nursing career without touching people

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I am about to graduate with my BSN and I absolutely do not want to be a nurse that has patient contact. My second semester of nursing school I had an exposure at clinical and I have since been diagnosed with PTSD and OCD. I have been taking medication and I am currently going to therapy but I am absolutely terrified of anything relating touching people of any nursing tasks. I was wondering what I can do with my degree that would not entail touching people (preferably office work) with no experience. Thank you so much

Considering the OP just registered this month and this is their first post....I'm thinking it's a troll trying to get attention and responses.

The topic is so ridiculous and hardly believable.

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Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
maybe you can try psych nursing for a little while? while i cant guarantee you wont touch someone.. there's generally a lot less bodily fluids and infectious diseases going on... im not sure what kind of exposure you had, so i dont know if thats out of the question, but like others said, your chances are slim to none with getting a nursing job and not touching people at all.. maybe try a doctors office as well? you touch people but not to the extent of working as a floor nurse in a hospital.. good luck, hope you find what youre looking for.

Having worked in psych for several years, I can tell you what you posted just isn't true. Lots of hands-on getting people into seclusion/restraints, lots of injections and people in psych still get sick.

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I'm just curious as to why you are doing nursing?

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Specializes in ICU, medsurg/tele.

legal nurse consultant? not sure what experience is needed.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, DSU, Ortho, Onc, Psych.

From reading your post, you are dealing with a lot of stressful psych issues all at once.

Can you take some time off to put your fears into a better perspective? Go on a holiday, spend time with family, ie: touching other people, to get you back into the swing of things?

Realistically, if you don't deal with your fears upfront, you will never work again in any job and nursing will be just too stressful for you on an ongoing basis. In any job you usually have to touch and/or interact with people on some level.

It is better for you to go on in nursing if that is what you really, truly want to do, than just give up. You are stronger than that, and you can beat and/or live with your fears. The fact that you acknowledge this and are on medication is great. But you do need some sort of break from the job, just to get back into a normal life routine, where touching people and exposing yourself to others, won't be so stressful. See your uni/college counsellor or head of school to discuss taking a leave of absence till you can get better.

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Specializes in Long term care, Rehab/Addiction/Recovery.

All I can say I have true empathy for you whatever you experienced..that you now find yourself with this dual diagnosis. Are you in Treatment?/Therapy? Taking meds for your disorder(s)? There is help. You can find your career in Nursing. You can even make this "work" for you. Mite help you find your career path. Have you considered helping others who mite b suffering such as yourself? Don't dwell on the physical Touching right now. Get yourself help, and you will be able to really "Touch" someone. I wish you all the best.

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Specializes in Leadership, Psych, HomeCare, Amb. Care.
Having worked in psych for several years, I can tell you what you posted just isn't true. Lots of hands-on getting people into seclusion/restraints, lots of injections and people in psych still get sick.

Correct.

While you don't touch every patient to the extent of medical patients, every person needs VS checked a few times per day, and when hands on intervention is needed, its needed.

It might be helpful if the OP defined the limits of "not touching." Does it apply to patients with wounds, blood, stool, fluids; or is an absolute to all patients, even if up & dressed?

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Specializes in Critical Care, Clinical Documentation Specialist.

I guess I'm just not empathetic enough because all I can think of is "SERIOUSLY?!" The OP should have put in a change of major form before her third semester.

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Shenanigans. I'm going to be a dentist, but I'm phobic of teeth. ;)

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Need further school but nursing home administrator?

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Specializes in PICU, ICU, Hospice, Mgmt, DON.
Need further school but nursing home administrator?

Good one, but ususally requires a Master's in Health Administration..or at least a Bachelors...and then Licensure exams....internship with an Administrator (usually 1 year)..however, the big chains, like Kindred used to offer what was called an AIT program where they would pay a candidate (not a large salary) while they put them thru a training program, a friend of mine from graduate school did this (back in the early 90's)...it's worth looking into for the OP.

I don't know if they still offer this with the economy the way it is...I was to begin the program in 2001 but unfortunatley could not due to a death in the family~and then went into a different area of nursing..but it's worth pursuing.

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If those jobs exists, you're probably going to be competing with nurses who have experience. =S

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