ICU especially hard on back?

Not sure about the ICU, but, based on my experience, the ER is very tough on your back. For me, it has been tougher on my back that a both step-down and tele units (not that those are great for your back either).

Thanks for the response. Yeah, I've heard floor nursing in general wears on your back. I can also see how ER would be worse considering the urgency.

It depends on your facility. Mine has ceiling lifts in every ICU room, so ICU is not too bad on my back. Inpatient rehab was the worst unit I ever experienced for my back (getting nearly paralyzed stoke patients that are max assist up to the bedside commode, no bedpans or Foley catheters allowed).

ICU is hard on the back. When I worked M/S I rarely had back pain. Now that I am in the ICU and I turn both my pts every 2 hours or more often plus transport them plus help get them on the mri/CT scan table when needed I have back pain every night. We have a lift team but we usually save that for the morbidly obese immobile pts, and they are a long wait to get over to us.

Between the floors, ER, and ICU I've found ICU to be the hardest on my back. And while ceiling lifts are great, they can't always be used, such as when turing a patient to clean them or change the sling. I have "thrown out" my back before to the point where I couldn't get off my living room floor for 24 hours and found that it's very helpful to have a physical therapy session at work if that's possible for you (have your PT show you the best way to do things at work that are hard on your back in the best way possible).

Hi, ICU's and ortho floors are very hard on your back depending on your staffing, lift equipment, and available support staff (PCTs,CNAs, etc). In ICUs, your patients are unable to do much for themselves. On ortho and neuro units, patients balance are impaired, you are trying to mobilize them after surgery and CNS insults. Other areas like ER, OR, Cath lab, imaging: patients require minimal assistance depending on Injuries and sedation received during their procedures. In these areas, lifting is minimized or you are lifting as a team.

Some hospitals have invested in low level lift strategic equipment. Examples of this equipment include ceiling lifts, lift and slider sheets, hover mats and ez stand. Also motorized beds seem to cut down on back fatigue and stress as long as they stay charged.

After 27 years in ICUs, ER, burns, flight and cath lab: my back has not prevented me from working for the most part. Definitely do take care of your back-hospitals don't want you injuried, but working short staffed can make cut corners..not extra help to lift and its something you live with the rest of your career.

Best wishes in your career success,

Skip.219

I've done trauma ICU, ortho floor and ER so here's my two cents:

ICU: less walking, worst on back due to turning not just your pts every two hours but helping with all the other pts in the pod (usually 6 pts, 3 nurses). Then add in full baths and codes, very physically demanding.

Ortho: lots o walking, less turning, more helping out of bed.

ER: everything. Lots of walking, no turning, lots of catching people, breaking up fights, running after 5150s, etc.

Bottom line: ER is cardio, ICU weight lifting.

I have 5 years ICU experience but I also have 15 years gym experience so I know my body mechanics very well, my limitations, my strengths and weaknesses. We have programmable rotation beds that help out a lot with turning patients even bariatric beds for 500+ pounders.

I'm 5'4" and weigh 121lbs but even with my active lifestyle I find that team work is the best way to prevent and protect our backs from suffering potential mishaps. I work with some nurses here who have worked this same ICU for over 25 years and they're no bigger than me and they're twice my age. But I have seen a few nurses who have hurt their backs bad on our unit so my advice to you is no matter where you work, you need to find ways to protect yourself.

Don't let the fear in breaking your back determine where you would love to work. Because this is a back breaking job (no pun intended).

Bottom line: ER is cardio, ICU weight lifting.

Perfect - ER, ICU, tele here. ICU is definitely the most lifting, etc. in my experience. Especially with CNAs being almost non-existent - you not only do your own baths, turns, mobility you help your teammates with others.

I agree ER is cardio, NeuroICU weight/strength training! \

I have had back surgery (from work as RN? I am not sure, but 4 pregnancies, many of my younger years as a STNA/CNA/HHA, and assistant funeral director, then RN, several MVAs over my life all added up.)

Core training and balance are important (yoga!!!!) If your core (abd muscles) are strong, your back benefits. :)

Don't forget to use proper body mechanics (lift with your legs, use a team approach, squat don't bend over, etc!)

I feel like ICU is the worst on the back. We do have lifts in all patient's rooms, but we still do turns the old fashioned way most of the time. Also a biggie is depending on the type of ICU you are in, we need to get our patient's up OOB several times a day. PT isn't there all the time. To me this is the most straining on my back.

Consider Neonatal ICU - how bad can that n=be on a back!

I have worked both ICU and ED and I thought the various ICUs was harder on the back. Turning about every 2 hours, constantly cleaning, gotten them out of bed, fighting to keep them in bed and pulling up the obese patients who constantly slide down in bed. It is a constant battle to lift properly, but it takes its toll!!