Lately I've been feeling the strain....

Nurses General Nursing

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physically. My feet kill me so bad after a shift, I come home in tears. I feel like I was hit by a truck for about 3 days, I'm so sore. Yeah, we've been working without a tech. I've been averaging about 5 patients, but we can be assigned up to 7 without a tech. Usually the mix is two or three total cares and the rest are assists or independent.

I hate to admit this, but maybe I need to move to an area that's less taxing physically. Or work with techs. Or something. I absolutely know that I'm not interested in taking anything--even Advil, my mainstay--on a very regular basis, and man, am I hurting.

My feet feel like I'm walking on sharp rocks after about 4 hours. I've bought about a dozen different pairs of shoes and I simply cannot get through a whole shift on my feet without coming home in pain.

Maybe it's time to get that BSN and go management. (:crying2: ---> obviously not thrilled by that prospect).

Anyone have any suggestions? What areas of nursing should I look into?

Plusses: I have excellent writing and computer skills and at one time I was a secretary. I have a very good knowledge base and clinical expertise.

Minuses: I would miss patient contact terribly, I'm not a terribly popular person, and I'm just not good with office politics.

Specializes in ED, ICU, PSYCH, PP, CEN.

I have a foot problem too, and have struggled with it for several years. I switched from med/surg to ER a couple of years ago and that helped. Most importantly though I bought a pair of Nike Air Max 360 shoes. They have an air pocket for the sole and you literally are walking on air. They cost 175 and have made a big improvement in my pain.

Two days ago I bought a pair of Z-Coil shoes as I have always wanted a pair after seeing a write up in the local paper about them. They have a spring coil for the heel and can be adjusted to correct a pronating or supinating foot to normalize gait pattern and they reduce load by a lot. Please check out their website Z-Coil.com and watch the video about how they work. I haven't used them for a full 12 hour shift yet but they really felt great for the 6 hours I wore them. They are 200.00 dollars. I will update you on whether they are helping me or not after I have worn them a couple of days. If they help they are well worth 200.00. After all our feet are so important to us, kind of like hands to a surgeon.

I have spent hundreds of dollars looking for the perfect pair of shoes and hopefully these are the perfect pair.

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Specializes in Utilization Management.
I have a foot problem too, and have struggled with it for several years. I switched from med/surg to ER a couple of years ago and that helped. Most importantly though I bought a pair of Nike Air Max 360 shoes. They have an air pocket for the sole and you literally are walking on air. They cost 175 and have made a big improvement in my pain.

Two days ago I bought a pair of Z-Coil shoes as I have always wanted a pair after seeing a write up in the local paper about them. They have a spring coil for the heel and can be adjusted to correct a pronating or supinating foot to normalize gait pattern and they reduce load by a lot. Please check out their website Z-Coil.com and watch the video about how they work. I haven't used them for a full 12 hour shift yet but they really felt great for the 6 hours I wore them. They are 200.00 dollars. I will update you on whether they are helping me or not after I have worn them a couple of days. If they help they are well worth 200.00. After all our feet are so important to us, kind of like hands to a surgeon.

I have spent hundreds of dollars looking for the perfect pair of shoes and hopefully these are the perfect pair.

I did try Z-Coils, and after a week, found that my feet were totally numb. Part of the reason I think there's some neuropathy going on there. Changed over to a pair of K-Swiss, and within a week, I could at least feel my feet.

But lately I've been on my feet way more than usual, and it's rare that I get to sit at all for about the first five hours. We've just been very busy! That has a lot to do with it also.

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

Do you possibly have plantar fasciitis? The above recommendation to see a podiatrist is a good one.

I work per diem for just this reason. 12 hours on my feet and moving (sometimes) some VERY heavy people around takes it toll on me, too. I have found a long warm soak in the tub and good rest help. Also getting off nightshift, a plus. I don't fare well after a nightshift. I can work twice as hard on dayshift and have fewer physical aches and pains than I can on any given nightshift.

But do check into why you are hurting so much. There may be a reason other than just how hard you are working! I wish you the best.

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Specializes in Utilization Management.

Yes, Deb, the tub soaks and warm baths are heaven, aren't they? They do help my regular aches and pains a lot.

I am also looking into a change of unit or shift or something... :( Not happy about that but I keep worrying about how I'm going to run down the hall for a 0300 Code with these feet.

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...get some "arch support" socks and wear them to bed!

