Any Nurses recieving SSD/SSI

Nurses Disabilities

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Any Nurses recieving SSD/SSI?

Specializes in Perioperative.

Wouldn't that be considered discrimination?

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Specializes in icu-ccu-emerg.

Hi! I am new to this site. Have been a critical care R.N. for 30 years too young to retire, was very active, a good nurse but developed plantar fasciitis rt. foot while employed in an emergency room with horrific working conditions 2 years ago. Was treated poorly by the Hospital. It took months to get to where I could walk painfree again. The emergency dept. refused to accomodate me in the emerg (triage sit-down). This would have worked. After following unions advice and filing a grievance against the emerg for failure to accomodate a disabled worker the hospital set up a harrassment intimidation tactic on me 1 week prior to the arbitration date. They also forced me to undergo a very rigorous functional ability testing prior to shipping me out of emerg to another area which involved almost continuous standing and heavy lifting (Complex Care). The testing put me into a major flare-up. I am now unemployed waiting to see if U.I. will help me while waiting to see if the Hospital Insurance Carrier is going to at least approve disability. I have come across a few nurses who were exposed to similiar tactics by the hospital to get rid of them after they were injured. I live in Ontario Canada and am wondering if there are other nurses out there who have found themselves in similiar situations with their Hospital employer or whom have sustained a bad case of plantar fasciitis.:crying2:

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Specializes in IM/Critical Care/Cardiology.

tanya4me,

I was undiagnosed for 4 months with whooping cough. I worked all that time and then collapsed at work in respiratory distress. I had 3 hospitalizations, a 10 month bed rest, FMLA, short and long term disability. Never a work comp claim filed ( I took care of a

So now I sit and wonder what menial little job can I do to make my $900 a month and not lose my SSDI and what if my lungs can't handle it?

I think maybe it depends on the management in a place as to how one gets a fair chance of starting over differently then the previous job. I wish I was still working my old job despite the fact I got sick there. I had 30 years of nursing in too.

I struggle every day with depression and guilt, sometimes anger, all I want to know now is what am I supposed to do.........yikes!:banghead:

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Specializes in icu-ccu-emerg.

Sharon: Thanks for sharing your story. It sounds like your illness was a work related issue as well. I did work in the U.S. for 12 years as an R.N.but never had any personal experience with disability or workmen's comp. So far here in Ontario I haven't gotton anywhere. I certainly feel your pain as depression, and anger sometimes get the better part of me as well. At 52 I don't know what I am going to do either. My sick bank was depleted and thus far I have not received any form of income and struggle with pain every time I take a step so I can't work. I would love to conduct a survey to see how many nurses whom have dedicated their lives to this profession have been treated ipoorly after being injured. I know of two cases from the hospital that I worked at but after being treated in what they called an "inhuman fashion" one chose to just walk away. She had 27 years full time with the institution. The other just got approved for a few months of disability but with a very difficult time. They are trying to get rid of her as well. A very good nurse just short of her retirement. Please keep in touch if you can. It helps to know that one is not alone facing these types of predicaments. Sandy

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Specializes in icu, er, transplant, case management, ps.
Wouldn't that be considered discrimination?

I am assuming your question is directed at me. Potential employers are very smart when it comes to turning down a known disabled potential employee. I first tried to return after being out eight years. I couldn't use the excuse of raising a child, I was too old. I had taken some graduate level nursing course during my active disability time and used that to explain my not working. But I did have to let them know about my physical limitations. It is very easy for a potential employer to turn you down for a position by saying your limitations restrict you from performing the required work. And if you do not share, at that time, you can get hurt and find yourself not being covered by their workers comp. Even when I applied for positions I was physically capable of doing, they 'promoted' someone internally. It is extremely difficult to prove that one has been turned down because of a disability. Unless your disability is great and the job does not demand too much physically, you will be turned down. And unable to prove you have been discriminated against.

Woody:twocents:

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Opinions are like butts, everyone has one!

I quit my job of 27 years in 2005, I had been working 12 hours a day, 3 or 4 days a week for 10 years. We were 'glorified CNA's' at the end. We did vitals, passed trays, fed patients, medications, bath and beds, doctors orders, charting, and was expected to be through by 7:15 when the other shift took over.

My amputation was not an issue, pulling on (many times) obese people was. My accident in 1966 did not bother me until I turned 33, when I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis. I also have three bulging disks in my neck from same accident many years ago. I am constantly in pain 24/7 and make no bones about hiding it (just the facts) but I keep trying to work some anyway.

