Area of hospital - least patient lifting & moving?

suzanne4, RN · Feb 24, 2008

Bedside nursing care is going to require some lifting and moving, even the Nursery ICU involves quite a bit of lifting. Babies are transported for procedures in their isolettes and those weigh well over a 100# plus. And their nurse transports them. They are on wheels, but they do involve pushing and pulling, especially with elevator movement.

PICU and you can get patients that are 6'4" and are football player size, so not just little kids.

You may first wish to check with your physician and see what type of weight restrictions that they are going to recommend for you, etc. Most hospitals have clinic type settings, but they usually require some type of in-patient hospital experience first. Out-patient surgery does not require as much physical moving of patients, but it does require being able to easily push a stretcher.

Best of luck to you.

SteveNNP, MSN, NP · Feb 24, 2008

Maybe IV team would work for you, if you are skilled in that area...

VegRN · Feb 24, 2008

How about psych? Based on my work experience, this seems to have the least amount of lifting.

pagandeva2000, LPN · Feb 24, 2008

I was going to mention clinic; psych is a wonderful idea. In my area, they don't care if a new grad has no experience, they have taken them in our clinics. It may not be beneficial for a new grad that really wants bedside experience, though.

ExCorporateRN · Feb 24, 2008

Bedside nursing care is going to require some lifting and moving, even the Nursery ICU involves quite a bit of lifting. Babies are transported for procedures in their isolettes and those weigh well over a 100# plus. And their nurse transports them. They are on wheels, but they do involve pushing and pulling, especially with elevator movement.
PICU and you can get patients that are 6'4" and are football player size, so not just little kids.
You may first wish to check with your physician and see what type of weight restrictions that they are going to recommend for you, etc. Most hospitals have clinic type settings, but they usually require some type of in-patient hospital experience first. Out-patient surgery does not require as much physical moving of patients, but it does require being able to easily push a stretcher.
Best of luck to you.

Thanks Suzanne!

How is L & D?

I am ok with pushing equipment. My biggest concern is providing assistance with bedside toileting.

I had x-rays and the doctor said I had soft tissue damage. So, it is hard for a doctor to gauge and usually he said I need to be familar with my own limits.

wjf00 · Feb 24, 2008

Advice nurses don't have to lift. Several nurses with chronic conditions at our hospital have gone to the call center.

everthesame, LPN, LVN · Feb 24, 2008

In labor and delivery you often have to help a patient to the bathroom after delivery. These women may still be getting over the effects of an epidural or they are getting up for the first time in 12-24 hours and haven't had anything to eat beyond ice chips or popsicles in that time frame. My point is, these women can be at an increased risk for falling or fainting that first time up after delivery.

NICU at night tends to have less transporting of the babies and all of their equipment off the unit. If you don't have a problem with pulling and pushing equipment on wheels, NICU may be a good place for you. However, NICU is a very stressful place to work and you will see a lot of very sad outcomes. Some people are very good with those situations, some find it very difficult to deal with.

icyounurse, BSN, RN · Feb 24, 2008

Everyone here has some great suggestions. The first thing that came to my mind was surgical admitting/surgery holding. They are involved mainly in starting IV's, doing a ton of paperwork and making sure the chart is in order prior to surgery. Also, you could work in a doctor's office, or become a doctor's personal nurse and make rounds with him or her. And there are wound and ostomy nurses who are experts at dressings/ostomy appliance changes/wound care recomendations/ect, I don't think they do much lifting.Oh and case management is the last one I can think of. Good luck to you!!

nickola · Feb 24, 2008

Everyone here has some great suggestions. The first thing that came to my mind was surgical admitting/surgery holding. They are involved mainly in starting IV's, doing a ton of paperwork and making sure the chart is in order prior to surgery. Also, you could work in a doctor's office, or become a doctor's personal nurse and make rounds with him or her. And there are wound and ostomy nurses who are experts at dressings/ostomy appliance changes/wound care recomendations/ect, I don't think they do much lifting.Oh and case management is the last one I can think of. Good luck to you!!

If you're talking about ambulatory outpatient pre-op, that might be fine. Even then you have the heavy patients that take 2 or 3 to get onto the stretcher and out of w/c etc.- not to mention shaving/prepping a heavy leg prior to surgery. A Doctor's office maybe, case management or a call center nurse. It will be hard to get real solid clinical experience and never do any heavy work/lifting though. Even in psych. I have a good friend who ruined her back trying to help an out of control patient and 3 surgeries later is on permanent disability at 42! I would be 100% honest & upfront when you interview too. What about Diabetes Educator?? Good luck.

Justhere, BSN, RN · Feb 25, 2008

How about a well baby nursery. I don't have a good back and have had bilateral hernia surgery. So I work in our nursery. We have a few sick babies but any procedures that we do they come to us. If they need exstensive testing they are flown to our nearest Childrens hospital. So most of my lifting is when I am bathing them in our sinks. The bassinets are easy to push, and the biggest patient I have had so far is 14 lbs.