The Student Room Group

Career change to healthcare at age 40?! help!

hi everyone
OK I'll keep it brief - I've always really liked the idea of working in health care ... i went down the wrong path many years ago after doing an arts degree and winding up as a librarian..... anyway the cravings for working in health care are still there and i wonder what on earth could i do - i would have to re-train from scratch but is it worth it, i mean would i actually stand a chance getting a job if i invested in a healthcare degree at my age? im 36 now so realistically id be at least 40 before applying for work in a new career.
the other thing is i wouldn't know what to do - i don't think i could take the stress of nursing and i'm really attracted to the allied health professions but i'm worried there are just not many job opportunities. im thinking of audiology, optometry, maybe even radiography..... i know what i should do is go round work shadowing but that's easier said than done and i thought as a first port of call i'd see if anyone here has any advice or experiences to share....?
thank you!
Reply 1
Hi
I'll be 35 in a couple of weeks. I've 3 children and haven't had a 'proper' job since 2002. Since having kids I've had a yearning to get in to nursing. Fast forward to now and I've got an offer for a place on an adult nursing degree and interviews for 4 other uni's too. I'm doing my access course via distance learning and have no experience in healthcare whatsoever!
What I'm saying is just go for it. I'm far from the oldest applicant I've heard of. Nursing or any of the other healthcare professions open up so many doors and lead to a successful and fulfilling career.
Good luck.
Reply 2
Original post by Nat3001
Hi
I'll be 35 in a couple of weeks. I've 3 children and haven't had a 'proper' job since 2002. Since having kids I've had a yearning to get in to nursing. Fast forward to now and I've got an offer for a place on an adult nursing degree and interviews for 4 other uni's too. I'm doing my access course via distance learning and have no experience in healthcare whatsoever!
What I'm saying is just go for it. I'm far from the oldest applicant I've heard of. Nursing or any of the other healthcare professions open up so many doors and lead to a successful and fulfilling career.
Good luck.


Hi,

Can I ask how you are finding the online access course please I'm really interested in doing one myself due to having full time work and a family.
Do many universities accept this?
I would like to get into Derby University.
Hope to hear from you soon.
Reply 3
Original post by Trebert
Hi,

Can I ask how you are finding the online access course please I'm really interested in doing one myself due to having full time work and a family.
Do many universities accept this?
I would like to get into Derby University.
Hope to hear from you soon.


Hi
I am doing my access course via distance learning so I can fit it in around everything else going on! I have been out if education since 1997 and the first couple of assignment were a shock to the system but thanks to my great tutor it's been a positive experience. I can work at my own pace and you get a good foundation to go in to a healthcare degree in the future.
All 5 uni's I applied to accepted an access diploma. If you look on Derby's website on the page of the degree you want to go on to study it will list the various options for entry requirement. Hope this helps.
Reply 4
Original post by Nat3001
Hi
I am doing my access course via distance learning so I can fit it in around everything else going on! I have been out if education since 1997 and the first couple of assignment were a shock to the system but thanks to my great tutor it's been a positive experience. I can work at my own pace and you get a good foundation to go in to a healthcare degree in the future.
All 5 uni's I applied to accepted an access diploma. If you look on Derby's website on the page of the degree you want to go on to study it will list the various options for entry requirement. Hope this helps.


Hiya,

Thank you, so there's no difference to an access course online or actually
going to college to do an access course?
I just though the universities might not think it is good enough to do an access course online.
That's good new, thank you!
Original post by Laibey
im 36 now so realistically id be at least 40 before applying for work in a new career.
the other thing is i wouldn't know what to do - i don't think i could take the stress of nursing and i'm really attracted to the allied health professions but i'm worried there are just not many job opportunities. im thinking of audiology, optometry, maybe even radiography..... i know what i should do is go round work shadowing but that's easier said than done and i thought as a first port of call i'd see if anyone here has any advice or experiences to share....?
thank you!


So probably 30 years of professional work left before retirement. I might get shot down by others but nursing is (I believe) a very broad based career and the different types of job vary considerably in stress/intensity. Being a nurse in A&E is very different to being in intensive care, working on a ward, having a specialist role (e.g. managing patients with hip fractures), or running the outpatient clinic.

