back injured RN with limited experience

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Specializes in ER, HH, CTICU, corrections, cardiology, hospice.

I'm an RN with one year ED and one perdiem experience. I was just about to give up nursing altogether and applied to the cticu. I got the job and loved it, I think i found my niche. The NM is first rate, my coworkers are the kind of nurses I aspire to be, the work is challenging. Then on 07/03-04 the shift started fine and by the end of the shift I could barely walk. I've been out since flat on my back. Nothing unusal happened that night that I can remember. I had a previous back injury when in NS WC paid. This may be an aggrivation of that injury, MRI on 08/03. then DR. appt on 05 for results. Here are my delemas. NM was cool for the first two weeks thenwhen she thought this might be protracted she told me i no longer had a job because I was still on probation (6 MONTHS at this hospital). I left with a good rep though. so if my back is cured soon I could probably get my job back. If my back is fubar, what can I do as a nurse? I have a BA in criminal justice (don't ask) And too many jobs to list. What now?

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Specializes in Maternal - Child Health.
I'm an RN with one year ED and one perdiem experience. I was just about to give up nursing altogether and applied to the cticu. I got the job and loved it, I think i found my niche. The NM is first rate, my coworkers are the kind of nurses I aspire to be, the work is challenging. Then on 07/03-04 the shift started fine and by the end of the shift I could barely walk. I've been out since flat on my back. Nothing unusal happened that night that I can remember. I had a previous back injury when in NS WC paid. This may be an aggrivation of that injury, MRI on 08/03. then DR. appt on 05 for results. Here are my delemas. NM was cool for the first two weeks thenwhen she thought this might be protracted she told me i no longer had a job because I was still on probation (6 MONTHS at this hospital). I left with a good rep though. so if my back is cured soon I could probably get my job back. If my back is fubar, what can I do as a nurse? I have a BA in criminal justice (don't ask) And too many jobs to list. What now?

Would you consider the NICU? A back injury in college led me there, and I love it!

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Specializes in ER, HH, CTICU, corrections, cardiology, hospice.
Would you consider the NICU? A back injury in college led me there, and I love it!

I applied for that at the same time as the cticu. They declined the interview. I have a theory but it sounds to paranoid to be plausable.

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Specializes in ORTHOPAEDICS-CERTIFIED SINCE 89.

Whoa! Depending on what state you may be a candidate for a second injury fund. You may want to get a legal opinion before you let them toss you away like that. WC recognises repetetive injury among nurses as a real thing.

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I, too, have a BS in criminal justice & have wondered since I have rheumatoid & psoriatic arthritis if maybe a future career in forensics might be interesting? There is also quite a bit of psych & soc in criminal justice so maybe a psych nurse? If you think of any ideas, please let me know as I'm going to have to do something else myself.

Best wishes!

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I, too, have a BS in criminal justice & have wondered since I have rheumatoid & psoriatic arthritis if maybe a future career in forensics might be interesting? There is also quite a bit of psych & soc in criminal justice so maybe a psych nurse? If you think of any ideas, please let me know as I'm going to have to do something else myself.

Best wishes!

I believe there are jobs in the nursing arena for everyone regardless of their injury and/or disability. I feel everyone should be able to find a position that will adapt to their disability/injury. If you cannot work the floor anymore, then an adminstration position could be an option and/or a nurse practitioner or a home care nurse. Therefore, one can find the appropriate position and do not give in to anything.

I would never give into my injury/disability at all. I would get up and find something for me in the nursing or the medical arena. If I could not find somerthing then I would create a position for myself. I am a fighter to the end and I will go down fighting for a position.

