Ah, and here is another one... 42. Quit my job after 21 years working as a labor and delivery RN. Going to the same school as the person who started this thread, MCI. Have been there for a year now. Have really enjoyed going to school and have learned more than I can tell you. Have been doing an "extended" stage at an upscale casual place in town and have learned a tremendous amount from that as well. Not really sure what I want to do when I get out of school. Have done the level I Sommelier course and love to write. Know full well that I am too old to work the line. There are already too many miles on my body from working 50-70 hours a week as a nurse! That said, I would not trade the opportunity I have to go to school for anything. I have met great people who have encouraged me, in spite of my age and I am an excellent student. One poster talked about long hours, low pay and bad treatment. That is certainly out there. The one that bothers me most is the bad treatment. I walked out on a class the other day after being berated in front of the entire class by the chef b/c I was about 15 mins late for class. A tractor-trailer had jack-knifed about a half mile from my house. I left early to try to compensate, but was still late. I understand the need for timeliness, but this was an instructor I had previously taken a course with, who knows I am not chronically late. It is difficult to go from a profession you have years of experience in to being yelled at by someone who is the age of your oldest child! I understand that is part of the game, but I know it is not necessarily like that everywhere, nor do I believe it has to be. It was interesting to discover that nurses and doctors are not the only ones who "eat their young." But keep my favorite saying in mind... "Youth and talent are no match for age and treachery!"
