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Bay Area woman becomes hospital nurse at 65 years old

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Published  September 3, 2024 10:11pm EDT
Hillsborough County
FOX 13 News

Woman becomes nurse at age 65

Cynthia Fletcher-Bryant is starting a new career at 65, working as a licensed practical nurse in the medical-surgical unit at HCA Brandon.

BRANDON, Fla. - For 65-year-old Cynthia Fletcher-Bryant, becoming a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) at a Brandon hospital this summer is a dream come true. 

"I sort of laugh when people realize I’m 65. It’s pretty funny to see their face," she said.

Fletcher-Bryant was born and raised in St. Petersburg.

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"My grandparents raised me and my siblings, my brothers and my sister. We just really had the freedom to do what we wanted," she said. "I always wanted to be in the medical field." 

But in her 20s, she instead became a writer for the St. Petersburg Times. 

"But at the time, my grandfather got ill. So, I started working at Albertsons, which I worked at for 30 years. I was store manager," she said. 

She then met her husband, Kurt Bryant, and together the couple owned a limousine service company. However, tragedy struck when her husband was shot and killed.  

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"He was killed standing outside. He didn’t survive the gunshot wound," Fletcher-Bryant said. "Life stopped. There’s no doubt my life just stopped." 

The tragedy taught her something about herself. 

"You don’t find a way to love again, so I figured I would just love on other people that needed it," she said. 

So, she tried out being an at-home health aide. 

"My brother got COVID and pneumonia in 2022," she said. "When I walked into the hospital, it was like, 'whew.' The sounds, the feel. I’m like, ‘Okay, I got to do this.'" 

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Since July, Fletcher-Bryant has been an LPN at HCA Florida Brandon in the medical-surgical unit helping patients like Dora Anderson. 

"She’s really nurturing. Almost like having your mama around when you’re sick," Anderson said.

Fletcher-Bryant hopes to inspire others with her story. 

"You’re not too old. How bad do you want it? If that’s something that’s in you….go do it," she said.

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