I know that might seem drastic in a way. However, it is not. As long I have the will and the mind than I can overcome the injury/disability. I have a back injury that I suffer a year ago. I was performing my job as a nurse when I recieved my injury. Dumb behind me, thought I had two other people and I trusted them. I picked up the individual from the floor and by myself....cause they let go. I pulled my back muscles, herinated disks in the cervical and lumbar spine and weakness in the left leg. I am no longer able to do the job requirement of a floor nurse and I have chosen to go into a different role in the medical field. I cannot afford to sit around and allow my mind go to waste and allow myself think about the incident that reply in my head each day. I can contribute in a different way than lifting and pulling or pushing a patient each day. I can use my skills in a different way and a safe way. Therefore, I have sat down and list the things I can do and found areas that I can do.

In conclusion, it is mind over body and a positive attitude that helps me to succeed in the job market. If I have to attend six colleges than I will to get the job I can do. I know my knowledge and skills are needed in the job force today. I am available to meet the challenge. I know some days are better than others, and I will be able to adapt to them. I can show others that a back injury will not leave me disabled and I can still work. Hey, if many other people who sustain a life long disability such as visual impaired or loss of a limb is adapting to the workforce than I can too. I am not saying that everyone gives up or does not use their strength in many ways to rejoin the workforce. I am saying just adapt to your disability/injury and learn new skills and knowledge for the job you wish to pursue, today. Heck, it is better than sitting around doing nothing and wasting away. I knew it was time for me to get off the floor and I was putting it off, then the injury happen and now I am force to pursue the dream job. I thought of this injury to be negative and then I saw the other side....it help me to get off the floor and stop the physicial labor I was doing each day and night. Therefore, it happen and I am moving ahead with my next phase in my life and becoming a NP or a PA.

Sorry for being winded and jumping off the soap box.

Have a great day and evening,

Buttons

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Specializes in Hospice / Home Health.
If you cannot work the floor anymore, then an adminstration position could be an option and/or a nurse practitioner or a home care nurse. Therefore, one can find the appropriate position and do not give in to anything.

I can no longer do patient care due to a back injury that kept me out of work for 6 months. I was a Home Health nurse and my injury was related to being in a home alone and having no help other than the patient's grandmother. The patient weighed approximately 375 lbs and had a sacral decubitus. In order to assess his wound and change his dressing, I had to turn him over. He is paraplegic and unable to assist. His grandmother and I had turned him many times before without difficulty but on this particular day, for some reason, she did not assist as she usually did and I ended up with ruptured lumbar discs. :cry:

Home Care is no place for someone with any kind of back problems because you are on your own. On the floor, you can always seek out someone to help with tasks like turning a patient, but in a private home, there's no one to help other than possibly a family member.

Fortunately, when I was ready to return to work - but with permanent lifting restrictions, my company had an office job opening.

I agree with much of what button2cute said, but I just wanted to point out that home care is not an option for someone with restrictions, especially back problems.:no:

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I believe there are jobs in the nursing arena for everyone regardless of their injury and/or disability.

Therefore, I have sat down and list the things I can do and found areas that I can do.

Button:

Simply because I have neck problems/pain, I am very curious as to what nursing positions you are talking about.

Do you mind providing suggestions, or even others that may be able to chime in....."Nursing jobs for those with injuries". I am fearful myself of what I'm going to do when I'm finished with my ADN.

thank you!

emma

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I believe there are jobs in the nursing arena for everyone regardless of their injury and/or disability.

Therefore, I have sat down and list the things I can do and found areas that I can do.

Button:

Simply because I have neck problems/pain, I am very curious as to what nursing positions you are talking about.

Do you mind providing suggestions, or even others that may be able to chime in....."Nursing jobs for those with injuries". I am fearful myself of what I'm going to do when I'm finished with my ADN.

thank you!

emma

Hello, all

Terri....she could take calls for the home health and determine if the on call nurse should go out or not. She does not have to go out and treat the patients....she would be a triage nurse and call the on-call person if the questions are tough for her to answer.