Remember I am just telling you what I was told by Social Security. I stayed home for three years after I started my SSD. I was talking to some people who were also drawing a check. They were working 'part-time' up to but not over $900. a month in my state. I called SS and asked. I am not working a trial period, my year at the NH has come and gone. I have two more checks from them yet, and am starting a new job at a HH agency this week. I tried to go the 'trial period' thing, many phone calls and dead ends made me give up that route and set out on my own to find info, and I did.

I was told that I could make no more than $900. a month. Not for nine months, but forever! I am six years from my normal retirement age and hope to be able to work that long and beyond if my health holds up.

How do you decide how many hours/days you can work? After I found out how much I would make per hour, I multiplied that x 9 instead of 8 (allowance for shift changes, reports, unexpected occurrences) and divided that into $900. That tells you the number of days you can work. I worked 6 days a month at the NH and was under my allowance. At the HH they offered me $2.00 an hour more so I had to adjust my hours. It works out to 4 days with the option to pick up a day or two if they need me or I choose to.

I would rather be under the amount than over. I have a doctor who needs me to help him in his office sometimes, and this leaves me enough space in my allowance to help him out.

My best advise to anyone is call your local SS office and ask. They are super here in Tn. and helpful every time I call them or visit. I am not able to work full time, I cannot live on $900. a month, so instead of being afraid to work or depend on hearsay I went directly to the source. I will start drawing my retirement from my former employer, I asked if it would be counted and she said no. Trust me, they are not there to trick you, but to help in any way they can. Don't be afraid to ask, don't listen to others (who may not know the facts), get on the SS website, there is a lot of info there.

I will be near my normal retirement age by the time they re-access me to see if I am able to work full time. By then I will be (hopefully) almost ready to quit permanently anyway.Good luck to you and anyone else who is on SSD, I don't know anything about SSI, but then you need to ask the SS people.

Another thing, there are plenty of places that need nurses, full time, part time and PRN. I am sure if you start and don't like it where you are, someone somewhere can tell you about another job. Nurses can always find a job, basically they all have problems, but work=money and one day a week won't kill me (I hope.)

God Bless

:twocents::nurse:

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Specializes in Geriatrics.

Hi. I receive SSDI and I do work; I can work up to 5 days/mo. as an RN with what I get hourly or 2 days/mo. as an RN and then 1 day a week as a pharmacy tech if I get the hourly wage there (which is less of course). I can make up to $940/mo. before they will cut me off. My disability is bipolar disorder and yes, I do tell my employers why I'm on SSDI. The main reason I disclose it is to make sure they don't add days to me or try to call me in...especially for day shift which I simply cannot do with the sleep meds I'm on. Evenings and night shifts are do-able but I simply cannot do days. I've only had one boss in the past 4 years or so who wouldn't work with me on this. As a result of her insisting I work days, I had to quit and now I'm getting ready to start one weekend a month as an RN supervisor on evenings/nights. I've also applied to Walgreen's hopefully to work one night a week as a pharmacy tech.

Now, my long-term goal is to get my BSN, MSN, and either teach, or be an NP. Of course, that will more than likely cause me to lose my SSDI. But I've been stable/in remission with the meds I was prescribed back in 2004. I've been stable long enough that I want to try to get back on track. My SSDI is only $864/mo. and my 2 sons get a total of $528/mo. Right now my SSDI pays my mortgage payment, but that is it. I occasionally borrow from my son's accounts for household bills. My hubby is a truck driver but never makes the same amount every week (he only gets paid by the mile). So I really want to go back to work...if I choose to teach or be an NP, either one of those jobs would probably allow me to work flex hours and hopefully not a lot of day shifts. I mean teaching an afternoon or evening class would be okay and working afternoons and evenings at a clinic as an NP would be okay.

So that is my story.

Blessings, Michelle

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Specializes in behavioral health.

agw505,

What were the problems with the trial period? I am planning on using my nine months when I return to work. My plan is to take refresher course, as I have been out of nursing for four years. After my refresher course, I plan on finding agency/HH work. I am only looking into PT work, and that will be forever. Meaning I will never work FT, as long as I am working, hopefully until the age of 65. However, being realistic, I realize that I may have exacerbations of illness along the way. And, when and if that happens, I will deal with it. Meanwhile, I need to pay more into my social security,as of now it is a poverty wage to me. I only get $600 from SSDI, but I have supplement disability insurance to make ends meet for now. And, that disability only lasts until I am age 65. Now, I am 51, so I have some years to put in before I am ready to retire. However, once I am working I will forfeit my other disability insurance after one year. But, I figured that I will be okay, as long I can manage to work PT. If, I have to go back on SSDI it will be a poverty income for me.

