At 60, She's Becoming a Nurse and Published a Book

[Jonathan Whatley]

One day, a 19-year-old colleague told [Liz] Bryk, a personal support worker [in her late 50s at the time, and a breast cancer survivor], that she should follow her dreams of being a nurse.

"I didn't come from a rich family," Bryk explained. "I didn't have the chance to go to university."

After giving it some thought, Bryk inquired with Georgian College about joining the nursing program. She was told to send in her transcript if it wasn't more than seven years old.

Bryk's transcript was so old that it had been written on a papyrus with a quill, she joked. As a result, she had to attend the adult learning centre to obtain her Grade 12 chemistry, biology, and math credits.

"Then I applied and got in," Bryk explained of Georgian's nursing program. "Three years later I'm on the Dean’s List and I'm in the home stretch now of my 450-hour" placement at Orillia Soldiers' Memorial Hospital.

During her first day of class at Georgian College, Bryk was asked by an 18-year-old student about her age.

"When I told her she said, 'You're two years older than my grandma,'" Bryk said with a chuckle. "Learning is ageless and it's been an amazing experience."

Bryk hopes the collection of short stories she has penned in her book Uplifting Tales from Goodness County, will inspire others in the community.

Breast cancer survivor follows dream, becomes nurse at age 60 (Tyler Evans, Barrie Today, March 12, 2024)

Her interview with CBC Radio's Ontario Morning (March 27, 2024; she's identified as Liz Robert-Young, the name under which she published her book)

Uplifting Tales from Goodness County (it's also a fundraiser for the hospital)

[indigoshuffle]

We'll see how this goes. I hope it goes well, but unfortunately for the nursing profession, there is a substantial amount of ageism. Beautiful story though.

[Duneranger]

We'll see how this goes. I hope it goes well, but unfortunately for the nursing profession, there is a substantial amount of ageism. Beautiful story though.

Not really anymore; they take who they can get since no one stays at the bedside for more than a few years. It's crazy how much the field has been drained. No longer are there bedside nurses who have worked 20+ or even 10 years. It used to be SUPER hard to get a hospital job as a new grad, and now they will not take anyone with a license into the ICU or ER right away.

[bjcheung77]

Yeah, Ageism exists in any industry... There was an article somewhere I remember viewing earlier in the week or last week, a 60 year old as well, was looking for a job for 3 years and still couldn't land one, they didn't want to retire early either...

---

Found it, this guy from the UK: https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/other/i-...r-BB1k4wrU

[Jonathan Whatley]

Her previous job was personal support worker. That's the approximate counterpart in Canada of a certified nursing assistant in the US. She knows and she's ready for what she's getting into.