Extremely Overweight Nurses

Nurses Career Support

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I've been seeing a lot of obese nurses lately. In my opinion it's not setting the right example,not is it SAFE. If someone codes or there's a fire a nurses who is huge can't run to get to/from the emergency. Another example ... CPR ! It's exhausting,if you're not fit to do it...should that patient pay the price? It's so hypocritical. I understand with long shifts and not much sleep... Gaining weight is extremely easy to do. However,choosing healthy food options ( not vending machines and pepsis) and staying active even on your days off is important.

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You're right, I don't have any experience as an RN. I may be setting myself up for disappointment,too. I'd rather go in with a positive mentality, a mentality that I can help a person change for the better. Which I KNOW I can do. Rather than a negative "I'll just do my job and go home" mentality. I've worked 12 hour shifts, I've worked 18s and I've slept at work and done it over,because of understaffing. You're right though, I was a CNA. The experience and the work will be different as a nurse. One thing won't,though. I will continue to pack my lunches and dinners, it takes less than 10minutes to cut up some chicken and stick it in a salad. Pour some nuts and raisins in a ziplock bag and grab some a banana. Theres no excuse. You can even designate a day of the week and cook all your lunches, stick them in the freezer and pull them out before work. Some might call it "preventative care". lol I don't know if we will agree on this subject but I hope you understand my viewpoint,as I do yours!

Specializes in corrections and LTC.

You never know what is going on in that 'obese' nurse's life. What health problems do they have (not caused by being obese)? What medications are they on that may contribute to their obesity? Have you been on prednisone 80 mg daily for two years? If so, how much did you weigh both before and after? Do you have serious back issues because you started as a CNA and/or nurse years before Hoyers were used (or not available in your facility)? How many adult patients did you lift by YOURSELF from a beanbag on the floor, haul them across two large rooms to their adult cribs, and then back again? The bad thing about someone being fat is that it is an obvious issue. What about the skinny people? You can't 'see' their issues, doesn't mean they don't have them. An example is being judgmental, but you know all about that.

Specializes in Clinical Research, Outpt Women's Health.

I don't think anybodies weight is really anybody's business EXCEPT if they cannot perform the job. If that happens then another job is a reasonable approach if they are not able to change it. That goes for anything that hinders a person form being able to do the job.

Specializes in MDS/ UR.
You're right, I don't have any experience as an RN. I may be setting myself up for disappointment,too. I'd rather go in with a positive mentality, a mentality that I can help a person change for the better. Which I KNOW I can do. Rather than a negative "I'll just do my job and go home" mentality. I've worked 12 hour shifts, I've worked 18s and I've slept at work and done it over,because of understaffing. You're right though, I was a CNA. The experience and the work will be different as a nurse. One thing won't,though. I will continue to pack my lunches and dinners, it takes less than 10minutes to cut up some chicken and stick it in a salad. Pour some nuts and raisins in a ziplock bag and grab some a banana. Theres no excuse. You can even designate a day of the week and cook all your lunches, stick them in the freezer and pull them out before work. Some might call it "preventative care". lol I don't know if we will agree on this subject but I hope you understand my viewpoint,as I do yours!

Answers are simple when you are looking out at someone else but not so easy when you are looking from the inside out and the things that might be there.

Obesity is not over-eating alone.

Years and experience may change your perspective..

Specializes in Hematology/Oncology.

Obesity is not over-eating alone.

90% of the time it is.

Laws of thermodynamics says so.

Short people have trouble with compressions too. Not to mention, I'm always having to adjust the televisions in the patient rooms for short staff members. And get supplies from the backs of top shelves. If the short nurses can't do their jobs properly, the patients suffer. They sometimes have to watch the wrong channel for MINUTES until I can get in the room and fix whatever is making the tv not work correctly. That could give them a heart attack. And until someone hunts down a stool, that short nurse is giving crappy compressions. STOP PATIENT SUFFERING! BAN SHORT NURSES!!! Everyone under 5'7" needs to get out of nursing now before a patient dies due to their shortness.

:roflmao: I guess I better drop out of school while I have a chance since heels get on my nerves lol

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