what to expect when taking a physical?

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I was just wondering, I just accepted an RN job offer and I have a physical tomorrow. I don't know what to expect. I've never had to do a physical for a job so I was just wondering what to expect and what tests they do? For urine sample, would it matter if I am having my period?

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Specializes in Addictions, Acute Psychiatry.

for mine i had drug tests, had to walk a few hundred pound wheelchair up a looooong incline and back, timed (my calves hurt after) move 25 pounds back and forth for a few minutes as fast as I could,treadmill, ekg, eyes, ears, squeezing (to unlock equip), reaching, grabbing, pushing, pulling etc. It was like an hour long aerobics/cross training class. I'm in great shape and I was starting to get winded! Their issue was obesity and back injuries and inability to perform/liability, blowing to rule out copd and stuff, pulse ox, vitals, full complete physical which included physical stuff (who woulda thought)? LOL! . I asked how many failed and he said quite a few! He said you can crunch numbers with liability with their physical and save millions throughout the system. Good part is it gets rid of the incapable workers leaving the fit one's to do all the work...evens out the workload. I also learned a statistic that in shape nurses lift, pull, push 5 times more to carry the weight of the others making their injuries higher. Interesting...welcome to the new age of nursing!

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Specializes in PACU.

I'm curious as to how these work. If your BP is bad or you get out of breath running on the treadmill (how far do you gotta go, anyway?) do you not get hired? Or is it more just to identify existing problems so that they don't get hosed on worker's compensation?

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Specializes in Addictions, Acute Psychiatry.

if you're a floor nurse they said go get in shape, lose weight and come back. if it's an admin role and you still can run to codes (stairs..forgot the stairs test) then you're OK. It's a physical job, they said. They tested everyone the same but he said it was up to the job description and the hiring board to decide. They have turned nurses away, though (you know, the one's who can't pick up a pill off the floor or run down the hall to a code)...

He said case management and desk jobs are generally fine if they can simulate reaching and stooping to get charts, etc.

He also spoke of liability for wobblies walking to their cars and down stairs (who fall a lot). Generally most pass unless you're on the floor, then the patients deserve a nurse who can run to them and assist, pick up a box of IV's and open them, wheel a gurney to the OR or a WC to an EKG, etc. but that's nothing we didn't already know

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Thank you for your insight. I didn't realize that a physical could be so "physical". Today, I'll just take it easy and get a good night of sleep, in order to perform at an optimum level tomorrow. Again thanks:)

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I had the same physical as the above posted, except maybe a bit easier. We just walked on the treadmill for 5 minutes, We used one of those things that the football players push, with some weights on it back and forth 20 times. And then had to lift 40lbs to a shoulder height shelf from the floor 3 times, 30 lbs 4 times, and 20 pounds 5 times. I was out of breath! But I passes, if you could do it without really getting winded you were fine

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