Other than that it might help if people knew what you want from a career. Short training? Regular hours? Lots of learning or not much learning? Work in a hospital or a GP practice? Excitement?
Reply 6
I'm, er, significantly older than you, Laibey, and have just started a 3-year degree in Audiology. I did sit down and do a cost / benefit of it financially, i.e. 3 years' lost income, full course fees (and no student loan as I have already done a degree), and the increased salary the qualification will give me x years to retirement. It just about added up! But it is something that I really want to do, and I am financially able to support myself whilst at uni, so for me it is the right thing to do.
Reply 7
Original post by Laibey
hi everyone
OK I'll keep it brief - I've always really liked the idea of working in health care ... i went down the wrong path many years ago after doing an arts degree and winding up as a librarian..... anyway the cravings for working in health care are still there and i wonder what on earth could i do - i would have to re-train from scratch but is it worth it, i mean would i actually stand a chance getting a job if i invested in a healthcare degree at my age? im 36 now so realistically id be at least 40 before applying for work in a new career.
the other thing is i wouldn't know what to do - i don't think i could take the stress of nursing and i'm really attracted to the allied health professions but i'm worried there are just not many job opportunities. im thinking of audiology, optometry, maybe even radiography..... i know what i should do is go round work shadowing but that's easier said than done and i thought as a first port of call i'd see if anyone here has any advice or experiences to share....?
thank you!


I'd say go for it. I'm in a very similar position to you, mid thirties, wanting to re-train in an allied health profession, worried about cuts to NHS funding as I already have a degree and have only just finished paying off the debts from that one, so want to start uni this year. Slightly worried my age may go against me when I get to apply for jobs, but you and I will still have at least another 28/29 working years ahead of us. Maybe try a late application or an access course as other people have said, but you definitely need to try and get a work experience placement and many universities expect to see evidence of recent study in the last five years. I think if you really feel you're currently on the wrong path, then listen to your gut instinct and think of the job satisfaction at the end of it. Best of luck.
Reply 8
hi
thanks these replies are so encouraging!
Part of my problem though is that I have no experience to bring so I'd be starting from scratch with that as well. Ayeel, do you or have you worked in a position which involves science or caring for people? if so that would give you a bump start when looking for work as an audiologist and id imagine is very good for a ucas personal statement and proves you're committed to a career change. Likewise Kingski, I would be interested to know what career it is you're pursuing and whether it flows on from what you have done previously.

I know i need to do job shadowing and get some experience, however this is very difficult when i need to work full time to support myself ... i tried looking at health care assistant jobs but even they ask for some experience working in a people/caring role, and some of them want an HND in care work. And in any case they wouldn't pay enough for me to pay my bills!

it all seems so difficult but im not giving up hope just yet.....
Reply 9
Original post by Laibey
hi
thanks these replies are so encouraging!
Part of my problem though is that I have no experience to bring so I'd be starting from scratch with that as well. Ayeel, do you or have you worked in a position which involves science or caring for people? if so that would give you a bump start when looking for work as an audiologist and id imagine is very good for a ucas personal statement and proves you're committed to a career change. Likewise Kingski, I would be interested to know what career it is you're pursuing and whether it flows on from what you have done previously.

I know i need to do job shadowing and get some experience, however this is very difficult when i need to work full time to support myself ... i tried looking at health care assistant jobs but even they ask for some experience working in a people/caring role, and some of them want an HND in care work. And in any case they wouldn't pay enough for me to pay my bills!

it all seems so difficult but im not giving up hope just yet.....


My first degree is in an unrelated scientific subject and I then ended up working in IT for a couple of decades. I then had a career change and did work alongside with deaf people for a few years, which obviously helped with the application to study Audiology. Even a few days of work shadowing will be useful - just something to show that you have found out what the career will involve. That will help immensely with your application, and was one of the conditions of my offer - that I spent a day watching what went on and wrote up a brief report on it. It will also help you to decide whether it is something you really want to do.

Also even few days of volunteering in something vaguely related to what you want to do, or volunteering at a care home occasionally or occasional befriending with a charity can help, and you might be able to find in occasional sessions in the evenings or weekends even if you are working full-time. Don't worry that you have to go overboard on this, but making the effort just to do a little bit shows the right attitude and will help demonstrate the people skills that you will eventually need in your future career.

Do a bit more research in the areas that you are interested in. In Audiology at my particular university the last semester in the final year is spent on placement, and it is quite often the case that students end up with a job there. Personally, I know there is a shortage of Audiologists locally and perhaps nationwide, so I don't have concerns about not getting a job after I graduate. Best to reassure yourself about this before making a decision, although of course the political climate does change and services within the NHS (if that is where you want to work) can vary over the course of 3 years.
Hi there! It's never too late! My boyfriend's Mum has recently graduated at age 50 doing midwifery after doing something completely different most of her life and she is so happy!
I have just got a job as a health care assistant within a hospital and there were people there of all ages from all walks of life with a variety of experience! A lot of them didn't have any specific health care experience. I'd recommend trying to work in the area for a bit and then decide if you want to take it further and train! I can understand the idea of going back to uni must seem like a slog especially as you've already got a degree. But a degree is still a degree no matter what subject it's in and will still look good on your CV! If you've always wanted it do it, I'd definitely say go for it! 😊


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