After wrestling through one job after another going south, and last autumn posting about tangling with an employer over a bloodborne pathogen exposure OSHA violation (series of violations, actually), I found a good job at a good hospital.
General orientation was solid, my preceptors were helpful, orientation lengths and styles were personalized to each of us that were starting together. The unit has a designation, but the reality is that it's often a hodgepodge of patient types - so no worries about losing clinical skills. The charge nurses are mostly helpful, there are a lot of phenomenal techs. Things were going pretty well.
And then I got injured lifting a patient. Being the eternally dutiful employee (and thinking it was a minor strain at first) I kept working - that shift, and the following, and the one after that. I rested on my days off, but after the 4th shift things got bad.
Things could be a lot worse... I initially sought treatment on my own, and I did not complete an incident report at the time, but when I asked to have a few days without heavy lifting, my manager insisted I fill out a report and get care under employee health. They will not let me work with employee health's lifting restriction, so I have been out of work and on worker's comp. It's not 100% pay, but it keeps my rent current.
But the employee health doc seems endlessly convinced that this is a minor injury, or one that I have worsened myself. She asked if I have kids (!!). She asked if I've been exercising. She offered no treatment besides medication and rest until I'd been sitting at home in pain for over 30 days.
I've had a few PT sessions now, and I'm having less pain, but the doc seems determined to send me back to unrestricted work because "It's been too long. You should be better by now." I believe she will release me at my next appointment, despite the fact that no one has done any assessment of my ability to lift, and I still have pain with unweighted movement.
My pain at this time, while persistent (going on 6 weeks), is not unbearable, but I think this experience has knocked out what little resilience I had left. I started looking for nursing jobs that do not involve frequent strenuous labor, and found myself wandering back to AllNurses and perusing the injury experiences. They're not pretty. I don't want to end up permanently disable and in pain.
I'm not asking for advice with how to handle the current situation. I'm just utterly at the end of my rope with nursing. My hope in the short term is that they will at least continue to cover PT if they send me back to work, and that I can last long enough without getting hurt again to find or transfer into a part-time, non-physical nursing job like a doctor's office. I am looking at other options for income, but if I need to, I will learn to live on less.
I'm barely north of 30, and the physical toll that 4 years of nursing has taken on my body terrifies me. Nursing appealed to me as a service profession, but it's not worth it to sacrifice my own wholeness to contribute to other people's.
The doc and I had a talk about communication... She said she is not meaning to sound skeptical/accusing, but that she can tell I am driven and restless with the length of time I've been down, and is wanting to ensure I continue to rest as needed. She also ok'ed a work limit of every third day because working Monday and Wednesday this week completely knocked me out of commission on Tuesday and Thursday. I'm feeling better now on my second day of rest, so I don't feel like the injury is getting worse; I'm just weak and having temporary flare-ups because of the increased work.
I still have going part-time (sooner rather than later) and finding a non-lifting job (hopefully within a year) on the brain, but I'm no longer quite so terrified that I'll be unable to work at all or will lose my job in the immediate future.
I thought this was an interesting quote, as I've learned quite a bit about what they owe me, which is quite a lot under the law. The period in between then and now was messy, but I'll close with the critically important information about returning an injured employee to work in compliance with workers' comp, the EEOC, and the ADA. They didn't let me work for three weeks, and were telling me it was my job to find a new position that was a good fit, and interview in competition with transfer candidates and new applicants. It doesn't work like that, and it wasn't until I started getting more blunt that their behavior was illegal that they complied (shortly after the linked post).
Specializes in Family Medicine, Tele/Cardiac, Camp.
I found that after I had my work-related injury it finally took getting a lawyer for my employers to stop messing around and actually pay attention to me.
Finding a lawyer - if only just for consultation and clarification on your rights - is a good thing to do in my opinion. It doesn't mean you have to come into a lawsuit. I had an injury my 4th year into my nursing career and it didn't get better until a full 2 years after it happened. The hospital kept me as long as they were legally required and then let me go.
I wish you the best of luck with things and hope you feel better soon.
I found that after I had my work-related injury it finally took getting a lawyer for my employers to stop messing around and actually pay attention to me.
Finding a lawyer - if only just for consultation and clarification on your rights - is a good thing to do in my opinion. It doesn't mean you have to come into a lawsuit. I had an injury my 4th year into my nursing career and it didn't get better until a full 2 years after it happened. The hospital kept me as long as they were legally required and then let me go.
I wish you the best of luck with things and hope you feel better soon.
Thanks, SnowShoe! I did consult with a lawyer several weeks ago, but unfortunately they tried to play games with me (oh, the attorney with the rate I agreed to is no longer available, but you'll be happy to take things further for $100 more an hour? NO THANK YOU!). I made a few phone calls and was waiting on an attorney when I got the job offer. I'll still do another consultation, because I don't know if the hospital have any kind of duty regarding lost wages during at least part of those two weeks. If the info from my original consultation is correct, that's the only thing they might be on the hook for, despite not treating my injury appropriately or managing my return to work safely.
I can't speak to any of the legalities of this problem, but the bodily pain I am familiar with. Mine is not a work related injury, but rather the result of cumulative degenerative damage from a condition I have had since birth. Basically, the lower half of my body, starting from about the lumbar region down, is always in pain. Always. Pain is my baseline, and has been for over 20 years now. As I've gotten older, my tolerance for working consecutive shifts in a row has decreased drastically.
Thankfully, I am in a financial position to only work per diem, so I typically only work 1 shift per week, 2 max. My family situation and child care situation makes working office hours impossible currently, but in a few years, I hope to be doing just that.
