Nurse Massage Therapy

Nurses Entrepreneurs

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Hello! This new forum is for anyone interested in massage, nursing and the combination. I am an RN working mostly ICU, Neo ICU and ER (all prn), a former

travel nurse and wife and Mom. I am currently taking classes for Medical Massage Therapy. Anyone who is a massage therapist, nurse interested in it, or wanting information to benefit you patients is invited to post.

There are different types of massage therapy. There is the mostly widely known Swedish massage with oils. The kind I do is with clothes on, no oils and is medially based. It is a combination of trigger point therapy, neuromuscular reeducation, myofascial release, soft tissue mobilization, manual lymph drainage, acupressure, to name a few aspects of it. Add in nutritional support, and a nurse's knowledge and common sense and I can help most people in some way or another. The whole idea is to balance the systems and regions of the body, especially effective with neuromuscularskeletal dysfunctions. I use the GUT Method, which was developed by Elena Goetzel after years of "putting it all together". Very interesting!!! and effective!!

So.... let's talk!!! smile.gif

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nurseyperson

I'm a CT LMT starting my pre-req classes as well!! I'm very excited to be taking this path into health care. So many threads to follow, I thought I'd at least say hello.

I currently work for a chiropractic office. We use therapeutic massage, craniosacral therapy, myofascial release, lymph massage and energy work on the patients who come to our office. It is excellent work! I'm glad it's getting noticed in the medical profession.

Somewhere in some post someone asked what CMP stands for... it's certified massage practitioner in case it never got answered.

Thanks for being here, I'm glad to have found you!!

Great! Where are you going to school? I'm taking chemistry/biology at HCC then going on to St. V's College.

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Great! Where are you going to school? I'm taking chemistry/biology at HCC then going on to St. V's College.

I'm going to TRCC full time this fall working towards the ADN, once I pass the NCLEX and am working as a nurse, I'll move onto somewhere for the BSN -- I'll cross that bridge when I get to it!! One step at a time, otherwise, I might trip!

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Besides working in ED I also have a Dip Rem Massage and Dip Sports Med. Over here in some Uni's we are teaching (basically Swedish) massage to undergrads,as part of a holistic approach to nursing. I have been teaching just 1 semester a year for the last 5 years

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Nurseyperson--

I wouldn't like being the only fat person in the crowd that no one can find muscles on. I'm wondering if I should devote myself to getting slim before starting classes.

Thanks again,

Cindy

[This message has been edited by PopTart (edited February 06, 2001).]

Don't feel bad, Cindy, I feel the same way myself. I am 5'2" and 230 pounds. Not only do I make the nursing profession look bad but I'm sure the health conscious people into massage therapy would not think too highly of me, either. But I'm not going to worry about that. I'm sure there will be more than a few fat people needing the services of a massage therapist and a nurse.

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nurseyperson,

i am am in nursing school in louisiana. i was so excited to come across this forum because i have a presentation to do on a career as a nursing massage therapist. i am trying to find web sites that have some information including background of the career, nursing practice considerations related to the issue, impact on healthcare, and the patients perspective. If you know of any web sites that can offer this information, i would be most appreciative. Thanks for you time.

Kailey

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I just came across this forum and enjoy all of the information. I need some encouragement. I am a registered nurse/ massage therapist for seven years in my own practice, Business has its ups and downs ( especially with fuel prices going up. I do not want to hassle with insurance cases, as I have not had good luck with them paying without long delays. Got into hospice massage which pays through medicare, but the hospice calls other people with less experience to their cases. It seems once they use someone they stick to calling them. I feel out of the loop and dont even have the desire to pursue anymore massge cases. I still have my own practice, but that has been hurt by me leaving space in my schedule to do hospice work ( which I really love ). I am at a crossroads on whether to continue with massage work or go back to nursing. I live in a small city in Iowa and am 47 years old. I need to start saving for retirement and cannot afford to contnue on this path. Any suggestions? There are already two massage therapists that work through the local hospital and they get most of the hospital work. I got a job as an independent subcontractor massage therapist through the hospital, but need health insurance. I love massage and what it does for people, but it has not been financially good for me.

thanks for listening

Nurse kelly

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Too bad this thread is so old! I am a nurse massage therapist living in California and moving to Arizona. I have been doing massage therapy for about 10 years. I have a current California nursing license (RN), and finished my BSN in 1997, but have not worked in a traditional setting since 1999. Imagine my surprise when I found out Arizona requires 960 hours in the last five years of traditional nursing experience. The person at the board I talked to could not believe I would even think of trying to get a nursing license since I "wasn't working in the capacity of a registered nurse". Sheesh. Anyone else experienced this shunning by their nursing board?

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A hospice patient who is 99 years old and a retired RN told me that massage therapy was part of her nursing ciricullum. Amazing how we get things right and then change them so they can be "progressive".

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Unfortunately, I have heard this story before. Have you considered also selling products to boost your income? There are some excellent product lines out there both network marketing and retail products that could help your bottom line and help you clients find balance. Some therapists sell lotions and gadgets, and others sell supplements. Also, increasing your services may help. I have had a business in California for about 10 years, and I have made as much as $50,000 in one year. Have you considered opening a wellness center and having other practitioners join you? Hospice massage is fine, I do it myself one day a week, but expanding your sevices to include fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, etc. might also help increase business.

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nurseyperson,

i am am in nursing school in louisiana. i was so excited to come across this forum because i have a presentation to do on a career as a nursing massage therapist. i am trying to find web sites that have some information including background of the career, nursing practice considerations related to the issue, impact on healthcare, and the patients perspective. If you know of any web sites that can offer this information, i would be most appreciative. Thanks for you time.

Kailey

Bless you for trying to include healing in nursing education. I wish you the best of luck with that.

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Hi everyone,

I am s pleased to see this thread while browsing! I am just starting out as an LPN but a few weeks before I had the urge to do a Massage Therapy course. I did not even know how well until reading all this that my two new courses would wrap together so nicely. I thank you all for the inspiration and I will continue to check this thread.

One Love!

Miss Determination

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Hi Nurse Kelly...old post with you, but I am an R.N. for 30 years, just got out 1-1/2 years ago. For me, I know nursing was going to kill me before I reached retirement and I now am 1/2 way through massage school. Traditional nursing is extremely stressful as you know, and as one ages(me 54) it really has taken it's toll on me.I believe most all my health issues(now under control, were directly related to the constant stress. After much soul searching, I left,(I still keep my liscence up) even without health insurance. I decided health insurnace wasn't going to do my any good dead. Life is short and not that it is wrong to look ahead, but many retirement plans are a gamble. After cancer, I learned to live more in the moment, and what gives me a deep sense of personal pleasure. I have wanted to massage for 20+ yrs and am persuing that dream. Have you considered doing massage on a less "Nursey" level?(I know that is heard to beat that out of us oldtimers) There are so many avenues to take. I vasilate with medical/chiropracter/spa ideas. We had a panel come to school the other day, and one gal works at a cancer center. That's all she massages. She is a massage therapist(not a nurse) and she loves it. It is not hospice.It sounds awesome too. I personally am leaning more to relaxation massage and mental health aspects of it with maybe a smattering of medical(maybe I.C. out one day a week)to keep my fingers in medical. I just bought a water fountain for my home massage room, so I guess I really don't want that much to do with complaints& pain anymore, and want to emphasize wellness. This got way to long...My point, live your dream, and find a way to make your dream work for you. Good luck. Skili

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