How big are the re-injury risks in nursing?

Published

So- I've got a potentially odd question but I'd like to get the opinions of people actually working the job on a serious question that I have about my potential career switch to nursing. I've been seriously thinking about becoming a nurse. I'm in my mid twenties, and I got my BA in psychology, and originally was planning to become a psychologist. But life had other plans for me- two months after graduation I ended up in a really bad car crash that gave me a 10% compression fracture on my C7 vertebrae and a pretty nasty concussion. The whole ordeal was pretty terrible, but if it hadn't been for a few amazing nurses in the rural Wyoming hospital that I was seen at it would have been about a thousand times worse, and I think that I would like to be that nurse for others.

I've been doing a lot of research on what the profession is really like, and I have a lot of first hand knowledge about what the medical world is like because I grew up in the various doctors offices that my mom managed. I actually thought I wanted to be a MD when I was in High School and spent my breaks shadowing doctors in the OR (But, I ended up going through some rough stuff right after graduation that sort of shattered my confidence, and I realized that a lot of doctors don't actually get to do patient care, so I shifted gears to psychology because I knew I'd get to work with people directly there. Not sure why I didn't think nursing then LOL). Since I have a BA I've been looking up accelerated nursing programs, and I've located 4 potential schools, and I'd only need to take 4-6 classes depending on the program for prerequisites.

But, recently I was talking about doing nursing with my doctor, and she said that it might not be a great idea because there's a good chance I might end up re-injuring my neck due to the physical demands of the job. 8 weeks in a cervical collar and the following months of PT really, really, sucked and I'd really rather not risk having to go through that again.

So my question is this, if I did do the nursing route, I'd try and go somewhere less physically demanding after getting the RN (I know that might not be super easy because it can be difficult for new grads to get jobs, but that's my plan). But from my understanding, during clinicals you don't really have an option on where you go, so I might end up doing some lifting that could be potentially hazardous for me. But what are the actual odds of re-injuring my neck? Are there any specialties that would be more or less dangerous for somebody who has pre-existing back and neck problems? Because while I of course do respect my doctors opinion, I also know that she's not actually doing the work of a Nurse. Thoughts?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Cardiac (adult), CC, Peds, MH/Substance.

If you survive nursing school and your first year or two of nursing, there are much less physically demanding jobs.

You may even be able to get a less physically demanding job straight out of school.

I mean, it kind of depends on what you want to do with your life. What do you imagine yourself doing with a nursing degree when you close your eyes? Knowing what you believe you might like or dislike may help a lot with generating ideas.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

You should heed your doctor's advice.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

I'm sorry, but we really cannot offer medical advice per the Terms of Service. Your best bet is to talk with your doctor and find out what he/she recommends. Nursing can be very taxing both physical and mentally, and when you're doing clinicals you will be doing a lot of "grunt work" which includes lifting, transferring, moving heavy patients up in bed, and so on. Only you and your treating physician can decide whether nursing is right for you.

Good luck in your endeavors.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion