Any Suggestions?

[NYnurseatheart]

I had posted this under a different forum, but am not sure where it should be posted.

Hi all,

I am new here, and have looked around the forum (which is awesome from what I have seen so far) and thought I might ask here for some advice. Here is my story:

I have been a nurse for 14 years. Last October I had been working in an inpatient Adolescent Psychiatric unit (had transfered there from ICU almost 2 years before) when I decided I wanted to get back into bedside care, and took a position in another hospital (one I had worked at and trained at as a student nurse) in the ER. In February I injured my right (dominant) shoulder. I don't know how many nurses here are familiar with Workers Compensation - but let me just say that in NY, it is not the greatest system. At the time I was injured, the highest amount WC would pay is 400.00 a week. It took almost 3 months to get a simple MRI approved (finally deemed necessary because I wasn't getting better), then another month and a half to get surgery approved. I had surgery (arthroscopic) in the middle of June, and then went back to work with no restrictions at the beginning of August. My surgeon had simply said it was my choice, and to use common sense. Well I was only back for two weeks when my shoulder started hurting again. I went back to the doctor - who advised me I could go back out and resume PT more vigorously, or continue working, but not the 12 hour shifts I had been working. I chose to stay at work (stupid me) because after being on WC for 5 months, my savings was gone and making less than half my previous salery was ruining us financially.

To make a long story short, I strained my shoulder again - and was taken off work for a week, then today I went back with restrictions - to work "light duty" and only a few hours a day (maybe 4 hours a day, M-F). I have to go see the doctor again this week, and my shoulder is still bothering me, though granted, not as much while on the light duty. I think that I have to change to a different position, but am not sure where to even look. I could try talking to human resources, but apparently my boss is ticked at me because I came back and then 3 weeks later left again, and now can only do restricted duty. Human resources had been good to me (working with me to pay my premiums to maintain my family's health insurance - was coming out of the light duty check - which was sporadic throughout the 5 month ordeal). Now they are less than cordial to me. When I brought the last work restriction note from my doctor (one employed by the hospital), they were quite rude. I have not talked with the nurse recruiter, but I am not sure if they have anything available anyhow. I do not want to go back to med/surg or telemetry. I know I can't go back to ICU - because that is just as physically demanding (for the most part) as ER. I have almost exclusively worked in a hospital setting - either as a traveler or a staff nurse. I had planned on going back to get my BSN (my youngest child is finally in full time school), but right now that is not feasable.

What do I tell people I interview for about why I am leaving? I really like ER work, but have finally decided that I have to look out for myself. I don't want to reinjure my shoulder, nor cause permanent damage. The doctor says it often takes a year or more to fully heal. I have worked in home health for a short while - but don't know if that is something I should look into or not. Does anyone here have any suggestions? I am not sure if anyone will take a chance on me, if I tell them that I need to leave ER nursing to let my shoulder heal.

Thanks for reading, and I hope to hear from others who might have had similar experiences - or have any ideas for me.

NY Nurse

[NYnurseatheart]

Hello,

I guess I had hoped that there might be some nurses here who have been hurt at work (I know that the most common injury is to our backs), but maybe I am just posting in the wrong spot. Has nobody here, ever been in this type of situation? I am not sure where to turn. The nurse recruiter and I (at my hospital) have never had much of a good rapport (in spite of that, when I was offered the ER position, I was also offered two other positions at the hospital). I do have a fairly good rapport with my ER director, but am really afraid to say much of anything, other than tell him how my progress is in physical therapy. I am pretty sure that the light duty work is only good for 3 months (and if unable to return to full time, or at least part time with no restrictions), then I am sure I will be out of a job. What would any of you do in my situation? Would you lay your cards out on the table to your boss (that I am not sure I should go back to ER nursing for a while, just to prevent re-injury, and would love to come back in a year or so. Then go to the HR person to see if anything else is available that I am qualified for? Do I talk with the HR recruiter first?

Anyhow, as you can tell, I really wish I knew how someone else would handle this situation. Thanks to those who have read this far, and a special thankyou to anyone who responds.

NY Nurseatheart

[deeDawntee, RN]

I'm soooo sorry that all of this is happening to you. It sounds like such a brutal ordeal to live through. I haven't had experience with injury but have had some health issues related to migraines which kept me out of work quite a bit. It is very frightening, that is for certain.

Can you go back to a psych nurse position? I know that can get physical if you have an aggressive patient, but you shouldn't have to worry about the day in and day out grind on your body as much. How about an administrative position, like a house supervisor, they love to have ICU experienced nurses--and with your broad background you would be a great sup.

I am sure you will get more responses as people start surfing tonight. Good luck and I wish you the very best.

