Any working nurses with BKA out there?

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My best friend and coworker has Charcot foot and it got to be so deformed and painful that there was nothing else the doctors could do. Today she is having surgery for a below the knee amputation. Previously she worked while wearing an air cast.

We are both new nurses and just started our careers in February. Her desire is to resume nursing after PT and being fitted with a prosthetic. We were both wondering how feasible this is and if there was others out there who have been able to do this. She is a floor nurse on a orthopedic unit.

Thanks for any replies...

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Specializes in Care Coordination, MDS, med-surg, Peds.

I am sorry for what your friend is going thru. This is an incrediby hard time for her. I am not sure if beside/floor nursing will be an option. NOT imposible, but may prove to be too hard, I don't know. There are other types of nursing she might look into that is less running around and standing, such as Home health, hospice, MDS/utlization review, and I know I am leaving some things out, brain dead today. I wish her all the best and hope she heals soon!

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Specializes in pediatrics; PICU; NICU.

I had an instructor in nursing school (1977) who had bilateral BKA & used prostheses. She had both legs amputated as a child, went through nursing school in the early 1960's, & worked ortho for many years. It can be done but

probably won't be easy.

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Thanks for your replies! I think it would be too hard for her to go back to floor nursing but I'm hoping that she can find something better suited with her new disability. Thanks for the suggestions...I will definitely share them with her. She's still in the hospital and will be transferred to a skilled unit soon. She's got a long road ahead of her before she can go back to work.

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