New Grad RN with bad back. Is APN a safer option?

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Hello! I am a 27 y/o former firefighter-EMT and ED tech, now new grad RN. As a tech and a firefighter, I worked for companies that didn't exactly have cultures of back safety. As a result, I was straining my lumbar muscles about once every 2 months. Just before nursing school, I got an MRI and found out I had 3 bulging/protruding discs and mild stenosis in some of those areas. Fast forward to nursing school and all of a sudden I wasn't pulling my back regularly (probably because I wasn't pulling up/lifting patients daily by myself). I was feeling great and I realized how much bedside care and poor body mechanics at work really had screwed up my back. Nursing school taught me a lot of tricks to save your back (e.g., raising the bed) that I had never been taught as a tech, and I've been doing my best to apply these lessons in real life nursing.

I just got a night shift job on a really awesome cardiac unit for a hospital that discourages lifting of more than 35 lbs. Unfortunately, I haven't seen this lift policy played out in reality, and night shift lift resources (e.g., Hover mats) don't seem to be readily available. Plus, we all know how strenuous bedside nursing is even with a no-lift policy. After only a few weeks on the floor, I severely herniated a disc and required emergency back surgery. In addition, my updated MRI shows worsened bulges in the other areas, and severe stenosis in the herniated area. I know I won't be able to survive a long career of bedside nursing. I'm not entirely upset by this, because nursing school really peaked my interest in 3 areas: nursing research, nursing informatics, and advanced practice nursing.

My preference is to become a NP and work in a more rural setting. However, I don't know how strenuous this type of advanced practice nursing actually is on the back. For those working in clinics or offices as FNPs or PNPs, would you say that advanced practice nursing is easier or harder on the back than bedside floor nursing? What are the most common lifting/bending moments? Given my back history, would you advise for or against an APN career?

Thank you!

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Specializes in ICU, LTACH, Internal Medicine.

Many of us are leaving bedside for precisely same reason :up:

AFAIK advanced practice is at least much safer regarding this issue. Still can involve a lot of walking though.

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Thanks for your response! Walking is fine with me. It was actually highly advised by my surgeon. It's prolonged sitting and frequent bending/twisting/lifting that get me. I can overcome the sitting at my current work place by charting standing up, but I'm more concerned about the bending/twisting/lifting stuff.

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Specializes in Outpatient Psychiatry.

I sit in an office all day. The heavist thing I lift on the job is my lunch.

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Specializes in ICU, LTACH, Internal Medicine.

I do not know about sitting all day being very good for back pain, but APNs I know are definitely almost never have to push 500+ pounders around. And those who do it act completely on their own.

I am considering to develop my current grad thesis into PhD a little down the road in case of impending physical disability. I only will need a working brains for doing research :up:

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Specializes in Critical Care and ED.

I sympathize. I don't have a back problem but I have endometriosis and adenomyosis so whenever I do anything that requires lifting or pulling I feel like I'm giving birth and I wind up in intense pain for hours to days on end. It goes right through my abdomen, back, hips and pelvis. I am in NP school right now and I do not anticipate lifting anybody when I graduate.

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My preference is to become a NP and work in a more rural setting.

As an NP you shouldn't be lifting, pulling, or pushing anyone---at all. If you want to work in a rural area you will find more employment opportunities.

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BWright81188,

I've never really done a lot of strenuous activities when it came to NP duties. I don't have back problems but I wouldn't just go for an APN career just because it is less stress on your back (Although it is a perk, that, and less dealing with poop). There are other areas in Nursing that don't really require you to lift heavy patients like NICU. If APN is something you consider then, shadow an APN and see if it is something you can see yourself in the future. Rural areas, IMHO, are great to practice in as an APN. I've only practiced in rural areas so far. My supervising MDs are always so helpful and they treat me as equals and they are so welcoming when I have questions.

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Being stuck in an office is not a death sentence to sit for hours on end. Our managers use standing desks, "medicine ball" chairs, and other things to promote posture/health. A couple of them are very physically fit.

I highly suggest doing more research into overall health/fitness in the working world. Clearly you had some level of fitness as a FF/Medic/Tech, but all too often we rely on youth or brute force as opposed to overall health. I suggest checking out reddit/fitness for ways to maintain fitness throughout your life (thats where I go). A big demographic of theirs is desk/office workers, so no matter what you pursue past bedside nursing (which options you definitely need to consider) you can retain your health and hopefully, a good amount of fitness!

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Specializes in Urology.

I just want to point out that I hope you dont want to be an NP just because you dont have to move heavy things around. Thats like me saying I want to be a physician because I saw Doc Mcstuffins. I certainly hope you have a desire other than what you have described.

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Specializes in ER/Tele, Med-Surg, Faculty, Urgent Care.

One of the reasons for getting my NP after 25+ years on med-surg floors was the lifting and the 12 hours nights, plus the aging process.

I currently sit most of the time when I am not in the exam room with my patient.

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Thanks for the advice! I worked (and currently work) with NPs, interviewed one before nursing school and shadowed several during, and have met with program directors and deans from different grad schools to discuss my options. I feel confident in my decision to go to grad school. Unfortunately, I've never thought to pay attention to the back work of an NP during my shadow experiences, hence this post. So far, it sounds like it would be easier on my back than bedside nursing, but I want to make absolute sure before applying to programs and taking out more school loans. As much as I want to be an NP, if it were bad for my back I would have to give up on that dream and look into nursing research or nursing informatics (the 2 other disciplines that appealed to me in nursing school). I'm way too young for these back issues as it is, I'm very active, and I'd like to continue being active for many more decades. :up:

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