My husband has been working at a job that is "under the table" for the past year. I have been screaming for him to get a job where he is paying his taxes, or he will not be able to retire at 62. And, that is another argument that we have. I told him to wait until 65 to collect, as he still will continue to work. But, he says that he may not live that long. He is going to be 60 in a few months. He is a horse groomer, and his pay varies weekly depending on how many he horses he has in his stall.

Okay, I have gotten a little long winded here. My question again is, what were the problems with the trial work period?

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Specializes in Perioperative.
I am assuming your question is directed at me. Potential employers are very smart when it comes to turning down a known disabled potential employee. I first tried to return after being out eight years. I couldn't use the excuse of raising a child, I was too old. I had taken some graduate level nursing course during my active disability time and used that to explain my not working. But I did have to let them know about my physical limitations. It is very easy for a potential employer to turn you down for a position by saying your limitations restrict you from performing the required work. And if you do not share, at that time, you can get hurt and find yourself not being covered by their workers comp. Even when I applied for positions I was physically capable of doing, they 'promoted' someone internally. It is extremely difficult to prove that one has been turned down because of a disability. Unless your disability is great and the job does not demand too much physically, you will be turned down. And unable to prove you have been discriminated against.

Woody:twocents:

That just sucks!:banghead:

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I have been on SSDI since 2001, backdated to 1999 originally for a spinal injury after a patient attack in the NH. Since then I have been diagnosed several autoimmune diseases, which have disabled me as well.

As someone previously stated the best advice I can give you is to go in person to the SS office and ask your questions. Always get the name of who you spoke to and if possible get everything in writing, or in print. I have a large overpayment which I have to pay back, because I was not given the correct information on the phone.

You can have a nine month trial work period yes that's true. HOWEVER what they don't stress to you is that it is not nine consecutive months. It is ANY work done in a nine month period over five years. I worked from late 2001 through 2004, but I never worked 9 months consecutively for any one employer. I had been led to believe that if I wasn't able to work for a full 9 month period it was OK that the trial work period would start again if I went back to work again. Did I misinterpret...?? Maybe. However I am seeing just in the posts on this subject how some people have been told they can make $940 a month and still receive their benefits (which is in print in SS's publication, but others, including myself have been told they can make only $900.

Then there are the things SS doesn't tell you. Like after you do your 9 month trial and you are still on SS after that. If you work and make $900-940 how they will then turn around and tell you that you're not disabled anymore that if you can work and make that you don't need SS. I've seen this happen to too many people I know personally and even more I've met online.

I have also learned that what you are allowed to earn also depends on where you are on their "scale" if you will. There are those who are classified as disabled but expected to improve, those who are disabled but who it is possible to improve and those who are disabled but not expected to improve and those who are disabled permanently. My friend who is permanently disabled has an annual limit as to what she can earn just as if she were retired. As of today I am still in the not expected to improve/waiting to hear from my last review before being deemed permanently disabled I am still at the $900/month limit.

I hope this sheds some light on the subject for those who needed it. Trust me you don't ever want to owe them money LOL!!!:no:

Jinny D.:nurse:

Port St Lucie FL

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During the time I was working during my trial period I never disclosed my disability until after I was hired.

I know there are ADA laws in effect but they are at least in my area extremely difficult to enforce. I too have been the victim several times of retaliation so bad that the stress only exacerbated my condition and made me worse. There were times that I so feared for my license that I left because I was afraid that would make false complaints to the Nursing Board, after all it was my word against theirs. You would think that in the field we are in that people would have more understanding, but I have learned it is exactly the opposite.

Jinny:nurse::twocents:

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Specializes in behavioral health.

I was told by SSDI employee that I would have a trial period of nine months. They do not have to be in nine consecutive months. I know that I will be making over the $940 limit and forfeit the cash benefits. However, I would still be eligible for medicare for 8 1/2 yrs. if I did not have medical benefits. Of course, I would still have to pay the premium as I do now for medicare. And, if memory serves me correct if I become "disabled" again within a three (or 5?) yr. period, I would not have to apply again. I could notify them of exacerbation of illness. (Of course, with drs. verification)

My plan is to get back into nursing PT, per diem and not worry about medical insurance for 8 1/2 yrs., as I would still qualify for medical benefits, but not cash. Then by that timeframe, I hopefully will have medical insurance for PT job.

When did they start this nine month trial period. I know back in 1998 I notified SS of my return to work and still received checks for sometime. Of course, I had to pay them back for overpayment. But, I don't believe they had the trial period in effect back then.

Anyway, this is what I understood from talking to Benefits consultant.

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