If you are reading this then you probably have wondered what it’s like to walk a mile in a nurse’s shoes. Well, it’s much more than medical charts and patient rounds. Nurses are real-life superheroes of healthcare, juggling their compassion with hard skills every single day. But what about the path that took them to where they are? When we talk about nurses we’re talking about people who’ve faced down personal setbacks, overcome stressful training and long hours, sparked innovations in their fields, touched lives in ways that go beyond the basics of care. Today, we are diving into the real-life stories of some incredible folks who’ve carved out successful careers in nursing. Their stories aren’t just inspiring, they are an example of how diverse the journey to nursing is. These stories are here to show you the true spirit of nursing, full of heart, challenges and triumphs.
Some nurses know that this is their calling early in life, but others find their calling a little later. Nursing does not discriminate by your age. In fact, many nurses start nursing as their second career. Maybe the first one didn’t fulfill them, or maybe they lived through an experience that changed how they view life. Either way, starting your degree after 30 is still very young, with nursing students even being 40-60 years old! It’s never too late to do what you love.
It’s never too late to pursue nursing
“I became a nurse at 31. One big reason I went back to school was because every day after I left my office job, I’d think to myself “Well, that was a waste of time.” Nursing isn’t perfect, but never have I ever left a shift thinking that I wasted my time or didn’t accomplish something important.” – Quaesuntvera/Reddit
“I am 32 and just finished nursing school. It’s definitely not too late. You’ll be welcomed with open arms because nurses are needed.” – WeeklyAward/Reddit
“I passed my boards at 32 two years ago. So far, I’ve been happy with my career choice, but I’m glad I didn’t go into it at 18. I was pretty timid and sensitive back then and probably would have struggled.
I graduated from college with a BA in Linguistics when I was 22 and started teaching English as a Foreign Language in SE Asia about a year later. After four years, I returned to the US planning to make a career change and likely go to graduate school. Wasn’t sure what I wanted to do though and the job market was bad, so I ended up working in retail for a couple of years, then at a call center, and then decided to try being a CNA. Four months after becoming a CNA I was in pre nursing classes.
If I were to do it over, I’d probably keep the teaching abroad but then go straight into CNA/nursing school when I returned home.” – Crazycatlover/Reddit
“I had a degree and decided to go to nursing school at 33 years old. Graduated at 35 and have been working as a nurse for a year now. It’s definitely not too late! ABSN programs are accelerated bachelor’s programs for people who already have a Bachelor’s degree.” – Roseapoth/Reddit
“My best friend started at 34 and graduated at 36 with her ASN. She’s the best nurse I know… The thing about starting nursing at a later time is you actually want to become a nurse, you care about good grades, and you have money saved up. So, find what you’re passionate about and take a chance. She finished one nursing semester and started working as a student nurse 17$/hr one shift per week.” – 7bucs/Reddit
“I started at 40 and I was newly divorced with two little kids, a full time job, a part time job, AND a load of debt!” – Dang_It_All_to_Heck/Reddit
“I went back to school for nursing at 56! Now I’m about to turn 62 and have worked for four years as an RN, first at the bedside and now in Hospice. While the younger nurses of course don’t want to go clubbing with me, I don’t find that there is any issue working with a mixed age group as a team. You’ll be surprised if you choose a two year program at a Community College for the ADN, there will be A LOT of people who are over 35 in that program. Nursing is a profession that makes for bonds between people because nobody else but your fellow nurses know what you’re up against on the job every day (…) Go for it! Once you hit the floor at a hospital, you’ll find most teams have a wide range of ages in your unit and many will be 40-somethings with kids. Age doesn’t matter and the good thing about nursing is it’s no judgment on you if you weren’t already establishing your career in your 20’s.” – Cryptidwhippet/Reddit
We had the opportunity of interviewing with Larisa Foster, a Critical Care Nurse turned entrepreneur and teacher. She too started later in life. Her first degree was completely different to nursing, a Bachelor’s in Business Management.
Q: Can you share a bit about your early experiences in healthcare?
LF: My first Bachelor’s Degree was in Business Management. I worked in the hospitality industry, I was a bartender, I was a server, I did catering… When I first started off, which ironically there are nurses in my family, my mom is a nurse, my uncle is a nurse and my aunt is a nurse, but that’s one of the things why I decided to amplify my platform. They were in nursing for a long time and I saw nursing through their lens. My mom worked in the long term care center, so I still saw nursing as that. My aunt worked in hospice and my uncle worked in administration. So I didn’t see the ER, the ICU, that you could be a CRN… It’s important to highlight the different lenses through which you can become a nurse or nursing can take you.
I started off with my first Bachelor’s degree and then I did an accelerated associate’s degree, which I thought was really good for me. The price was really good, I went to a very robust program with good clinical instructors and teachers that care and force you to critically think as a nurse.
After I did that I started traveling. In 2014 I went ahead and got my BSN degree from Florida Atlantic University and the BSN degree helped put nursing in more of a professional light. Nursing started more as a vocation and the BSN adds a professionalism to it that I think is important.
I did an MBA from LSU and when I got into administration I realized the change that I wanted to see wasn’t as easy to do within that specific paradigm, so I decided to do my MSN right before the Pandemic started in 2019 in the University of Miami. I decided to go that route because with an MP you could teach. I do like teaching myself. This added to the previous degrees that I had because I always wanted to have my own business.
Larisa also highlights the importance of seeing educational paths in two ways. One, as she described, refers to her academic educational path. The second, however, is the educational path of experience. “Working in the ER, working in the ICU, finding mentors along my path as well, which was extremely important for my development.”
Q: What inspired you to pursue a career in nursing specifically?
LS: I was unable to make things work for me financially. I was working 5 jobs and still didn’t have money to go to the grocery store. My friends in nursing didn’t have that issue, they were buying houses, getting to where they want in life. Nursing provided me with security, with a set of skills. It clicked for me there. Having a background in teaching and hospitality is a good mix for nursing.
I pride myself on being good with people. I think I make people at ease when they speak to me, I think that may be my own little sauce that I have.
Today, besides being a fantastic Critical Care Nurse, an Educator, a Nurse Coach, and an entrepreneur, Larissa is the founder of The Parkwood Project. Throughout her experience, Larisa identified a need for mentorship within nursing, so she took matters into her own hands. She mentors aspiring nurses like she was once, dedicated to helping them find their way into the healthcare industry and beyond.
Q: How did you arrive at the conclusion that mentorship is crucial in nursing?
LF: I was a travel nurse for 8 years and when I went to these different assignments, I’d have conversations with the staff there and I realized there were gaps in their knowledge base. Remember, when you work as a travel nurse you get varied perspectives. You realize how broad nursing is, you realize how you can work in one ICU at one hospital and have a completely different experience in another state, another hospital system, depending on how big the hospital is and how much resources they have. So I would get a lot of questions about travel nursing