A tiny nurse

well i join ya in being small......standing only 5 feet 2 and myself. you will LEARN it's not the height/weight of the nurse, but proper use of body mechanics (and assistance) that will help you do your job. I am routinely involved in lifting/moving patients exceeding 200lb ...all the time. You have to know HOW to do it...not just when. You will learn if you become a nurse. There is a RIGHT way to move people and many places now have a "no lift" policy in place, using DEVICES to do the work while you manage the mechanics. YOU WILL LEARN...don't worry. Lifting/moving is only PART of our job as nurses. Best wishes to you!

Welcome from a 30 year veteran nurse who is 5' 1".

Learn and practice everything you are taught in the safe lifting and moving, body mechanics class. Talk with rehabilitation RNs - they know more than average about lifting and moving.

But let's all think of the UK where nurses no longer lift any patient - I've not worked that system as I moved to the USA before that policy was introduced, but if you post on the UK nurses forum (here) you might get a lot more information.

I'm 5'2" and haven't had any problems lifting. My biggest problem is attempting to ambulate that fellow who demands to get up right now, is 6'5", 250#, and completely unsteady on his feet. It's a balance thing for me. The only thing I have found to help that is asking for a second person on the other side.

Good luck, plus that activity is a good habit to get into. It will help reduce stress.

Hi

Thru the years I have worked with many very small nurses who did just fine. Proper Body Mechanics is the key.

We learned this in the very first weeks of nursing school & it is something you need to use all the time. This is your protection from injury.

As far as height goes, I once worked with a nurse who was under 5 ft. & she just made sure she had a step stool around for reaching things on top shelves.

Good Luck to you!

This isn't really revervant but you Im 5ft 1. And you know if you do m&h things with some really tall person, do you adjust the bed to your height or theirs? Im guessing theirs?

It is brain strength you need the most. There are other people and even machines to help with lifting, etc. You will do fine.

DITTO , nursemary9!!!

:kiss: Now I feel one member of this nurse family.

You are my sister, brother, uncle, aunt .....

Yeah! There is no hard thing if I use my weak point with wisdom.

Maybe that makes me much powerful person...

I will continue to post my thoughts to share with you..

I work with several physicians & nurses who are less than 5' tall. They are mightly mouses in my book, always trying to reach the stuff on the top shelves, & care for these really large people, but ya knkow we don't care for people alone. Use the team! I am 5'5" & I still can't reach stuff & I can't handle really large people by myself & ain't gonna do it!! I call in the "team" to give a hand!!!! keep up the exercise, it'll pay off in the long run! :chuckle

Five foot two also. Never been a problem for me.

I was a farrier ( horseshoer) for 15 years prior to nursing.

Height really dosen't matter in a lot of professions.

The horses were more comfortable holding their feet up at my height than the tall men...I could take my time and do it right as opposed to quick and let em put their foot down.

Shorter people are perceived as less aggressive so maybe we do better resolving patient or family issues. We look like we are not gonna hurt them.

I do know from some management training in my earlier years with the cooperative extension service that height is something that will get you a management position over smarts.

Must be a very basic endocrine assumption.

I chuckled after reading this because ALL of my nursing instructors are under 5'2" and 6 of the 40 students are under 5'1", myself included! And at our clinical rotations now, at least 1/2 the staff is under 5'2". So I would not worry about any disadvantages...the only I have run into is being able to move a larger patient. Because of my low center of gravity, it's difficult to move around a larger patient if I have to lift my arms above waist level. And also, reaching some of the supplies off the top shelves!!!