nurse or nurse practitioner is easy once you have the skills, certification, and experience. Simply head to a health jobs board sites like HealthJobs.com and look for positions you are interested in. The great thing about nursing jobs is that there are always openings across the country. You can even find jobs in other countries if you are interested in travelling.
Remember, it is never too late to train to be a nurse. If this is your passion, go for it.