HELP Recyle disabled nurses

Nurses General Nursing

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I know that I am not the only nurse who is no longer working as a nurse due to a back injury. In the US, OSHA requires that you be able to lift 50 lbs to work on the floor as a nurse. I can't.

My "reasonable accomodation" was a move to watch heart monitors on the med-tele. floor where I worked. I also took quite a pay cut to do this. My only other option was to be unemployed.

I have my BSN, ACLS and over 15 years of nursing experience. I can't lift much, but I am still capable of starting IVs, inserting foleys, giving meds, assessing pts and knowing when a pt is in trouble. Frequently, I am a resource person to the nurses I work with, answering questions and debating options.

Years ago, I saw a news story on this nursing student who graduated and worked from her wheelchair. I can still walk, but am not allowed to work as a nurse but someone in a wheelchair can? This doesn't make sense.

There is a nursing shortage. It is bad....I see the shortage every day at work. I have good clinical skills and experience. And I am not alone. Is there any way that we can recycle and use nurses who are still able to perform a great deal of the core skills required in the daily routine of nursing care?

Can anyone out there (or here) help us......We want to help you by being able to do the work we have been trained to do and by working with you.

Thank you for your help.

One of the reasons I posted this thread is for the sake of other nurses who are in the same shoes. They were injuried on the job and their hospital just tossed them away. These "throwaway nurses" are the ones who risk their lives coming to work in blizzards, post tornados, flooding etc. We lived our lives being loyal to our hospital, coming in when they were short etc.

Another reason for posting this is to educate all working nurses to the fact that if they are injuried on the job or off the job, their hospital may very well "toss them away".

Now, someone is probably thinking that I am angry over my treatment and I need to get over it. I am angry but not just for myself. Nurses will always be disposable unless we all stand up for each other to get fair treatment in every aspect of our work.

Angus, thank you for your comments. I am not trying to focus on what I can't do, but to communicate my situation. The military example doesn't mean that I want to get out of work. I just need someone to do the lifting. If I had someone to hold the pt. over for me, I'd be glad to clean them up from being incont. and changing bed sheets. I can do that. I can still push IV meds, give all other kinds of meds, start IVs, put in foleys, assess pts.

Like Mattsmom81 said, sometimes the hospital is just out to get rid of a less than totally able employee. I have put in for several positions at my hospital that wouldn't require lifting, or that could be worked around, but the hospital would then go back and add lifting requirements to the positions. That happened with admitting nurse.....which essentially just fills out the admitting paperwork!

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I have been educating myself as to the Americans with Disabilities Act and injured workers have the right to fair treatment under the law.

I know as a group, we don't like to 'throw our weight around' and force an issue, but maybe if more nurses reported hospitals to government agencies for their unfair treatment of injured nurses, the practice of 'throwing away' nurses would stop.

As a group nurses are too easygoing, and we don't want to be a burden to our coworkers by refusing to lift. BUT there are PLENTY of nursing jobs we CAN do without lifting and we need to become proactive in going after these jobs, and standing up for ourselves.

I am starting my recup from neck fusion surgery last week and as I look to my future possibilities, I see it is imperative I become my own best advocate.:)

Good luck to all of us in similar situations...and don't let the turkeys get you down! :)

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Mattsmom81, I hope your recovery is quick. I will be praying for you.

Yes, we all need to work together to recycle nurses that have developed limitations due to injuries. The most important item a nurse brings to her job is her brain. Most of us still have most of that with lots of experience.

It just seems to me that with the nursing shortage that hospitals would be eager to accomodate the lifting problems for nurses who are able to still due to IVs, IV meds, assessments etc.

If nothing else, we could be the RN buddy for a couple of LPNs. We could do their IV meds, admissions, all the stuff RNs have to cosign on.

I work night shift. We have an ongoing cycle, which I am sure is shared by many others, of experienced people leaving, and night shift ending up with only a couple of experienced nurses. Then we have too much going on and not enough experienced nurses to help. There are holes in health care.....maybe we could fill them.

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I know a couple of nurses who were terminated when their workman's compensation expired. The hospital did nothing to try to help these women find jobs. Unfortunately, one of the nurses had just as much trouble sitting as she did lifting. It was very hard for her to find work that she could physically handle.

I won't add to the list that others have already given you, but I know that my new job, case manager, doesn't require any lifting. I also was an LPN instructor and the faculty was allowed five years to earn a master's degree.

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That's interesting to hear that LVN educators may be hired while they are still working on their Masters.....that may be a good option for me after I get the BSN.....as I feel I would enjoy teaching.

Thanks for sharing, Catlady!

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Catlady, thanks for the info about LPN instructors. I will look into that. Also your info has helped at least one other person.

Again, let me say that a reason for posting this thread was to help other injured nurses find a path.