While I'm sure I will miss some aspects of acute care/bedside nursing, a larger part of me recognizes that no one ever had written on their tombstone, "I wish I'd spent more time at work." My life, my health, and my body all have to be preserved so that I can do what really matters most to me: raising my children and spending time with my spouse. Work will not crumble to a screeching halt without me there. Quite the contrary. The basic message I'm trying to convey here is, take care of you and yours first, and do what you need to do to ensure YOUR quality of life. Look into working at an office job, maybe a call center (every one I know who has gone on to call center nursing is happier than a pig in you-know-what), maybe do clinical research. Just remember, you come first. :)
If you can afford to live on less money , maybe that dr office job might be better.
As an aside, to all those who say PT helped them, how did you afford it? my docs wanted me to do pt, but that would cost me 150 bucks a WEEK to do. I dont have that kind of money. So I dont do the pt.
I thought this was an interesting quote, as I've learned quite a bit about what they owe me, which is quite a lot under the law. The period in between then and now was messy, but I'll close with the critically important information about returning an injured employee to work in compliance with workers' comp, the EEOC, and the ADA. They didn't let me work for three weeks, and were telling me it was my job to find a new position that was a good fit, and interview in competition with transfer candidates and new applicants. It doesn't work like that, and it wasn't until I started getting more blunt that their behavior was illegal that they complied (shortly after the linked post).
They complied and gave you a new post?! Very pleased to hear that. You've done really well, it's hard to fight when you are recovering from injury, nevermind win. I hope you enjoy your new job, it might be quite fun! :).
I am sorry that you are going through this mess, but it looks like that things turn out to the better, and that's great!
When you do PT, bug your therapist with questions. You know anatomy well enough to understand goal and logic of exercises. Then make your own routine and do it every day, maybe even twice. Continuing exercise and strong core are your two best friends from now on. If you can, experiment wth yoga and stretches, I would die long ago without these two. Just find a good coach for the beginning.
If you can afford to live on less money , maybe that dr office job might be better.
As an aside, to all those who say PT helped them, how did you afford it? my docs wanted me to do pt, but that would cost me 150 bucks a WEEK to do. I dont have that kind of money. So I dont do the pt.
What Katie MI said. Also, if you can't afford it weekly, do it once a month or every 2 months. If it is possible, learn and understand the logic and principles behind the exercises you are taught then make your own routines between times. It is KEY for getting out of the pit of pain and decreased function (when that is a physically possible). Sell something, do without something else, do an extra shift per month to pay for it, anything.
Personally, quality PT was essential and allowed me to remain in work. Financially, it therefore paid off long term. A good therapist will be all about empowering you and giving you the tools to apply correctly in your own time at different stages of your recovery. The bulk of my therapy was done by myself at home and out walking. I understand you may have different needs. I wish you luck.
Each and everyone of is disposable. You do not have the option of being broken or unglued.
Re -read your latest communication. All staff nurses will have their position held for 12 weeks. Any extension, is then up to management. How much do you think your employer owes you?
Yes the unit needs you, but you are not physically able to fill the needs. This is a moot point.
You need to take responsibility for yourself now. Find a position you can physically perform , while you heal.
Best of luck to you... but you really need to move on. It's now up to you.
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Whoa! I believe employers are responsible for protecting their employees when they are injured on the job. The detail of her not working there long enough to get the benefits given others is the flaw in our laws that protect the employers from wrongful claims. what About the worker? How is she to get the medical care she needs without medical coverage? How does one get back on their feet without some support? This is exactly the sort of thing that brings individuals down leading to homelessness etc...Im not saying she will end up there...just an example of how things tumble down for people. I do also believe we need to be resourceful and take care of ourselves as best as possible, but when an Empliyee Health doctor who holds the reigns that can influence the rest of her life has the employer's back only, it just doesn't seem right to me.
Whoa! I believe employers are responsible for protecting their employees when they are injured on the job. The detail of her not working there long enough to get the benefits given others is the flaw in our laws that protect the employers from wrongful claims. what About the worker? How is she to get the medical care she needs without medical coverage? How does one get back on their feet without some support? This is exactly the sort of thing that brings individuals down leading to homelessness etc...Im not saying she will end up there...just an example of how things tumble down for people. I do also believe we need to be resourceful and take care of ourselves as best as possible, but when an Empliyee Health doctor who holds the reigns that can influence the rest of her life has the employer's back only, it just doesn't seem right to me.
One more thing...Im not a "bleeding heart". Philosophically, the world does not owe us a thing. Just wouldn't it be s better one if we took care of each a little better instead of everything being so corporate oriented?
I also think trying to stay active is key. I also am 60 and have had a joint replacement. I find the more I move the better I feel but some days it is a struggle
NotAllWhoWandeRN, ASN, RN
791 Posts
The doc and I had a talk about communication... She said she is not meaning to sound skeptical/accusing, but that she can tell I am driven and restless with the length of time I've been down, and is wanting to ensure I continue to rest as needed. She also ok'ed a work limit of every third day because working Monday and Wednesday this week completely knocked me out of commission on Tuesday and Thursday. I'm feeling better now on my second day of rest, so I don't feel like the injury is getting worse; I'm just weak and having temporary flare-ups because of the increased work.
I still have going part-time (sooner rather than later) and finding a non-lifting job (hopefully within a year) on the brain, but I'm no longer quite so terrified that I'll be unable to work at all or will lose my job in the immediate future.