Enduring the Pain (long-ish)

[EleRico]

The following is a personal concern I have been mulling over for about a year now. I can't sort it out without some good advice from professionals like you.

A couple of years ago, my budding Army career was cut painfully short when I suffered a back injury during training. MRI confirmed a bulging disc (T8/9) and a 10mm herniation at L5/S1 with significant impingement on the S1 nerve root. To boot, I was diagnosed with degenerative disc disease - all at the age of 21. In the Army, a soldier who cannot carry a 100 lb. ruck sack is worthless (apparently), so I was discharged and sent on my (un)marry way.

I have finally coped with the fact that I will never have a career as a soldier, so, given my innate compassion, intellectual curiosity, and desire to help others in need, I am considering a career in nursing instead (feel free to laugh at the irony - I have done so many times). Unfortunately, the pain in my back has scarcely lessened since initial injury despite PT, pain management, and drug therapy. As a result, I experience constant pain when standing in one place for extended periods of time. Walking about is quite fine, and so is sitting, but I am frankly terrified of nursing school - not so much because of the academic rigor, but rather because of the prospect of my not being able to hack it during clinicals (pain-wise).

I am committed to making it through nursing school no matter how severe the pain, and I know that my desired career as an up-to-the-elbows-in-the-muck bedside nurse may have to be cast aside out of sheer medical necessity for the "comforts" of a desk job (is there even such a thing as a nurse in a desk?). The question is, how much in-place standing does a typical nurse do (obviously taking out of account the operating room setting)? I have this image of a nurse as a sort of honey bee floating (with a purpose, of course) from room to room, which is definitely something I could manage. A man/woman constantly on the move. Is this just a fantasy?

I realize that this may seem naïve, and some of you may be thinking, "A nurse who can't stand in one place for more than an hour or two is about as useful as a nurse with no hands." I just have a serious problem with allowing a disability to prevent me from pursuing an honorable, rewarding career in nursing. I want to help in any way I can. Thank you in advance for any advice/comments/wake-up calls you may have to offer.

[Dalzac, LPN, LVN, RN]

Nursing can be very hard on your back even with good body mechanics and help. It is a very physical job. I have severe arthritis in my lower back and in many other spots all over and I had to retired at 56 However many many nurses work on until their 60's and 70's Don't know if that helped or hurt but I thru it out there

[uscstu4lfe]

we do a lot of walking, bending, pulling, tugging, pushing, and so on. i'm not not sure how your back would be able to handle this? but let me tell you, you sound like one smart lad and you would be a true asset to nursing!!

[JaneyW]

Are you a surgery candidate because of the pain? I was diagnosed with degenerative disc disease at 35 and I thought that was young! I had a discectomy and fusion in my cervical spine right after graduating from nursing school at 35. I have since developed a 10mm bulge at L5-S1 like you, but I have not had the pain issues. I was able to escape surgery, but I do have issues with numbness and tingling in my anke, foot and leg when I overdo it.

I am now 41 and I work as an L&D nurse about 1-2 shifts a week during the summer and winter breaks and as a school readiness nurse during the school year. I HAVE to keep in shape through walking many miles a week. I also cann ot stand still or sit still for long periods of time. I can guarantee you will not be sitting or standing for long on a busy floor.

I have managed to keep working and at 41 will be finishing my masters this year and will be teaching at nursing school. I don't know what to tell you because I have not had your pain issue. My biggest advice would be to get your BSN and public health nurse certificate as community health isn't as physically challenging but can be really interesting and professionally challenging. Good luck!

[oslogirl]

Yea, you are quite right. One of the reasons I love nsg is because I am constantly moving. I can't stand to sit too long, lol. I am so sorry to hear about your back. That sucks. Nsg does involve alot of bending. pushing, etc. and is quite physical in nature.

This said, it sounds like your heart is in becoming a nurse, and you would be an asset to the profession. I don't know what the legalities of nsg ed. ,etc. with your disability. Perhaps you can speak to a disability attorney? I hope you achieve your dream!

[SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN]

I'm not trying to be harsh, so please don't take this as such, but you need to forget about nursing. It's the most physically demanding job I have ever had.

Were you already a nurse there would be ways for you to transition away from the bedside but you are correct in thinking that bedside nursing is not for you - and that's where you will be for at least several years.

[PICNICRN, BSN, RN]

How do you feel about the NICU?? I really enjoy NICU nursing.... I find it much less physically demanding on my body than the Peds ICU(I have never worked with adults- the kids are heavy enough!) There is no real heavy lifting involved, although you are pushing and pulling equipment sometimes, turning your patient is no problem! You do get off your feet quite often for feedings(every 3 hours) which is nice. So there is alot of alternating stand/sitting- not too much of either for long peroids.But it is still very mentally challenging- always thinkin' and staying on top of things! No matter where you work in nursing, I imagine there will always be the days that you don't have time to stop moving.

