nurses who are disabled or injured

Nurses General Nursing

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I am no longer able to practice clinical bedside nursing due to a number of injuries and chronic pain. I have noticed there are no websites (as far as I have searched) for the nurses who is disabled. I feel very disenfranchised by the nursing community since I have a wealth of nursing knowledge and experience. I have tried breaking into case management, UR/QA, workmen's comp, and various other areas of nursing where I would be able to sit at a desk and use my knowledge and experience to no avail. I have taken classes for case management and am considering taking a worker's comp. claims examiner class to make myself more employable in the case management field. I have done some LTC consulting work for a company in Ohio which turned out pretty well but it is subcontracting so not always steady work. I am registered with vocational rehab and have considered applying for social security disability. I can't walk for long periods,have chronic back and shoulder pain and spasms, and have asthma. I can't lift due to hernai repairs and back surgery.

I would llike to hear form any nurses who are in somewhat the same predicament. I also have a forum on Delphi for disabled nurses. The address is: betawww.delphi.com/disablednurses

Hope to see you there and look forward to any replies.

Specializes in ER,Trauma, ICU, Flight, Hme Hlth, CCath.

I myself have been looking for sites as I recently became unable to work due to injuries. Thank you, this is the first time that I have found anything.

Specializes in jack of all trades, master of none.

I swore there WAS a website

something like disablednurse.com

Specializes in ER,Trauma, ICU, Flight, Hme Hlth, CCath.

http://www.disablednurse.com/

That would be it. Under construction and really not the forum I was looking for. Thanks anyway.

I just bacame temporarily disabled..........I hope its still temporary.......I was looking at exceptional nurse.com website. It has a lot of stuff. I have an appointment with the local Rehab Commission....I hope these are the right steps...........

Specializes in MDS coordinator, hospice, ortho/ neuro.

Have you considered the telephone triage nurse positions like Kaiser Permanente has? Possibly MDS nurse in a LTC.

Specializes in icu, er, transplant, case management, ps.
I am no longer able to practice clinical bedside nursing due to a number of injuries and chronic pain. I have noticed there are no websites (as far as I have searched) for the nurses who is disabled. I feel very disenfranchised by the nursing community since I have a wealth of nursing knowledge and experience. I have tried breaking into case management, UR/QA, workmen's comp, and various other areas of nursing where I would be able to sit at a desk and use my knowledge and experience to no avail. I have taken classes for case management and am considering taking a worker's comp. claims examiner class to make myself more employable in the case management field. I have done some LTC consulting work for a company in Ohio which turned out pretty well but it is subcontracting so not always steady work. I am registered with vocational rehab and have considered applying for social security disability. I can't walk for long periods,have chronic back and shoulder pain and spasms, and have asthma. I can't lift due to hernai repairs and back surgery.

I would llike to hear form any nurses who are in somewhat the same predicament. I also have a forum on Delphi for disabled nurses. The address is: betawww.delphi.com/disablednurses

Hope to see you there and look forward to any replies.

I have been disabled since November 29, 1988. I have been receiving SSDI since 1990. To receive SSDI, you must be unable to work in any type of gainful employment for a period of twelve months. The typical applicant is turned down the first two times. While you do not have to have an attorney to represent you, it is recommended that when you ask for a hearing before an administrative law judge, you have one. The likelyhood of getting SSDI depends on the state you live in. While SSDI is a federally funded program, it is run by each state's offices. If you live in NYS, three years is the typical waiting period before being approved. In Florida it is generally 18 months. You will have to furnish copies of all your physician reports, as well as surgical reports. And the limitations each physician has told you. I believe the application is 14 pages long and very detailed.

I was in my early 50s when I settled with my Workers Comp insurance company. I returned full time to a graduate nursing program in 2000. I had to drop out when I suffered blood clots while visiting my grandchildren here in Florida. While living in upstate NY, I attempted to find employment. I was qualified for the three positions I applied for but I did not receive any offers, after my interviews. I would guess it was due to the injuries I suffered in 1989 and 1996, and the limitations I have now.

AOL has a disabled nurses message board on their nurses message boards. It is generally good for support but not much information.

Sorry but there is not much support out there from our peers. Many think we are faking our injuries because we no longer want to work. Most employers also do not believe we are disabled.

Goode luck

Woody:balloons:

I have been disabled since November 29, 1988. I have been receiving SSDI since 1990. To receive SSDI, you

Sorry but there is not much support out there from our peers. Many think we are faking our injuries because we no longer want to work. Most employers also do not believe we are disabled.

Goode luck

Woody:balloons:

Hi pdxrn.,

I'm still finding my way around this site, I have a permanent disability and am trying very hard to re invent myself but thats another story.

I just wanted to make a comment about peer support, there isnt much about and even on this site I saw am amazing thing on another thread. Someone with a back injury...surprise surprise..happened onto a thread about life after nursing and asked some advice of her peers..she was smartly informed she was on the wrong thread and needed to get treatment for her depression.,.. while she was probably asking the wrong people for advice...not a very impressive reaction specially when one reads the posts and sees just how many retired nurses carry injuries.

The best advice someone gave me was get good legal advice sooner rather than later. A lesson I learned the hard way is take someone to meetings with you, not only so there is a witness but also because the sad reality is the effects of medication, stress and pain make it very hard to remember exactly what was said and it is oh so easy to land yourself in real strife because you just forgot something.

I'm in Australia so I don't have much to offer about the US system, however I do know that for me the key to my survival was finding something un nurse related to occupy my mind from time to time.

It was important for me to have something which didnt reinforce my role as a broken down nurse. You have to find something which redefines you just a little. It's easier said than done but it is worth the effort.

It is 30 years next March since I sat my State Finals and first earned the right to call myself R.N so it was very strange last week talking to someone to describe myself as a historian but I guess that's what I am these days. This doesn't stop me feeling like a nurse, I'm in this forum after all but it was a funny almost liberating experience despite the fact my back's no better and all my joints creak.

:idea:Perhaps this thread just turns into a support group by default.

Princenina.

Specializes in ER,Trauma, ICU, Flight, Hme Hlth, CCath.

After reading all of the posts I have found that we all seem to have the basic same thing in common. Apart from the disability we are all in some way looking for a way to reinvent ourselves as well as support.

I initially asked a question and I find that most the information and support has come from e-mails and messages from this site.

I would like to thank every one that has participated this far and all those that continue.

Maybe we can start our own support.

All nurses active or not deserve that.

Have a great day all and again thank you.

Specializes in geriatrics,med/surg,vents.

Exceptionalnurse is a good site as already stated,there is also NOND.org,National Organization of Nurses with Disabilaties.I have found both these sites and the people who run them very helpful.

Specializes in ER,Trauma, ICU, Flight, Hme Hlth, CCath.

Is there anyone out there that can help me. I have been battling with workers compensation for the past nine months to get the basic of medical care for an injury I received while working.

At this point in time I am wheelchair bound and unable to get any assistance past a case manager that has done nothing for me. He was able to go on vacation while my file sat on his desk.

In my career I have done everything and anything to ensure that patients got the care they required, no questions. That was my job and I did what I could to make sure that no one had to suffer or be refused on any basis what so ever.

Now I find the shoe is on the other foot and I feel very helpless.

No one and especially not the case manager I have works for me.

As I have been told they have a quota and the physicians we are sent to have guidelines.

Does anyone have any suggestions on a complaint route or if it is even possible because I am disgusted with what is happening to me, but more importantly do not want to see it continue happening to other health care professionals.

All suggestions will be looked into as I really am trying to find a way to be heard, sooner rather than later.

Thank you in advance.

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