But again, I still think that many of us injured nurses could still be a valuable tool at this time of shortage. I guess when the hospitals get desperate enough, some inroads will be made here.

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The last job I had was as a charge nurse on a stepdown unit. My coworkers were very good to me and did the lifting; I did other things to help them as well as man the desk and monitors, etc.

The stress of the position finally did get to me though...too much pain wore me down. Hopefully I will feel better in days to come now that I've had my surgery. Who knows though...I have lots of spinal arthritis and will take it one day at a time.

There are some facilities who hire charge nurses who do not have to take patients or lift...particularly places like PCU where someone with ICU skills can troubleshoot, watch monitors, and mentor new staff....I think it's worth it for back injured nurses to check these types of things out. Mercykitten, perhaps you could find a charge position like this in your area. Even nursing supervisor? I was told if I get better to come back to my charge position, ...but it is hard to police yourself NOT to pitch in and lift and we feel bad about not helping our coworkers...

Too bad hospitals won't hire aides and orderlies to help lift anymore...those were the good old days. Now nurses 'do it all'.

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Mattsmom81, I did apply for nursing supervisor at my hospital. The administration went back and added a 50 lb lifting requirement to the position. I have never seen one of the supervisors lifting a pt or 50 lbs of paper.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

How about ADJUNCT instructor at a local college? Our adjuncts all had BSN's and not MSN's and were DARN good at it. Also, many junior colleges --"ADN"-- programs, hire experienced BSN-prepared nurses to instruct, contingent upon them agreeing to pursue a master's degree in a given time frame. I am sure they would LOVE someone like YOU on their team. Some even get a good portion of their master's degree paid for this way. Two of my regular clinical instructors earned their MSN's while I was attending school there. One is now a nurse practioner and adjunct instructor and the other eventually became head of the nursing department at the college. You could try that route; Ever think of that?

Sorry to say, but I agree w/Angus. Try to focus on what you CAN do and what resources are available to you. You are certainly worth it and too great a "natural resource" --- not to mention a veritable fountain of experience and clinical knowledge ---not to share what you know with aspiring nurses! Go for it! It is MY goal one day to do so! Good luck to you.

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Wow, what a GREAT idea...I never thought that the college might even help with tuition expenses...but now that I think about it, there is a shortage of instructors too, isn't there?

Mercykitten, maybe we need to become instructors and let the college help with expenses. :)

I'm sorry your facility did you that way...some just don't want to negotiate that #XX)* lifting and see us as risky hires. Do you feel up to being an aggressive advocate for yourself and 'sell' yourself to a facility in the supervisory role? Can you handle the role...I can't now due to pain, but maybe in the future...You may be able to encourage administration to be free thinkers in today's nursing shortage....good supervisors/managers are hard to find. Can you think of a way to make yourself more attractive to them ie will do multiple shifts, cross train to other low physical areas, etc.? Maybe even a trial basis (money talks..maybe even accept a little lower pay to start)...then absolutely shine at your job?

Keeping positive and promoting a winning attitude is a real challenge to those of us who are hurting.

This is a great thread, Mercykitten, and I appreciate all the input I've seen here. Let's keep this thread going and encourage one another!

You've probably already thought of ALL these things I mentioned but it never hurts to give it another try, IMO. Also keeps my brain thinking positive to write it down. Thanks all! :kiss

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Originally posted by mercykitten

Mattsmom81, I did apply for nursing supervisor at my hospital. The administration went back and added a 50 lb lifting requirement to the position. I have never seen one of the supervisors lifting a pt or 50 lbs of paper.

There is no question that you are being railroaded. What are you doing? Fighting it or moving on. Just courios not accusing.

I am particularly interested if you are fighting it, to learn what works???

:confused:

I have lerned not to fight as I am too often alone in my fights. Too often people will "stand behind me" SILENTLY and give "support" SILENTLY. I. E. they appreciate that I am fighting for them and thank me and say they support me but "can't afford" to stick their own necks out and let adm. know that they feel the same as I. Somehow they think I can do it all alone. And actually cheer me on but again this cheer is effectively silent because I am the only one allowed to hear it.

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I am also interested in 'how to fight the system' and win in the hospital game that administrators wage against injured nurses.

I know one nurse who was injured on the job and ended up in a wheelchair. She got a good attorney and part of her settlement was to be guaranteed an administrative job for life...complete with a personal assistant at the hospital. :)

Maybe we ALL need attorneys? And need to challenge hospitals legally using the ADA?

And I know what you mean, Agnus, I 'felt' a lot of support too but others often do NOT speak up....nurses haven't learned to use their collective voice to benefit one another ...yet.:).

I have hope for our future though as I've seen more progress this past year than in my 24 years of nursing before this. :)

Power to Nurses !!!

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