Injuries

UM Review RN, ASN, RN · Mar 15, 2008

The skin on my hands was cracked and bleeding due to the hospital soap.

When we started using alcohol gel, I noticed right away that my hands started to heal.

Weird, isn't it?

But now my skin is much better -- as long as I don't use the soap too much.

Had a bad case of foot pain about a year ago, still can't wear anything but Crocs to work, without setting it off again.

And I don't even wanna tell you about my back.

momof2nurse · Mar 16, 2008

BACK, BACK, BACK.... course, it didn't help that I was the recipient of 2 rear-ended accidents and got severe whiplash, but I was being treated by a chiropractor and had improved to almost normal until being on my feet got to me.

Plus, my feet, ankles, and knees really kill me after a long day, even now, after not being in a hospital for 3 months, I still have the lingering effects from when I did...

allnurses Guide · Mar 16, 2008

Nothing . . . except my hands get dry but I've been out of hospital nursing since last July and my hands still get dry.

steph

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Mar 16, 2008

I've bonked my head on the overhead monitors more times than I care to think about. I've had a huge hematoma on my leg from trying to get to a patient in distress in an over-crowded room when I bumped into the ECMO pump handle as I rounded the bed. I've torn a rotator cuff then aggravated it while doing manual peritoneal dialysis for three straight 12 hour nights. And I've strained my back and neck several times. My hands have been cracked and bleeding from the foam chlorhexadine soap we used. Oh, and I received a corneal abrasion from a child whose armboard knocked my glasses off while I was trying to d/c her femoral central line.

allnurses Guide · Mar 16, 2008

jan - you reminded me of all the bruises I've gotten pushing beds around in tight little hospital rooms. But bruises go away.

steph

imanedrn · Mar 16, 2008

I have flat feet (NO arch at all) which causes a LOT of pain my ankles, knees, hips, and low back. Fortunately, I wear arch supports and have sneakers with a strong boot/instep. Standing for so long used to be a HUGE problem for me, though, when I worked counter-type jobs. I was actually concerned about being a nurse and how being on my feet for so long would affect the problems I already have.

Fortunately, working only 3 days a work allows me the time (and desire!) to exercise. On my days off, now, I spend 30 minutes on my treadmill, increasing the incline & speed each week. This is to regain some strength in those supportive muscles.

As for my low back, I have some Windsor pilates DVDs that I do. I can't even begin to tell you how much that's helped to strength my "core" and improve my posture.

After exercising more, I don't go home in as much physical pain as I used to. My feet still hurt, but at least I can manage.

proud2b1 · Mar 16, 2008

:vlin:I hurt soooooooooo bad on the left side of my upper neck,all the time!It will burn and tingle,if I push in on the area the pain subsides.I have been told it is muscle spasms.Creams help some,but I also am now getting alot of migrains!!

Agnes Anne · Mar 19, 2008

the largest knuckle on both thumbs and my great toes.

Go figure?!

Of course my back... but that's from crappy posture after a long shift,lol

gm

Scrubby · Mar 19, 2008

I have done something to my back. Over the past few weeks i've noticed that i've had stiff and sore lower back and pains down my legs at night. I'm always careful when i have to lift legs, trays but because we tend to work in a cramped environment you have no choice but to twist around a lot when carrying heavy items. This issue has been addressed, but of course nothing done about it because nothing gets done about anything where i work.

Anyway yesterday i told the charge nurse of the pain i've been having, she told me that i needed to see a doc. Today i was put in ortho theatre with hip revision which requires more lifting of trays for any procedure. I warned the other nurses that i couldn't do much lifting but because of the nature of this procedure of course i had to rush in with trays etc. I now have spasms in different places on my back. I will not be going in tomorrow, i'm seeing the doc about it.

I'm terrified that i'll be off work for months, and i will need surgery. :crying2:

shellsgogreen · Mar 19, 2008

scrubby, sorry to hear you're experiencing such pain -:icon_hug: i would speak to the nurse manager, as you need to not be in heavier surgeries at the moment.

let us know what the doctor says

nursemike, ASN, RN · Mar 19, 2008

My knees are nearly shot--and no, I'm not the head nurse. I wore them out in my previous career, crawling around on roofs. I was a carpenter, but a lot of times the best money was in putting on roofs. It's coming up on the time when I miss that work most. Not this week, with all the rain, but late April and May, the weather's nice, college girls are sunbathing on nearby roofs, birds are singing...but my knees would be swollen by the end of each day.

I'm losing weight, which ought to help, but I notice lately that favoring whichever knee is complaining most sometimes leads to hip pain on the other side. On the bright side, although I've always had more of a keg than a six-pack, all that heavy lifting has given me very strong abs and back muscles, and my previous position in healthcare was transport, so my calves can kick holes in concrete.

In my OR rotation in school, I got to watch a knee replacement. I'm gonna nurse these suckers as long as possible.