Dawn - Changing Careers at the Age of 50

Dawn -







My education is in finance, and it took me 15 years to get my degree. Ever since I graduated from college, I have worked for the Division of Child Support for the State of Washington as a support enforcement officer. Nobody ever says, “When I grow up, I want to be a support enforcement officer,” but it’s really a great job and I’ve enjoyed it every step of the way. Why would I leave it? I have simply decided that I want to become a nurse.

My grandmother was a nurse. She was in her 50s, when she became an LPN. She was able to meet the challenges of learning new skills and beginning her nursing career in her middle age, so I’m sure I can do the same.

I’ve always been interested in medicine. When I was in high school I was a candy striper. But, I didn’t like being around sick people, so I decided not to pursue a medical education at that time. As I’ve matured and have raised my children, I’ve developed more empathy. Also, a few life circumstances have helped lead me to the decision to become a nurse.

First, my nephew was born with about seven massive heart defects. While he was in cardio intensive care he had one-on-one nursing."Where there's life, there's hope." I worried he would die because he was so sick. I was so impressed with the nursing staff that took care of him around the clock while he was in the hospital. I was struck by the fact that you can’t give up; where there’s life, there’s hope. He survived all that and now he’s 19.

Time went on, and I continued to search for what I wanted to do when I grew up. I wasn’t sure I was in the right profession, even though I really liked my job. One day I was reading an article about a set of triplets from Africa being adopted by a couple in Chicago. The story talked about a nurse who had cared for the babies in the orphanage and how she saved their lives during a natural disaster. I had a strong visceral reaction to that story and there was a voice in my head telling me to be a nurse. So I’m finally listening!

In my current job, people tell me they believe I’m meant for greater things and expect me to move to higher leadership roles. There are few people who know my current plans, and I think they’ll be shocked when I tell them, “I’m going to go to nursing school.”

I’ve already begun to take the prerequisites to enter nursing school and with each course, I feel more certain that I am doing the right thing. Although the courses have been hard, I’m never discouraged. The more I talk with other nurses or talk with the college advisors, the more I know that I really, really want to be a nurse. Nurses say being in my 50s is not an issue.

I plan to get my RN degree so I can work directly with patients. I really love babies, so I would like to go into pediatric nursing. I hadn’t thought about being a surgical nurse until I had a surgery myself, and now I think I could go into surgery as well. I’m pretty open to where my interests might lead me and where the need might be the greatest.

I believe the skills I have developed in my current job will apply in nursing. I am committed to finding resources for my current clients at Support Enforcement, who are facing seemingly insurmountable life problems. They may have issues I can’t do anything about, but I always try to help point them in the right direction where they can get some help. I just can’t stand the thought of brushing somebody off – there are plenty of people who will do that. As a nurse, I will be a deep well of resource for my patients and will help them in every way I can.

Another parallel between the work I do now and the work I foresee for myself in nursing is that my clients in the child support system, especially when they first come in, are usually in emotional distress because their partner just left or they’re in the middle of a divorce and they have to deal with this ugly thing called child support. I have to be able to understand people who are emotional wrecks and I need to not pass judgment. I know nurses must do this as well. One thing I’ve learned is there is always another side to the story. I’ll listen to whatever a person is telling me, and I know for that person it is true, but I’m kind of like Paul Harvey…I’ll wait for the rest of the story.

I can’t wait to experience the rest of my story. I feel a call to nursing in my heart, and I’m excited to continue my new journey.

Postscript: On September 9, 2006, Dawn sent the following message:

Dear Terry - I was accepted into the Nursing Program at Pierce College Puyallup and will start in January 2007. I’m very excited - this is the beginning of a whole new chapter to my life. Thank you so much for your support and for the opportunity, as coincidental as it was, to talk with you and Terry Kluh. It helped when it came time to write my personal statement for the application.

Power Strategies: Achievement, Passion, Making a Difference
go back to main page