:icon_hug:

[NYnurseatheart]

Thanks for responding deeDawntee. Sadly enough, there recently was a posting on the psych unit I used to work at. I am still perdiem there, and will talk with the unit director and manager. I am not sure if they would take me back - because they know that my heart isn't really in psych any more. I don't mind psych, but really wanted to be back in the medical aspect of nursing. I never felt like a nurse in the psych unit - lol. I was the one that was always floated to the ICU and ER when census was low...

I can ask. They are willing to give me perdiem hours, but I can't exist on perdiem. I am the major financial contributor in my family (and with four kids, it is no picnic). Stress is a dirty four letter word in my book anymore.

I did go to the unemployment office and they practically laughed at me. They know that I should have no trouble getting a job as a nurse, but do say that I should talk to a counselor about my unique circumstances to see what I might want to say to prospective employers.

Anyhow, thanks for the response.

NY Nurse at Heart

[leslie :-D]

what about doing triage?

and, you can try posting in the disabilities forum and see if there are other suggestions?

wishing you the very best.

leslie

[EmmaG, RN]

You might want to consider filing FMLA too, to protect your job.

Under FMLA, you must be allowed up to 12 weeks of leave per year; you don't have to take it all at once. You can take a day here or there, or even reduce your hours worked per day.

The FMLA has altered an employee's rights to return to work on a restricted basis following a work-related injury.

Since the FMLA provides for an intermittent leave of absence, an employee who is able to return to work for only six hours a day as opposed to eight hours a day would be able to treat the remaining two hours as a leave of absence. Thus an employee would be able to work an entire year at only six hours a day and take the rest of the time against his elected medical leave of absence under the FMLA.

Since the FMLA prohibits the employer from taking any adverse action against an employee for exercising their rights under the FMLA, the employer would not be able to take into account the employee's restricted work schedule in evaluating that employee at the end of the year.

If the employer refuses to accommodate that restricted work level, it may face liability both under the FMLA and under the ADA for failure to provide reasonable accommodation to the disabled individual.

It might be worth your while to speak to a lawyer who specializes in WC, FMLA, employment law, etc. Most will give you a free initial consultation.

[loricatus]

I am so sorry that you have to go through this. The suggestion from earle58 seems good (triage). I know of a nurse with a permanent back injury being given position that facilitates transfers from the ED to the floor-admission paperwork, contacting bed board, assessing patients for suitability for alternate floors or the halls, arranging for the transports to the floors, accompanies the monitored transports... Also, many hospitals have admission nurses that just do the admission paperwork-floor nurses love them because of the time saved once the patient arrives on their unit.

At what point are you eligibly for short-term versus long term disability? The hospital's change in attitude may be related to having to provide disability benefits for you for an indefinite period of time. You also might want to consider getting a workman's comp lawyer to try and obtain some sort of settlement-as this appears to be a permanent condition. The NY workman's comp lawyer's only get paid from what a judge decides & not directly from your pocket (at least that was the way it was 15 years ago); and, you stand a better chance of not having this drag on indefinitely with a lawyer representing you before the board (of workman's comp).

The one good thing from this is that you are getting to see how your employer views your dedication and prior service. Look out for yourself and protect your rights. Start documenting everything; and, be very careful of them trying to fire you for a trumped up cause.

Best Wishes to you and Good Luck

[NYnurseatheart]

Hi all,

Thanks for responding. My current hospital has some "rule" that unless you have worked in the ER for a year (at their ER), you are not allowed to do Triage - I will not have been there for a year until October. This is what I suggested to my nurse manager, but I think he did not want to "bend" the rule for me.

Update to follow.

NY Nurse at Heart

[montieICURN]

Was your second injury also on the job? We had a nurse who was injured on the job and when she was ready to return to work her doc gave her a 20lb weight-lift restriction. The end of it was the hospital had to find her a job to fit the restriction. I don't know about the NY laws, but you should check into it. Good luck to you.

[NYnurseatheart]

Hi Montie,

Yes the re-injury was on the job - I think I simply was too anxious to work (or more accurately, anxious for a full paycheck), and if you have worked in the ER, you understand that no matter how much people tell you to simply ask for help, that they are no where to be found when you really need help. I saw the doctor yesterday who essentially is returning me to work with restrictions (no lifting over head - which makes it hard to hang IV's, or transport a patient to CT with a monitor, seeing as all the monitors are overhead).

Anyhow, I am doing light duty right now, but don't know how long this position will last (and it is only 4 hours a day, 4 days a week...). I guess my biggest concern is that I am afraid to try working without restrictions, that I might re-injure my shoulder again. The surgery was no picnic the first time around, I certainly don't want to have a second (especially as I am allergic to narcotics and can tell you that Toradol doesn't always cut it).

Thanks everyone.