Looking for advice/reality check - 1 year on a stepdown/ICU floor

[TammyTho]

Long story short I'm 40 years old (ish) lol and nursing is a second career for me. My previous 20+ years have been administrative and management positions working the typical 9-5 M-F shifts. The 12 hour shifts are quite a challenge for me to get used to. I pretty much enjoy what I'm doing but my back is already killing me from moving the large patients or the patients who are contracted/fighting that we need to reposition every 2 hours in the stepdown and ICU. I'm not sure where to head as I'm not sure my body is going to take the 20+ years of nursing that I need to do. I enjoy the hustle and bustle when our patients have a medical change and we need to find out whats happening so I've considered ED, I enjoy helping the patients and families when patients are terminally ill and making hospice type of decisions, I enjoyed my previous management type of roles -- there are so many nursing options and I'm starting to feel too old to have the time to navigate it all myself so I thought I'd ask here. Hopefully your experiences can help me see the pros and cons of different paths. Any type of input would be greatly appreciated.

[PeakRN]

The ED is just as physical as the floor. Lifting homie drop offs onto a bed, restraining patients, reductions and other procedures, et cetera.

Have you considered the NICU? There can definitely be fast paced moments and the physical demand is far less than the adult world.