Is nursing a good fit for me?

ivyleaf · Dec 30, 2016

If you are able to get through clinicals, office nursing/outpatient/primary care does not require heavy lifting. there is a lot of sitting involved if you are doing phone triage or case management, but you can get up and walk around the office every now and then. Also, low acuity/unlocked psych (high acuity/locked psych requires agility as far as restraints). Wellness nurse at an assisted living facility, case management, insurance/utilization review. As long as you are not at the bedside you will probably be fine.

undecidednewbie · Dec 30, 2016

Is there any way I could get a nursing job thats not at the bedside as a new grad? Or would I have to work in a hospital for a few years before being considered for those jobs?

undecidednewbie · Dec 30, 2016

And if I did end up working in a hospital, would it be feasible to sit down sometimes while charting, triaging etc? Or would I be standing for the whole 12 hours?

caliotter3 · Dec 30, 2016

You can tailor your job to fit your physical ability if you choose to work in extended care home health. You explain your situation to your agency employer and request peds patients up to 20 lbs., (or whatever). If you further limit your availability to night shift, you will normally have minimal duties outside of assessment at the beginning of the shift, administration of any meds or treatments, and diaper changes. Most parents will request that you only change the diaper at the beginning of the shift and when you get ready to leave, so that the child can sleep/rest through the night. This type of basic night "respite" duty can work for people with lifting/sitting/standing limitations, but there is one big caveat: Overnight shifts as I have described are rare and getting more rare as clients adjust to limiting care availability from their providing insurance source. Many patients that used to qualify for around the clock care, have been progressively cut in their hours over the past several years. Night shift is usually the first shift to be eliminated when choosing limited coverage.

If you can reconcile yourself to the other limitations of extended care (you aren't going to get many adrenaline rushes in this specialty), you could conceivably build a career out of taking care of the type of patients I have described. You might want to cold call home health agencies in your area that offer extended care (in addition to, or in place of, intermittent visit cases) and point blank ask the Director of Patient Care Services if you could get the type of employment with their agency that I have described above. Good luck with your decision. (BTW, a person I know was told by their surgeon (for scoliosis) that afterward they could do anything they felt able to do but he would not recommend skydiving. This was a serious inquiry.)

**NICU Guy, BSN, RN** · Dec 30, 2016

. I actually shadowed a speech language pathologist at a hospital, thinking it would be a lot less physical than nursing, and my back was killing me at the end of the day.

If shadowing an SLP was too much for your back, then I doubt any non-bedside nursing job would work for you.

llg, PhD, RN · Dec 30, 2016

Could you be a nurse? Yes ... but I wouldn't recommend it. Why make life so difficult for yourself. I like nursing and recommend it as a career to many people. But you would have so many problems finding a job to suit your restrictions that you would always be struggling. It is not a good fit.

Find something that "fits" you better and live a happy, successful life.

undecidednewbie · Dec 30, 2016

That makes sense, I appreciate everyones comments and suggestions. Im interested in learning about nursing and the different career paths it offers, but Im not sure if I would go through with it because of my back. Would anyone recommend another career in the health field thats less physically demanding but also deals with patients? Not PT or OT though. I just dont want a desk job but at the same time I cant be on my feet all day so its really frustrating.

amoLucia · Dec 31, 2016

Registered dietician or nutritionist?

Social work might be an option but it's a hard, demanding and at times, soul-sucking profession. Am unsure about career options and salary.

The problem with nursing is that you've got to get through schooling, licensing, and some beginning experience. Then you can start looking at the more coveted, 'plum' positions. But physical limitations just 'limits' you (bad pun).

There are some who have been fortunate and managed to hit it just right as all their stars aligned correctly in the grand universal scheme of life. Or they hit the lottery!