Emma and Terri,

I sustain a nasty unfortunate injury that occured by lifting a 400 lb woman off the floor and my great other (two and anonther held a stupid walker) co-workers let go during the lift. I literally picked up the woman by myself. Guess what happen? I herinated c5,6 & 7, t11 - 12, and severely damage my back muscles and I have weakness in the left leg. I will not allow myself to stop working or allow my mind to go to waste. I will do what I can and what my body allows me to do. I was a total basket case cause I thought life is over and I was dead. Heck no, I am fighting each day to get better. I was in physical therapy for a year and my back could not deal with the weights at all and it was worst for me. They gave me ever drug on the market and I was literally out of it. I plead with my primary to get me off cause I could not handle them and I did not know where I was. I was wean off all the prescription narcs. I just take neurotin and skelaxtin and flexeril prn.

So I am speaking from experience and dealing with the pain. I know when I stood on my feet for five hours...I thought I was going to die. And I knew my back needed more time to rest and it is not ready for it. I go to the gym and walk on the threadmill at level four for 40 mins, elipacle (misspelled) for 40 mins and the recumbent bike for a hour. I can do and I was lifting at the end and it increased the pain so that is cut out. In addition, I walk three to four miles a day. That is my light work out to get my endurance back and stength. Therefore, I am not down without a fight.

I choose to return to school to become a NP. That will give my body more time to rest and hopefully, I can recover from my injury. I know it will not be a hundred percent or be like I was prior to the injury. However, I will return to a level of quality of life that I can be functional at a job and in society.

I feel Emma you can find the position that will accommendate your disability. For instance, working part time in family practice office, return to school and become a nurse therapist, rehabilitation, and etc. You have to list your restrictions and find what type of occupation you will be able to do. A therapist and seeing patients will be great cause you do not have to do any weight bearing and make your own hours. A consultant, a life planner, a nursing home admission nurse, and etc. I do not know your restrictions....your physician/scan tell you what you are able to do and then you can determine if it is possible or not.

Remember one thing, I know from this injury. You have to be determine, motivate, positive in mind and attitude, and most of all, break through the pain. Believe that is the hardest you will ever have to do. I have to break through the pain each day and I get a little better each time. I have to endure those cold, rainy and unpredictable weather...you know what I mean? I can tell the weather through my bones and muscles. The broadcasters should be paying me cause I know if they are lying or not...lol. You have to break the pain cycle and it is terrible but you can do it. Also, if you are taking narcs throughout the day than you are very limited in the selections of employment. I am sorry to say and that is why I do not take them. I have an order for prns, however, I do not fill the prescriptions cause I do not want to go down that road again. I think you can be a consultant or a therapist more I think about it..lol.

Ok, I am awaiting your feedback....terrya and emma .

Buttons

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Specializes in ER, HH, CTICU, corrections, cardiology, hospice.

MRI results. L5-S1 herniation. Had ESI on monday feel more better so far. I'm taking it easy for a couple of days. I think i'm going the FNP route. I worked home health and your back is just as at jepordy if not more so. I loved HH when I did it. However I could not do it now.

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MRI results. L5-S1 herniation. Had ESI on monday feel more better so far. I'm taking it easy for a couple of days. I think i'm going the FNP route. I worked home health and your back is just as at jepordy if not more so. I loved HH when I did it. However I could not do it now.

Hello, ALL

Nurse, I am going that route as well and I believe it will work out for me. I can use my problem solving, skills and knowledge on another level with my patients. In addition, they will see how I am dealing with my disablity and hopefully, I can give them strength to deal with their injury, illiness and diability. Therefore, I can work with in my limitations as well as have a great quality life for me.

Hello, Emma and Terry.

Emma, try np, holistic rn, disability np or rehab, or working with disabled children or adults and etc.

Have a great day and evening,

Buttons

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Specializes in ER, HH, CTICU, corrections, cardiology, hospice.

Had an ESI ( epidural steroid injection) on 8/9, today pretty much pain free from herniated disk. employer has dednied workers comp. called some sharks and baracudas today some said they may take my case and some were in court this week. the reason for denial is preexsisting condition and late reporting. aparently a previous injury caused damage to the same disk. the whole thing is making my head swim. any suggestions welcome.

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