HELP Recyle disabled nurses

shay · May 25, 2002

Have you thought about working in a NICU or a newborn nursery? I know quite a few nurses w/back injuries who transferred to nurseries....much lighter lifting requirements.

fedupnurse · May 25, 2002

I think hospitals should hire people in your situation to help precept and mentor GN's! This would free up the staff to take regular assignments and lighten the load on the other non-precepting staff of the floor. I would think hospitals may be afraid to hire you due to risk of re-injury, but in a poasition such as this, your chances of re-injury are very low. A former colleague permanently injured her back at work and they tried to FIRE HER. I said call a lawyer. She did and the issue was resolved. She ended up leaving of her own accord to try something new in nursing that our hospital didn't offer-Prison Nursing!!!!!

Agnus · May 25, 2002

Teach your skills and knowledge. You can offer CE courses. Write, Teach new CNA's. Teach wellness and other issues realated to you expertise in the community.

Most nurses I know in your situation teach. My sister included. I am not disabled but that is the direaction in which I am moving. Write for journals text books or speciality books in nursing.

Nurses are natural teachers we have been doing this all along. Teach new or perspective students. Don't let that knowledge die in your wheel chair.

Do seminars. Inservices etc. the possibilities for teaching are limited you your immagination. Tell you personal story.

mattsmom81 · May 25, 2002

Mercykitten, there are LOTS of nurses in this forum in your situation and I am one of them...I tried to watch monitors too for 10 bucks an hour to keep my mind occupied (but then the employee health nurse came up with a 20 # lifting requirement so I couldn't do that either...LOL!)

It is difficult for bedside nurses to give up bedside care, but after a severe back injury it is essential we start 'thinking outside the box' as Agnus has alluded to. We have much to offer!! You have your BSN...have you considered getting your Masters and teaching or running a staff development program or a new grad internship program? Working for the government agencies as a facility inspector? Public health? Docs office? Lots of options to consider.....

I do not qualify for many of the positions I would like to have myself, because I do not have my BSN...so I may be heading to college in time to finish it up. :) Your BSN will open lots of doors for you when you decide on the direction you want to head.

I know when you are hurting it is hard to pull yourself up sometimes. I hope your pain is under control so you can see some light at the end of the tunnell and move forward.

Please keep posting....there are lots of us like you and we need to share out stories and learn from one another! Best wishes.:)

mercykitten · May 25, 2002

Thanks to everyone who has replied so far!

My hospital won't allow me to do either babies or peds because they pull nurses from those departments when census is low to adult floors (where lifting would be an issue). Recently I have been considering looking for a weekend position in a pediatric hospital in Louisville. If all the pts are peds, lifting should be much less an issue.

I have also considered teaching.....but need my MSN for that. That would take a while, but my family's financial situation is getting worse. When I was moved over to the monitors, I took a pay cut greater than my monthly mortgage payment. To make matters worse my husband has been unemployed, just recently found a part time job.

By the way, I am NOT in a wheelchair, but had seen a news story on a nurse in a wheelchair a few years back. I was wondering how a nurse could work in a wc, why can't I work since I still can walk?

I know that it is a safety issue, but feel that willingness on the part of hosp. administration and government could work around that and "reasonably accomodate" my disability. If I was in the military, I would just order the coreman or some person of lower rank to do the lifting for me. But I am a little old for the military now and they wouldn't take me because of the back injury.

disher · May 25, 2002

A position that doesn't usually require lifting or an MSN is clinical trial co-ordinator, does your hospital have any doctors who conduct clinical trials? You could ask them if they are looking for a co-ordinator.

suzannasue · May 25, 2002

mercykitten,

Several of my friends are now disabled due to on the job injuries and they have been cast aside such as misfit toys. Put on "light duty" is a joke amongst us becuse light duty is considered pushing a med cart down the halls or filing in 6 feet high cabinets (tempts me to tear the rotator cuffs of nursing administrators just to see how much filing and pushing they can do!!!) I agree with the idea of precepting if unable to take pt load...however,if precepting one may be expected to pitch in and help with lifting,etc...

