Nursing as a Second Career

Yes. Many nursing schools offer Second Degree BSN, Accelerated BSN or Direct Entry MSN programs designed specifically to allow students with previous bachelor's degrees to complete their nursing degrees on an accelerated schedule. This helps many people expedite their education to begin their nursing as a second career within 1- to 2-years of starting their nursing education.

Yes. Many nursing schools offer part-time nursing programs designed to accommodate the schedules of working students.

Because each person's educational and work experience are unique, the best way to figure out if yours will allow you to gain advanced placement in a nursing program is to talk to the nursing schools you're interested in directly. You may want to use the "Additional questions or comments" box on the "Request Info" form for each nursing school for this purpose.

No. While you should keep in mind that nursing is a physically (and at times emotionally) demanding job, if you have an aptitude for math and science, thrive on working in an intense atmosphere, and love working with people, there's no reason why you shouldn't consider nursing as a second career after 40. If you're not convinced that your age won't be a handicap, here are some things to consider:

• According to the 2008 National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses, 45 percent of RNs are 50 years or older.
• According to the same survey, the average age of all licensed registered nurses is currently 47, and this average is increasing every year—indicating that more and more students are entering the field after having pursued another career.
• Nursing school administrators report that second-career nursing students typically bring an energy and intensity of focus to their studies that their younger counterparts lack, and are often top performers academically.
• Potential employers value the maturity, professionalism, and advanced decision-making skills that older workers bring to nursing.

No. It would be illegal for any nursing school or employer to take your age into consideration while evaluating your application. What's more, with nursing school enrollment just beginning to increase after a long decline and no sign of an end to the nation-wide shortage of nurses, both nursing schools and health care providers are actively seeking to recruit non-traditional nursing students—including second-career students.

Working in a hospital or nursing home may be very demanding, for example, while working in an out-patient clinic, government agency or school may be much less stressful. Similarly, working as a staff nurse may be more physically demanding than working as a nurse administrator. Depending on where you work, some of the physical and mental stresses you'll face may include:

• Shift work, working on-call, or working weekends and holidays
• Being on your feet for long periods of time
• Moving (lifting and supporting) patients
• Working in inadequately staffed facilities
• Working with critically/chronically ill people and their families
• Working in emergency situations

To read more on these topics, please visit the Choosing the Nursing Program That's Right for You and Types of Nursing Programs sections of our Nursing School Education Resource Center. To learn more about upgrading your education in the nursing field, please see our Nursing Continuing Education page.