No one told me....

[Reese17]

Well, I just finished my 1st week at my very 1st nursing job in an LTC facility....nursing skool had me fooled! No one told me my feet would HURT soooo bad!!!! I'm fine when I'm on the floor but the minute I get home and lay down, I'm in agony....no one told me how angry residents will get if u dont give them their medicine when they want it just because the other nurse does this and pre-pours their meds & give them meds early or late....What are some things that surprised you about your first time?

[SWS RN, ASN, RN]

Good idea, but pricey.

I bought a Tempur-pedic and love it. Wont go back to regular mattress.

So important to have a comfortable place to recline.

s

[SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN]

All I will wear on the floor are Birkenstocks. I went through a dozen pairs of shoes before finding the right ones.

I can't do Dansko or Crocs. Crocs DESTROYED my feet.

[RedhairedNurse, BSN, RN]

I buy the New Balance 845, nothing less will do. They cost about $125 at the NB specialty store. I also get the NB arch supports that cost about $40. I think they're the highest/tallest arch supports they make. I have to buy a new pair of shoes and new arch supports about every 8-10 months. Once my feet start hurting, I know it's time for a new pair. I'm on my 3rd pair of the same shoes and I've been at by job 3 months shy of two years. Remember, you get what you pay for. I've tried the NB shoes from Academy, the ones that cost $59-$69......they do not work, my feet hurt. It's amazing what these NB 845 shoes do to my feet. Just bought a new pair for this weeks shift and I promise, no pain in my feet. Last week, I was in tremendous pain. Please try them! I really think they will do you good. It's worth $170 every 8-10 months to make sure my feet are comfy.

I also wear support/ted hose. I've gone a shift or two without wearing them, and oh, the pain and aches in my leg. They make a huge difference! Definitely wear support hose and let us know, I promise you, they'll make a big difference.

Danskos look painful to me. I see nurses on my floor trying to walk around in them, but they walk funny.

[teeniebert, LPN]

...Croc stop? What is this? Will I be able to make fun of co-workers about it?

On a more serious note, if you have pain in the soles of your feet, especially in the arches, ice can help. Fill a 16-20 oz. bottle about 2/3 full of water and freeze it, then roll it back and forth on the floor under your foot. It's a short-term fix, but it works long enough that I can get to sleep.

[SWS RN, ASN, RN]

Croc stop...well known condition. Illustrated by...walk, walk, walk...trip-run, run, run...regain balance, walk, walk, walk...repeat.

Ask any croc wearer and they know what you are talking about...if they don't , they will soon!

Basically, it occurs when the toe/sole of the croc sticks on the carpet or tile or whatever...your feet come to an immediate halt, but momentum takes place and the rest of your body keeps going...

I used to do it frequently, but have it well under control now...however, I look like I am walking thru a mine field sometimes...The Hurt Locker....

Yes, watch carefully, you can make fun of your coworkers!

s

[thalictrum]

Even with my Danskos, my feet are killing me at the end of a shift (I work in an emergency department so there's really no sitting, ever, which might have something to do with it).

Then again, I wonder if they don't fit me properly.

[NursMaddy]

My first job at 16 was working at a register. 8 hours of standing on concrete. Ouch!

After 6 months of that it just didn't hurt as much. (Of course I started learning little tricks like shifting one foot to the other, etc).

My feet can get a little sore but nothing compared to that.

Buy good shoes and the support hose. It'll make a world of difference.

Of course, now that we do computer charting I spend much more time sitting.

Of the hour & 1/2 charting I do I spend at least part of it in a chair.

[kxvc]

They told me, but it never really sank in until I started how much responsibility is on my shoulders. The day after the end of preceptorship I was expected to be able to handle whatever came through the ER doors. I hadn't even done a blood transfusion yet. No wonder my first block teacher would laugh and say, "the buck stops here." Boy was she right!

[shanyone]

I swear by the Skechers Shape Ups. I can't say enough about them now that I've been wearing them for almost four months. I was a new nurse in October and within the first month of work my feet were hurting so bad that it was affecting me both at work and at home. I bought these for myself in December and I haven't had any foot pain since. My pain was in my arches. It has disappeared and I am grateful. I can run and walk again with my dogs outside of work and I don't even think about my feet at work anymore!

[elprup, BSN, RN]

MBT's are my fav. They were the first. Now there are sketchers shape ups and a few others. My mbt's were around $200, but I would not trade them for anything. www.zappos.com is a great site, free shipping, free return shipping, and they arrive in like 2 days! Love them.

[Kim, HHRN]

My feet were bad before I became a nurse, so I wondered how in the world I would even be able to work as a nurse. However, I went to the podiatrist who recommended some arch supports which has some give (I have high arches, by the way). They did WONDERS for my feet. Maybe they will help others too. They are made by Spenco and here is a website that you can go to and check them out. http://www.rei.com/product/679203?preferredSku=6792030055&cm_mmc=cse_froogle-_-datafeed-_-product-_-6792030055&mr:trackingCode=7B744FFE-FB85-DE11-B7F3-0019B9C043EB&mr:referralID=NA

They are also available at Academy Sports for around $30.00 They have lasted me for over 3 years now and are still working.

[milobust]

I have plantar facsitis and it sounds pretty similar to what you've described. I am now using arch supports, hopefully it will resolve.