Hey! Awesome.....I am on 12's and ...boy I am a new nurse and I'm hoping I can get used to it...OR I need to go into an area where we dont' constantly stand..which is pretty much what I do now..anyway...I have the hit by the truck thing too..and the feet/back thing too...so I want to know WHAT BRAND OF SOCKS And where'd ya get 'em?????? DO TELL:monkeydance:

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Hey Angie....I know that podiatrists can make a mold of your foot...FOR YOUR foot...orthotics...to help with foot pain....maybe that would apply for you?

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Specializes in FNP, Peds, Epilepsy, Mgt., Occ. Ed.

Angie: Are you getting enough sleep? That won't "cure" you but I think we feel our aches and pains a lot more when we're tired in general. That's true for me, anyway.

I'd suggest that you do see the podiatrist, and maybe get a complete medical checkup if you haven't had one lately. If you are having neuropathy, there may be things that can be done for it.

Good luck!

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Angie: Are you getting enough sleep? That won't "cure" you but I think we feel our aches and pains a lot more when we're tired in general. That's true for me, anyway.

I'd suggest that you do see the podiatrist, and maybe get a complete medical checkup if you haven't had one lately. If you are having neuropathy, there may be things that can be done for it.

Good luck!

With all that great advice try Physical Therapy, too. Sometimes when the back is out of whack everything is affected.

I had tremendous foot pain that eventually made my back roar in agony. P.T. was a god-send! Sometimes it's as simple as the S.I. joint being out of alignment. Ask about exercises and techniques to support and realign that area. Believe me, they are so soothing and really do work! Yep, they are easy to do at home.

Also, for my feet I'd buy those expensive cushiony insoles. Now I find that I can use the dollar store "rubbery feeling" inexpensive insoles (full foot) and they do quite a fine job. I change them often and even use them in my new work shoes.

I've had co-workers buy the expensive, hard molded, individually fit orthotics for $100's of dollars only to cast them aside early in the shift because they were just too rigid and painful to wear.

I used to get horrid lower leg and foot cramps at night. I do put the bars of soap under the bottom sheet of my bed now and believe it or not....it works! When the cramps are frequent and unbearable I put on a clean pair of shoes and sleep in them. It helps, too.

Good luck to you!

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Angie,

If you really think what you have is a neuropathy (& it sounds like it is!), you need to see a neurologist. My husband suffered the tortures of the damned with his foot pain & was even unable to sleep with the severity of the pain. They have some really good medicines out there now and it has made a world of difference in his quality of life. I know you said you didn't want to take pills all the time, but this is not a pain pill, it's specifically for neuropathy & doesn't work on anything else(Just like regular analgesics don't work on neuropathies). If new shoes haven't helped, at least make an appointment to talk with a neurologist & see what they have to offer. I think you'll be amazed. Good luck to you!

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It sounds like you are in terrible pain and it is affecting your personal and professional life. Please see a doctor so you can be properly evaluated and treated. Best wishes to you and your aching feet :wink2:

PS Have you considered telephone triage?

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Specializes in ORTHOPAEDICS-CERTIFIED SINCE 89.

There are some great suggestions here. One thing I discovered helped (a bit) was finding out that one leg was 5/8" shorter. The orthotist made me some "cookies" out of cork and rubber to adjust my stance. If I forgot to change them into a pair I was wearing I could take cast felt and fashion a heel cookie to wear that day.

The Dr Scholl's leather arch supp. are the ones I use, more expensive, but work for me.

I also take 10 mg of Amitrip Rx by my neurologist, for the neuropathy in my toes.....tiny amount but it helps.

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Specializes in Utilization Management.

Wow! a lot of great advice! I'm sure that I'll be trying a lot of these.

I just have to report--I bought a couple of pairs of shoes, and after wearing the Crocs for the entire shift, I don't have as much pain.

Yeah, the feet are tired and sore, and I expect that. Best of all, I can actually walk on them without dreading putting one foot in front of the other.

So I'm going to give these new shoes a couple of days to see if they really improve things.

I have no idea what to do about the cramps. They just wake me up out of nowhere. Then I have to get out of bed to fix them, and by the time they're gone, I'm wide awake and can't get back to sleep.

So please tell me more about that bar of soap idea? What are you supposed to do with the soap? Any idea why this works? Will this be an idea that will cause my hubster to seek shelter on the couch?

And by all means, feel free to add your thoughts. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I could hurt so much that I'd seriously consider a desk job, but there you have it.

I even went so far as to send my resume over to a couple of places and got an interview in one for next week.

Tonight I have to work. I think I'll know for sure if it's just the shoes by the morning.

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