Probably. Just kidding. The key is finding the right setting — outpatient, school nursing, or telehealth, and a few other settings can be less physically demanding than the floor. I started college at 29 years old and thought I would be the only person older than 19. I was wrong. Most of the class was my age or older; in fact, out of 106, we only graduated 32 or so, and almost all the kids were gone. There was a guy in my class who was in his 50’s and made it. He had been a dairy farmer his whole life, one day woke up and sold all his cows, and enrolled in college.
Look for roles like case management, home health, clinic work, telemedicine, house supervisor or education. These jobs value experience and are definitely easier on the body than hospital floors of any kind.
Sadly, most management jobs, beyond house supervisor, require a BSN or higher, and NY state also requires it, although you are grandfathered in after x years. If you're passionate and have a specific goal (like becoming an NP or teaching). Age isn’t the limiter — burnout and time are. But online programs can be flexible and manageable.
I doubt there is a right answer for everyone. Personally, I was forced from sneakers to Crocs in later years for the extra space. Weighing 250 lbs, they don’t last long, but keep your feet cooler. 2 pro tips: 1) If you start IVs or are at risk for any other bodily fluid, do NOT wear Crocs with vents on the top. 2) My favorite was to always have 2 pairs at work to switch every few hours, with a bonus if you could keep your spare pair in the freezer. There is nothing better than putting on frozen Crocs when you’ve been running for a few hours. Keep them in a bag in the freezer, though, so Karen doesn’t cry about your shoes touching frozen boxes of food.
Well, management frowns on slapping them so I suggest patting them on the head and tell them how cute they are for thinking they can keep up.
Yes! Organizations like the AARP Foundation and local hospitals sometimes offer financial support for continuing education. It's worth checking with state nursing boards too.
I for one would rather be in pain than go back to working 5 8’s but it depends on your health and the setting. I tried it and 8 hr shifts feel almost like a day off but 2 days a week off? No thanks. At the end of the day, don’t feel like you have to “prove” anything — you’ve already earned your stripes.