Perhaps as part of our nursing education,there should be a course regarding the issue of what to do,where to go when a nurse has sustained a physically altering injury,on the job.

Does your facility have a telephone triage position? Does it have a triage position in the ED that would only require you to interview and do initial vital signs on pts????

I wish you the best mercykitten...will keep you and your family in my prayers!!!!!!! Keep us posted!!!!!!!1

Each night before going to work, I must massage lotions and potions all over my joints just to keep them workable...I also take OTC analgesics q 4 hours...it aint pretty!!!!!!!

P_RN, ADN, RN · May 25, 2002

After over 2 decades of working at the same hospital, getting injured and attempting to return, I am considered a "do not rehire."

I NEVER got less than a "significantly above the standard" on my evaluations, and I was at the top of my clinical ladder.

The ONLY thing I did was apply for workers compensation. The ONLY thing they did was FIGHT it. I won. But I guess I lost too.

And I know THEY lost a dam*ed good nurse.

"Now we are broken toys"....I can relate to that.

Agnus · May 25, 2002

You stated you need your MSN to do that.

Perhaps to teach RN students. Maybe even LPN students. However there a a lot of other people you can teach.

I hear you focusing on what you can't do and if onlys.

You made an interesting remark. If you were in the military you could get other's to do the work. Try thinking about how you could still do that.

If you keep focusing on can't the only things you will find is what you can't do. My sister is in a wheel chair she does staff development and trains CNA's.

I know nurses who have a full time business providing CE for CNA's.

I know a nurse who has a business as a diabetic educator. and no masters degree. If memory serves she doesn't have a BSN either. The public wants to know about thier conditions health problems and wellness and are willing to pay. The nurse who is diebetic educator recieves funding from the county and VA for seeing their patients.

Please, forget about what you can't do. Get that word out of your vocabulary or you are defeated before you begin. I know you know this. It's just sometimes we get overwhelmed and can't see the forest.

You are not in a w/c that is a plus. You are already way ahead of some nurses. You have ACLS have you considered becomming an ACLS instructor? I talk about teaching but there are other things too. Think about it. Please.:kiss

There is case management, breast feeding instructor/consultant. Child birth classes. Parenting classes, discharge cooridinator, infusion specialist, Dialysis nurse, Wound/ostomy specialist, You might look at what you have learned about your injury and the job related problems you are encountering and see how you can use what you have learned about this to help others, You might have to negotiate to create a position (one that doesn't currently exist) for yourself at you job (or another facility) You will have to be creative and do some selling, but this is something that is done all the time. You might consider going freelance and offering your special service as an indipendent contractor.

I am sure you can think of even more ways to use your speical talents.

LaurieCRNP2002, MSN, RN, APRN · May 25, 2002

Why facilities make things hard on nurses who injure themselves is beyond my comprehension. About a year and a half ago, I hurt myself at work---slipped on floor and jammed my shoulder in trying to brace myself during the fall. Ended up missing about 6 days of work. Could not be put on "light duty" b/c there was no such thing anymore (huh?!?!). When I was evaluated in employee health, the doc recommended I stay out 3 more days (had already missed 3 days). Never seen such a look of hatred in my manager's eyes when I told him this :angryfire.

Anyway, mercykitten, I wish you the best of luck. I'm sure you can find something else out there that will make use of your valuable skills....just keep looking :)

Mattsmom....why in the world was there a 20lb lifting requirement for a monitor tech position????? :confused:

Laurie

mattsmom81 · May 26, 2002

Laurie, I'm sure 'someone' wanted to eliminate me. :) Fairly normal practice for an injured nurse to encounter, I'm hearing.

Actually 3 high level managers wanted to 'get my foot in the door' and groom me for a management position they had opening up. I was a former employee and they knew me (these managers had back problems too and were sympathetic to my dilemna)

Unfortunately, the employee health nurse in cahoots with risk management put the whoahs to our plans. Oh well. We live and learn....I've put that behind me. They lost a good nurse.

We truly must become creative and positive minded once we are injured or it is too easy to give up. You are so right Agnus, we musn't defeat ourselves!!!