Can you get hired with lifting restrictions?

Wren · Jun 30, 2005

DeLySh...there are many jobs in nursing for you! You may not want to try staff nursing in a hospital though because there are many opportunities for you to re-injure yourself. But nurses are educators, researchers, administrators, business leaders, legal analysts...the list goes on and on. I don't think your bad back will even be a factor if you become a nurse practitioner doing primary care, at least for most jobs. I currently work at a large Disease Management company (only for one more week though!!) and we hire lots of older nurses who don't have the physical stamina to do direct patient care or nurse who have some type of handicap. Their lack of physical strength is irrelevant because most of our nurses are providing telephonic patient education. We even say that we are interested in nursing brains not nursing backs! :rotfl:

So don't let a physical limitation stop you from doing what you want!

Good luck.

DeLySh · Jul 2, 2005

Thank you for your prompt response, Wren. Do you know of anyone who has been in this situation before they were even hired for their first job? We are wondering if it's even possible to be hired right out of school with these restrictions. Also, to be a Nurse Practitioner or even most jobs away from the hospital setting, don't employers want you to have at least a year of med/surg experience? I know there are lots of options after that first year but are there the same opportunities right out of school, also?

Again, thank you so much for your input. I can't tell you what a relief on the mind your advice is.

DeLySh

mattsmom81 · Jul 3, 2005

I cannot speak for every part of the country, but down in Texas a bad back pretty much stops facility work, unless you have a FULL release and know lots of nurse managers. So you have to know your area.

I had back injury and surgery and it was very difficult to get past it. They worry about potential liability, WC claims, insurance costs. My last employer required I lift 75 lbs from floor to chest 6 times, followed immediately by 100 # 3 times. Not easy.

A lifting requirement for nurses is fairly universal I'd wager. 15 lbs won't cut it. Facilities use any restriction as they choose to rid themselves of a liability. I know a nurse case manager who was let go after an injury because she could not lift; and lifting was in the generic 'nurse' job description.

I suppose a clinic job is possible, although I find some lifting mentioned in their job description as well....30#. Perhaps an exception can be made, if you go through people you know.

I like the idea of being appreciated for my brains and not my back, but I havent seen much of this in nursing unfortunately; nor are office jobs and telephonic work rampant in our field. If they were, nurses would be lining up. Especially nurses like me who have injuries in my past.

Perhaps things are different in different areas of the country. I would never recommend nursing to someone with a bad back...it is quite unwise IMHO. But good luck.

hmcna · Jul 3, 2005

I have a lifting restriction of 15 lbs, and no standing for long periods of time, and no bending over repeatedly.

I had back surgery as a result of a job injury in 1988.

I was a nurse prior to that, and so i'm not in the same situation as the student in the original post.

However, one thing i used to promote myself in my current job.... was when the issue of back injury came up.... and their liability, i had a letter written by my comp lawyer that stated that i was classified with a permanet partial disability of my back.... and that if my back or neck were injured again on this new job, that it would be fully covered by my current case.... therefore i was actually less of a liability to them.... than some other people with no case prior.

I'm also working with teens with behavior problems.... as an RN.

Heather

I cannot speak for every part of the country, but down in Texas a bad back pretty much stops facility work, unless you have a FULL release and know lots of nurse managers. So you have to know your area.
I had back injury and surgery and it was very difficult to get past it. They worry about potential liability, WC claims, insurance costs. My last employer required I lift 75 lbs from floor to chest 6 times, followed immediately by 100 # 3 times. Not easy.
A lifting requirement for nurses is fairly universal I'd wager. 15 lbs won't cut it. Facilities use any restriction as they choose to rid themselves of a liability. I know a nurse case manager who was let go after an injury because she could not lift; and lifting was in the generic 'nurse' job description.
I suppose a clinic job is possible, although I find some lifting mentioned in their job description as well....30#. Perhaps an exception can be made, if you go through people you know.
I like the idea of being appreciated for my brains and not my back, but I havent seen much of this in nursing unfortunately; nor are office jobs and telephonic work rampant in our field. If they were, nurses would be lining up. Especially nurses like me who have injuries in my past.
Perhaps things are different in different areas of the country. I would never recommend nursing to someone with a bad back...it is quite unwise IMHO. But good luck.

Wren · Jul 5, 2005

DeLysh, we require a minimum of at least one year of nursing experience before doing telephonic work so that doesn't really answer your question as we don't hire any new grad, physical limitation or not. Most of our nurses have 10 or more years of acute care experience.

I went through nursing school with a woman (about 11 years ago) who went straight from our BSN program into a NP program and she NEVER worked in a hospital except for her clinical rotations. She went work in an inpatient/outpatient psychiatric facility right out of NP school and she is still there. In her case, I don't think a bad back would make any difference.

But...you have to look at your own situation and what kind of work that you want to do. There is no question that a bad back will restrict your options tremendously in nursing and you can't get away from being at risk during your school years with clinical rotations. That said, where there is a will there is a way and if you want it badly, I suspect you'll find a way to work it out. :)

Good luck with whatever you decide.

Tweety, BSN, RN · Jul 5, 2005

The liability of a facility hiring someone with a bad back is too high, so I would think hospital and ltc care is out. Back injuries are very expensive and they aren't going to risk an injury. 15 lbs. is not a lot.

Of course, I'm sure there are nonlifting jobs out there and I wish this person nothing but the best.

DeLySh · Jul 9, 2005

Thank you all for your words of wisdom. The student in question is not me but a dear friend of mine having difficulty and reevaluating her course. I will pass on your advice to her. She and I will be applying directly to the master's program as soon as we are able and I am glad to see that her options aren't completely limited to floor nursing right out of the gate.

Thank you all so much!

DeLySh