too little to be a nurse?

z's playa · Apr 18, 2005

From what I've read around here. Size doesn't matter. If someone could be so kind as to post the link to the threads pertaining to this exact subject..that owuld be greatly appreciated. I have no idea how to do it :chuckle

Z

PicklesRN, RN · Apr 18, 2005

Hello everyone,
I have a dillema. I am a nursing student and recently got a job on the med\sug floor. I am 5 feet and 111 lbs. and I had 3 pts refuse my care in the same 12 hr day because of my size! One pt said that I was too young and too little to be working here and management should do something about that because it puts pts in danger and if nothing is done he will speak to administration:o . I admit that I am not strong, but I know how to get help and the correct was to move pts. I am a bit discouraged now. what do you do when this happens?

Just my experience but nursing students generally have a FARRRR bigger problem being a know it all and having an opinion on absolutely everything more than their size. I'm 5' 4" and weigh 110-120 at any given time. I have no problem and I've been doing this for a very long time.

If more students would learn to ask questions vs. voicing opinions on something they don't have a lot of experience in, they would learn so much more.

Point being, don't worry about size or age. With time you'll quickly learn to get around that and deal with patients that question your skills. Pretty soon you'll be showing the newbies how you learned to deal with it.

nursestudentx · Apr 18, 2005

you can get a job while youre a student? maybe it was because you are a student? if i was a patient i wouldnt care if my nurse is 5 ft tall how old are you?

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Apr 18, 2005

Hello everyone,
I have a dillema. I am a nursing student and recently got a job on the med\sug floor. I am 5 feet and 111 lbs. and I had 3 pts refuse my care in the same 12 hr day because of my size! One pt said that I was too young and too little to be working here and management should do something about that because it puts pts in danger and if nothing is done he will speak to administration:o . I admit that I am not strong, but I know how to get help and the correct was to move pts. I am a bit discouraged now. what do you do when this happens?

How old was the pt. that said this? Because sometimes the older pts. that are set in their ways might say these things.

I haven't had anyone refuse me as their nurse, but i've noticed that being 5'10", my back kills me helping people ambulate that are 4'8"-4'10".

Gompers, BSN, RN · Apr 18, 2005

I'm not even five feet tall and I've been a nurse for almost seven years. The only problem I really had was when I worked as a CNA in med-surg - if I was trying to move a patient and was working with tall co-workers, they'd want the bed high, I'd want it low...so it ended up being not comfortable for anyone at times. Just watch your back, literally, so you don't strain it while working with taller patients and staff.

I work in the NICU now and that really helps. No huge patients, very easy for a smaller person.

There's a thread somewhere on the board about this where I described, in detail, how I sometimes have to hang IV bags on really tall IV poles...

I have had people, especially older people, ask me how old I am, etc. Once a grandfather asked me if I was in the NICU as some sort of high school class! This was after he watched me care for a very sick baby. :chuckle

kessadawn, BSN, RN · Apr 18, 2005

Hello everyone,
I have a dillema. I am a nursing student and recently got a job on the med\sug floor. I am 5 feet and 111 lbs. and I had 3 pts refuse my care in the same 12 hr day because of my size! One pt said that I was too young and too little to be working here and management should do something about that because it puts pts in danger and if nothing is done he will speak to administration:o . I admit that I am not strong, but I know how to get help and the correct was to move pts. I am a bit discouraged now. what do you do when this happens?

I don't typically get this anymore now that I work in a children's hospital, but all the years I worked as a nursing assistant in the nursing homes I heard it frequently. I am 5'2", and many elderly patients consider you too young if you look younger than 30! :chuckle

I spent a lot of time reassuring the pt that although I seemed young and small, I was quite capable of my duties and they were perfectly safe in my hands. Very rarely did I have my care refused, but many times I had to be very persistent in my convincing!

QMA_David · Apr 18, 2005

Nursing is more of using your "brain muscle vs your arm muscles" I would simply tell the patient "I'm sorry but I am assinged as your Nurse" If we need help moving you the other staff will be happy to help us..........

Trauma Columnist · Apr 18, 2005

I only wish people would think I'm too young to care for them - lol.

imenid37 · Apr 18, 2005

I am 5'1" and 40 years old. I used to have many older pt's. think I was a young kid. Then I got fat, wrinkled, and grey. Now my OB pt's think I am like their mom. They are right. Many are as young as my teen daughters. Just laugh it off. It will pass. My daughter is 4'9" and wants to be an RN. She is 17 and people think she is 12. WhenI was pregnant w/ her one older pt. kept leaning hard on me when I got her oob, so I asked her if she could try to not lean on me so much. Her response was "Dearie I didn't know you were expecting. I thought you were just FAT!" (She was 5' tall and 5' wide). Then she proceeded to ask me how old I was and if I was married. I was 22 and married. At that ime, I was about 120 lbs at 30 weeks gestation. I weigh more now not pregnant!. Those were the days! :)

PBAJS · Apr 18, 2005

from what i've read around here. size doesn't matter. if someone could be so kind as to post the link to the threads pertaining to this exact subject..that owuld be greatly appreciated. i have no idea how to do it

there's a thread somewhere on the board about this where i described, in detail, how i sometimes have to hang iv bags on really tall iv poles...

here's a topic with threads pertaining to this subject.

gompers, you are in there somewhere.

can a short person be a nurse?

https://allnurses.com/forums/showthread.php?t=58226

Sadie04 · Apr 18, 2005

Being 5'1" and 110 lbs, soft voice and young-looking face I get these comments all the time. Older pts. constantly ask me how old I am, am I old enough to be a nurse, etc. When I tell them I'm 29, they are usually quite surprised! I just laugh and make a joke about it and the subject is usually dropped. The older I get, the less it bothers me :)