Are R.N's prone to serious back injury?

Keysnurse2008 · Sep 21, 2003

I am an RN.I have 2 herniated cervical discs and a bent c spine .I was not lifting a patient.I was simply the unlucky one who was standing in front of a patient who decided to pass out on me.He fell/ collapsed over my shoulder/neck.I tried to hold me and him up while I screamed out for help.My lower back popped and I collapsed to the floor and the pt slammed down on my head/neck/shoulders a second time.I now have pain all the time......so you see.....sometimes it is not a "wrong lift" type injury.

gwenith, BSN, RN · Sep 21, 2003

We were told that most back injuries are form repetative strain injuries and it is not one wrong lift but a series over years. Although cases like Tn nurse above are the exception to that ( hope you do recover).

Blaming us for lifting wrongly is not an answer to the porblem. The answer lies in finding ways around having to lift at all. This is why I am such an advocate of slide sheets - cheap easy and effective - washable. re-usable but they do take a little more time. They also get it into a patients head that them moving themselves is better than us moving them.

RN~in~CT · Sep 22, 2003

~~ raising hand ~~

Been there, done that.

After a few years of heavy lifting, I ended up with a back injury. Completed 2 yrs of PT, and am now back to work...though I still have flare-ups every once in a while.

DIVINELYBLESSED · Sep 23, 2003

I currently am dealing with a herniated disc and muscle strain due to lifting (8 mo. and counting on "alternative duty"). On the floor I worked (ortho/neuro) it wasn't only the patients you had to worry about but the equipment too. At least the CPM's we use are very heavy and require 2 people to lift.

BadBird, BSN, RN · Sep 23, 2003

Yes, just ask my neurosurgeon.

mattsmom81 · Sep 24, 2003

Originally posted by BadBird
Yes, just ask my neurosurgeon.

Dittos, Badbird.