Would you continue Nursing school with a known back injury?

NOADLS · Jan 17, 2016

If I were in such a situation, it would depend on how deep into the program I was in.

If I were nearing completion, there is no way I would jump ship. At this point, you should have an indication of what specific field in nursing you want to work in and you would know that some areas don't require much lifting (or any at all).

If I were only in the first semester, I would probably leaning towards leaving the program as I suspect someone in their first semester would have little to no knowledge of whether a back injury would be a hindrance to being able to work as a nurse and would be reliant on the input of others in making the decision. And most people will tell you that you will need your back in this profession.

VANurse2010 · Jan 17, 2016

Hi everyone!! I just joined this site, I read some of the forums, but just joined to post a new topic of my own. I am in the middle of nursing school, but after suffering from low back pain for awhile, I finally went to the doctor. I'm 21 and my condition will never heal on its own.
Knowing what you all know now, would you continue to pursue a nursing degree if you had a back injury?

I think if you found this out when you were already done, or nearly done, then it would make sense to continue. However, I do not think anyone should knowingly go into nursing with a back injury. I have some experience in this area.

Calzona · Jan 17, 2016

I am currently in my fourth semester out of eight, so nearly half way finished with my BSN.

vanilla bean · Jan 17, 2016

Forgive my ignorance, I didn't go to a traditional BSN program, but, have you even started your nursing coursework yet or are you still working on general ed requirements? As others have said, if early in your *nursing* education, I would strongly consider shifting gears to another major.

Calzona · Jan 17, 2016

Forgive my ignorance, I didn't go to a traditional BSN program, but, have you even started your nursing coursework yet or are you still working on general ed requirements? As others have said, if early in your *nursing* education, I would strongly consider shifting gears to another major.

No worries! At my school, we do it a bit differently. I took Fundamentals with one day of clinicals last semester and now I am in Care of the Adult 1 with two days of clinicals, Pathopharmacolgy, and Health Assessment. My school starts us off early! Deep down, I know that changing paths is probably the logical idea, but I really don't want to

vanilla bean · Jan 17, 2016

There are other careers in healthcare that you could consider. Also, there is a current thread about nursing and heavy lifting. If you haven't read it yet, you can check it out here. Nurses are weighing in with comments about all the ways that nursing can wreak havoc on your back. Good luck to you, whatever you choose to do.

NOADLS · Jan 17, 2016

I am currently in my fourth semester out of eight, so nearly half way finished with my BSN.

You are likely finished with the CNA related stuff. I would finish it if I were you.

coffeetalker · Jan 17, 2016

I think you should look into less physically demanding work- (even if you want to work with babies)- nursing is hard- lots of lifting/walking, and not so ergonomically designed desks)- as someone else said, there are still other jobs in the medical field you could do-(if you can comfortably sit for extended periods-maybe coding or look into tech support/ or designing the charting software)....