Apparently, bedside nursing is ruining my body.

[quazar]

I have had some what I thought was soft tissue inflammation in a part of my body (won't specify where, as I have mentioned the pain at work and don't want to identify myself) for the better part of a year now. I tried to manage it myself with ice, NSAIDs, stretching, exercises, and splinting, but the pain has gotten worse. It reached a head earlier this week and I finally decided to seek treatment.

What the doctor told me was that I apparently have severe nerve damage and tendon inflammation as a direct result of what I do at work every day. I may need corrective surgery but there is more testing to be done yet to determine that. I have no curve in my upper spine because I have so much tension in my shoulders and neck. There was no specific one time incident that "caused" this, it's just the result of being a nurse in an area of nursing that requires heavy lifting and heavy work for 20 years, so it's not a worker's comp type issue.

She said I need to leave bedside nursing. I have no idea what I'm going to do, as my childcare situation makes it so that I cannot work a typical 9-5 office job. I would need summers off, because the cost of care for my special needs child is prohibitive, not to mention it is extremely hard to find a trusted caregiver for a special needs child. I can't go into teaching because I don't have a master's degree, and to be bluntly honest I have zero desire to get one. I hate school, and I only have my BSN because going to college was basically a requirement in my family. I am a terrible student when it comes to discipline, and made good grades in undergrad only because I was interested in the material. I never studied. Never.

I don't know what to do. I have only ever worked maternal-child nursing, so my skill set is very specific, so I am only an asset to a very narrow patient population. I have looked for a telecommuting utilization review position, but haven't found any.

Suggestions?

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

What about school nursing? It would pretty much put you on the same schedule as your children, plus give you summers off.

[quazar]

What about school nursing? It would pretty much put you on the same schedule as your children, plus give you summers off.

I actually put in an application for that about a year ago, but turned down the interview for the dumbest reason: I have a HUGE head lice phobia. Also, a friend of mine put me in touch with her relative who is a school nurse, and she really kinda scared me with horror stories about terrible parents and mountains of paperwork. I know, I know....illogical. I should probably do some reading in the school nursing forum for a while and maybe reconsider it.

[hppygr8ful, ASN, RN, EMT-I]

Since your background is Maternal Child Nursing could you make a lateral move to nursery or even couplet care? I did LDRP for 2 years and don't remember it being a super heavy lifting job as the patients were primarily young and healthy. You migh also consider going into psych which is where I am now - almost no lifting at all.

Hppy

[quazar]

Since your background is Maternal Child Nursing could you make a lateral move to nursery or even couplet care? I did LDRP for 2 years and don't remember it being a super heavy lifting job as the patients were primarily young and healthy. You migh also consider going into psych which is where I am now - almost no lifting at all.

Hppy

I sent my manager an email about a month ago asking to cross train to nursery and postpartum at my current hospital (of course I'm already trained I just need to know their routines). She emailed me back that they didn't have any staffing needs at the time so it was a no go. I hate this, you all keep coming up with good ideas and I keep shooting them down. I can't stand people who do that. >

As for psych, um......well. That's an interesting prospect. I'll peruse the psych nursing forum.

[hppygr8ful, ASN, RN, EMT-I]

I sent my manager an email about a month ago asking to cross train to nursery and postpartum at my current hospital (of course I'm already trained I just need to know their routines). She emailed me back that they didn't have any staffing needs at the time so it was a no go. I hate this, you all keep coming up with good ideas and I keep shooting them down. I can't stand people who do that. >

As for psych, um......well. That's an interesting prospect. I'll peruse the psych nursing forum.

If I were you I would look nursery jobs elsewhere _ as for psych It might be a good idea to shadow in a psych facility - I love it but it's not for everybody. Still I have done psych for the better part of my career and it has been a specialty that has served me well.

Hppy

[AJJKRN]

Is lactation consultant possible? I would be curious about community health or case management with a focus on little ones, etc.

[quazar]

Is lactation consultant possible? I would be curious about community health or case management with a focus on little ones, etc.

There is a highly regarded lactation program here in my area, and the application process is open now. The tuition is the only factor. HOWEVER, it is affiliated with the institution that I work for, so I probably get a discount. I'm going to look into it.

[SmilingBluEyes]

Gosh I am so sorry. I second lactation, but be aware, you do have to bend and stoop to help new mamas feed babies...I wish you well.

[quazar]

Gosh I am so sorry. I second lactation, but be aware, you do have to bend and stoop to help new mamas feed babies...I wish you well.

At this point the pain is so bad it's beginning to affect simple things like driving. This has gotten ridiculous. I'm hoping and praying for a relatively easy fix like a steroid injection or PT, not surgery.

[hermioneRN]

If you need summers off, it does seem like school nursing might be your best bet. I assume that head lice is less prevalent in high school, so may that would be an option?

[quazar]

They are hiring for H.S. school nurses, so yes, that is an option.