Dr said no hope for lpn for me :(

Nurses LPN/LVN

Published

Sorry if this post doesn't belong here I was unsure if I should post on student nursing or actual lpn board. So ill remove it if I'm in wrong place.

I'll try and make this short. I'm 30 and I been wanting to go to school for lpn (who knows maybe bridge to rn) so bad...it's all I'm focused on. I'm trying to find a good school in my area but that's hard and a whole other topic lol..:.so every now and then I have issues with my back (lower back pain and pain in right leg) so I have to watch how I do things a lot. Well back went out few days ago and I'm in bed and can't move...the pain is really bad so my husband helped me up and took me to ER. The doctor came in didn't even physically exam me but said he would do pee test and X-rays. Ok no problem. They get results back he comes in tells me it's Sciatica (sp?) and ask me what I do for a living (this was the most he even spoke to me while I was there) I said I'm trying to get into nursing school..he said RN? I said for now LPN he rolls his eyes and tells me my best bet is to just stay in bed and give up my pipe dream since my back goes out sometimes. So needless to say I came home crying in pain still because they did NOTHING....told me to take Aleve (which I have been and it didn't help). So I'm still in bed and I keep having a pitty party thinking ill never be a lpn. I guess the way the dr said it just upset me but if I wasn't it so much pain I wouldn't have let it bother me I don't think. I guess I'm just coming here to ask is this just a pip dream for me? Do you think I can still do this with my back being this way sometimes? Any advice would be great...thanks :)

Really people? You may think you're being encouraging, but you could be encouraging OP right into a wheelchair.

First, yes, get an opinion from an actual back specialist.

BUT.

If you're already having back problems, nursing WILL exacerbate them.

All the "rah rah go for your dreams, you can even get away from bedside!" is great. Unless before you get the requisite experience to get away from bedside you REALLY injure your already sensitive back.

I have three colleagues that are COMPLETELY DISABLED because of back issues exacerbated by nursing. And nursing is not doing anything good for my back. We won't get into my MANY colleagues that were forced to leave bedside nursing but are at least able to work. My one colleague is in pain 24 hours/day. Can barely get out of bed some days. Her life (not work life, LIFE in general) is severely limited by relentless pain.

You need to seriously consider what you are putting at risk. Back problems are DISABLING. Not just a "My back is sore when I get up in the morning" or "My back hurts after a 12 hour shift." Disabling.

If you are already having back issues, nursing will NOT help them.

Specializes in Medical Surgical.

Just to give you some perspective I went to the ER recently due to a motor vehicle accident. Turns out I ruptured a bursa in my knee and so the doctor decides to treat me with antibiotics for cellulitis. Well after a week of taking the whole bottle my knee if\s still swollen, red, and painful. I decided to diagnose myself with bursitis instead of cellulitis (there was never a break in my skin) and give myself RICE therapy (rest, ice, compress, elevate) and what do you know? My knee if so much better. Even doctors are not always right. Get a second opinion. (and maybe a massage :) )

do you let people who have little or no significance in your life dissuade you from your dreams on a regular basis? If you're going to let one negative comment shatter your self-worth then nursing is going to be very hard for you.

See a doc to get into PT and get an opinion from someone who has spent time assessing you

While I wish I could be more encouraging, I must agree with wooh.

Before I was allowed into nursing school, I had to have a physical that included a 50lb dead lift from floor to bed. Additional questions in the physical were specifically geared at ruling out people who might become further injured if they became nurses.

Hospitals that I've worked at --even as a CNA-- also required lift tests to make sure I was physically able to do my job.

Look into your options, but understand that there are physical requirements to nursing that may make staying out of this profession the best thing for your quality of life. While it's tempting to listen to the "go you" cries of the pom-pom wielders, they don't have to live with the consequences of your sciatica. It's up to you if it's worth the risk to yourself, your coworkers and your patients.

Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

Get a real opinion first. I injured myself in 1979 lifting a patient. I had to have back surgery with plates and screws (which is what they did then) I was told it was a career ending injury. I have had an entire lifetime of pain in my back some days more that others.

I have worked at the bedside for 35 yearsin the Emergency room, cath lab and critical care....and did trauma flight. I lived on NSAIDS.

Your dream may have some rough patches....but I wouldn't say it's impossible....what a jerk that MD was to make that assumption.

Thank you all for your advice. It's a lot to think about. I appreciate everyone's view on this.

You should see an Ortho Doctor!

A compromise between the two schools of thought on this thread: If you are under the supervision of a caring and compassionate doctor, and take appropriate self care measures, you CAN be a nurse - as long as your MD thinks you can be safe. I have chronic back pain (among other issues), and have worked as a CNA and a nurse. My doctor knows what I do for a living. I work with a physical therapist and a personal trainer to build strength and prevent further injury. I ask for help when I need it. I try to use proper body mechanics. I have regular massages and other bodywork done. I have not had a work-related injury in years. Yes, work occasionally exacerbates my issue, and I listen to my body and know when I need to rest.

This is a case-by-case sort of thing. Nursing is not a profession closed off to people with physical or some mental disabilities, it depends on your individual case.

Specializes in ICU.

I have severe fibro and sciatica. I started schooling for nursing 15 years ago and my family doc at the time told me I would never be able to do it. It totally brought me down. 15 years later I started my prereqs again and just had my physical with my family doc. Different one than 15 years ago. He was happy for me and told me I would make an excellent nurse. My pain levels are under control and I feel better now than I did 15 years ago. You need to see a doc and manage the condition.

Specializes in orthopedic/trauma, Informatics, diabetes.

I have broken both ankles, a tendon tear in my left foot and cut the tendon on the front of my right shin. Arthroscopic sx on R shoulder for a bone spur. I have suffered from sciatica off an on for years. I am almost 50 years old and have a been a nurse for 2 years. On an orthopedic floor. I found that PT, ice, ibuprofen, and the right chiropractor have kept me functional for years. I have had no steroids injected in my back and x-rays come back clean. It is possible to live with episodes of sciatica, you just have to find what is right for you. If you want to be a nurse, be a nurse. Sciatica is going to affect anything you do, might as well do what you want.

maybe he said hang up your dreams because you said LPN, and he doesn't think there is much of a future as an LPN?

NowomanNoCry is right!! You go for it!! The stuff LPN's learn in their training is PRICELESS!! I once heard a male RN say to a student "Don't go for LPN you will be stuck - go for RN" Annoying. Then I heard a DR. say "RN's are the real nurses!" No, LPN's AND Rn's are the REAL nurses! Again annoying. People like these and that Dr you saw have NO IDEA what an LPN know, does and just how vital we are to the health team.

You go for it! If it really want it you want you won't regret it!

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