I created “The Mature Student Nurse” because I found it complex to navigate the journey of becoming a second-career nurse. I had worked for many years as an engineer and scientist before deciding to pursue Nursing as a career change. While I had years of discernment and thought about changing careers before, I had no single resource to guide me in how to become a nurse let alone how to apply and get into nursing schools once I decided to make that leap into Nursing. I had not been in school for many years and had no guidance counselor to turn to for advice; I had to advocate for myself and figure things out on my own. I am a wife and mother and an only child to aging parents – I had to carefully consider how my choices would affect my family. Ultimately, my family has been very supportive, and I couldn’t have pursued this career change without them.
In 2018, I completed thirteen pre-requisites, began volunteering at a hospital, and applied to various accelerated Nursing programs. I was accepted into several nursing programs and started my accelerated Bachelor in Nursing Program in 2019. I graduated and became a Registered Nurse in 2020.
Throughout my journey, I frequently thought about how it might be helpful to share what I’ve learned. While I know it won’t be perfect, I wanted to take a first step to share what I know with others. To quote Robert Schuller: “It’s better to do something imperfectly than to do nothing perfectly”. If you are an aspiring nurse or someone considering a career change, I hope this site inspires you or that you’re able to find something useful for you here. It is my privilege to offer some encouragement or guidance to others on a similar path.
Good luck to you on your journey!
The Mature Student Nurse 