How many 40+ nurses still working Med/Surg?

[VivaLasViejas]

I was just wondering how many of you out there in the "older" age groups are still working a med/surg floor, and how you cope with the ever-increasing physical demands. Sometimes when I get off my shift, I feel 85 rather than almost 45.....my back aches ferociously, my feet are burning, and I limp so badly that I've been asked more than once if I've sprained something. Of course, things would go better if I were about 100# lighter, and I'm working on that, but I was 40# heavier than I am now when I first worked med/surg six years ago, and didn't have as many problems then.

Now, I've already done the sit-down jobs in nursing, and didn't like it......I'm absolutely delighted with my 8-hour, part-time position on the floor, and have NO intention of leaving it. But I'm having so much trouble handling the physical part of it---I can perform the actual work, it's after my shift that I hurt so much, I'm wondering how much longer I'm going to be able to do this.

I'm hoping my new orthotics will help, along with the Ultram I'm taking for pain. But other than these things---along with losing some weight---how do I keep doing this for another 15 or 20 years? Or can I even reasonably expect to?

Thanks!

[VivaLasViejas, ASN, RN]

Yanno, the heck of it is, I LOVE what I do, and I'd do it forever if only my body would cooperate. Lately I've found myself often in the role of the house PRN nurse, going wherever a department needs an extra pair of hands to do an admission, help a nurse who's struggling with his/her patient load, run interference for staff and/or patients having conflicts, and so on. This is infinitely more fun for me than having a team, but sometimes it's even harder physically than caring for a group of heavy-care patients because I'm running all the time. All this weekend I was the PRN, and while I'm very good at it, after three days of it I'm so damned exhausted I feel every single second of my almost 45 years, and then some.

Hopefully once I lose some more weight (40# since last year, and now working at it once again) and get my orthotics, my feet won't ache so much and my back won't wake me in the middle of the night singing "Aida".