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Nursing as a Second Career
Featured Author:
Laura Wisniewski, RN
Laura Wisniewski RN is an educator, speaker and writer with 25 years of front line nursing experience. Her company, Nursing Voice Communications, provides empowering, solution-oriented presentations on nursing workforce issues. Her articles encourage and challenge nurses to improve healthcare.
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Laura Wisniewski RN, BS, CIC
Shirley sat in the front row of new hire orientation. Her face beamed with the enthusiastic glow of a new nurse. She eagerly asked questions, scribbled notes and participated in group discussions. Shirley is not your average graduate nurse…she was 60 years old when she graduated from nursing school.
Her childhood dream had always been to become a nurse. However, her family could not afford to send her to nursing school. At the age of seventeen she married her high school sweetheart Bill. After the last of their three children started school, Shirley began work as a bookkeeper in Bill’s real estate office. Life was good…but from time to time she still regretted not following her dream of becoming a nurse.
Their lives were suddenly turned upside down after Bill was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. Shirley became his primary caregiver; learning everything she could about his illness. Throughout Bill’s numerous hospitalizations, she had the opportunity to closely observe nurses as they worked. Shirley was inspired by their compassion, intelligence and technical skills.
During a blessed period of remission, they made plans for Shirley’s future. Bill helped her select the nursing school she would attend. He lived long enough to watch his bride graduate nursing school and begin her new life. According to Shirley, “I am doing this for both of us”.
Next page: From Many Backgrounds
bridget66
over 4 years ago
10 comments
I will be 42 next month and I'm just starting my nursing prereqs. My chemistry lab partner is 54. It's never to late to be what we might have been. I think with age comes a lot of worldly wisdom (especially with Mothers which we both are). We are both soooooo excited to start this new path into Nursing and it's very nice to hear stories like this. Good luck to all the nursing students and may God Bless you all!
swiller
over 4 years ago
2 comments
I am a career changer -- a real estate paralegal in my most recent former life. Now I am a first semester nursing student. WooooooHooooooooo!
Account Removed
over 4 years ago
Excellent story, gives us old people hope.
casassy62688
over 4 years ago
290 comments
Great article. I'm definately going to share this with some of the band parents I know (I've only been ou tof high shcool for 2 years, and my little brother is in the marching band, so I talk to a lot of the band moms). Because a lot of them tell me that I made a great choice going into nursing, and they tell me that they wish they would have done it. Then I tell them that they could always go back to school and become a nurse, and they always say that they are too old. This will show them!