Sounds like you have a great attitude......... I'd be glad to have you as my coworker someday! Good Luck!

[EleRico]

From JaneyW "Are you a surgery candidate because of the pain?"

Unfortunately, I've seen more harm than good from from surgery (based on observations of others with similar issues). I'm afraid I'd end up worse off than before, which, from what I understand, is a real risk.

"I HAVE to keep in shape through walking many miles a week. I also cann ot stand still or sit still for long periods of time. I can guarantee you will not be sitting or standing for long on a busy floor."

I hear you there. I am religious about exercise, too. Curiously, I can run without any pain, but ask me to stand in line at an amusement park and I'm toast.

"My biggest advice would be to get your BSN and public health nurse certificate as community health isn't as physically challenging but can be really interesting and professionally challenging. Good luck!"

I will seriously consider that option. It sounds like a fascinating sub-field. I'm more than willing to pursue higher education, including graduate school, if it will open more options for me.

Thank you for your feedback!

[EleRico]

From Suesquatch "I'm not trying to be harsh, so please don't take this as such, but you need to forget about nursing. It's the most physically demanding job I have ever had."

No offense taken. I appreciate hearing your honest opinion.

Love your avatar picture, by the way (

[Vito Andolini]

there are many types of nursing. none that i am aware of offhand, even in surgery, (unless you're the scrub nurse), require standing still very much, except maybe when you're pouring up meds for a lot of patients. nurse anesthetists must be at the head of the table during an operation but they can alternate between standing and sitting. they cannot go for a walk or do serious stretching during a case unless another anesthetist relieves them. icu is a pre-req for becoming an anesthetist.

nurses work in so many different settings. you might do well to consider being a nurse practitioner. in that role, you would stand, sit, walk around some.

i am a little reluctant to suggest you enter a field in which you will be expected, at least in school, to have to turn heavy patients, lift them in and out of bed (if your facility has no mechanical lifts), hold up their limbs, and things like this. but if you can get through school, you might work at the bedside for a couple of years then start making your way into management. as a manager, you would be less at the bedside and more at a desk, in meetings, walking through/around your domain that you would be managing.

some areas that aren't too physically demanding include: school nursing, doctor's office, correctional facilities, np and management, quality assurance/quality improvement (might have to do some bedside work before getting into this), mds coordinator, maybe long-term care (although some nurses wind up dealing a lot with physical care of the residents, even though the aides are generally thought of as the ones who primarily do this). there are probably lots of other areas that i'm not thinking of. you could teach probably - this takes at least a master's degree. some nurses do research, such as at medical schools and the hospitals affiliated with them. those nurses enter data into computers, recruit patients for study, administer meds or treatments to them, and the like. you need a course in statistics, good computer knowledge, and to be an rn. you could become a public health nurse for a local, state, or maybe even the federal government - this is working in the office, the clinic, and doing home visits, plus you could get into management eventually. speaking of government - there are a lot of government nurse jobs and there are insurance companies and case management, wellness companies, and telephone triage companies that hire nurses. phone triage might require too much sitting but check it out. you should go to a nursing library and ask the librarian to help you explore the many, many jobs that nurses do. heck, you could even work in hollywood or new york as an rn on movie or tv sets. sort of like an occupational health nurse. btw, oc health incorporates wellness (quit smoking, lost weight) with workers' compensation concepts, tb testing, and handling illness/injuries on the job. if you work in a steel mill, you'll see lots of injuries, i'd think. office building - lots of illness, less injuries.

i would suggest that you look into spinal decompression (not the surgical kind). also, do some exploration of what types of nursing there are and try to actually meet some nurses who are engaged in various types of nursing. observe what they are actually doing and see if you think you could do it.

have you thought of becoming a physical therapist? better hours, be your own boss, higher pay, access to treatment while you're at work in your very own pt clinic/practice.

i wish you lots of luck and applaud your drive and courage. keep us informed, won't you?

[EleRico]

From PICNICRN "How do you feel about the NICU??"

I'm glad to hear that you have had a great experience in the NICU. It's actually the field that interests me the most (keeping in mind that I have absolutely no experience at all). I was really hoping that somebody would recommend it as a specialty that is potentially easier on the body than, say, med/surg. From the way you describe it, the physical effort certainly sounds reasonable, given my limitations.

"Sounds like you have a great attitude......... I'd be glad to have you as my coworker someday! Good Luck!"

Thank you for the suggestion and the encouragement!

[Vito Andolini]

I'm not trying to be harsh, so please don't take this as such, but you need to forget about nursing. It's the most physically demanding job I have ever had.

Were you already a nurse there would be ways for you to transition away from the bedside but you are correct in thinking that bedside nursing is not for you - and that's where you will be for at least several years.

Where's your imagination, suesquatch?