I am curious as to how many of the members of this bb are nurses or nursing students with disabilities. By disabilities, I am including congenital problems, injury-related problems, or work-related injuries that have resulted in that person's inability to perform regular nursing tasks without accomodation or the inability to perform bedside nursing at all.
I am a 25 year veteran of healthcare, 20 of which have been as a RN. I sustained an initial back injury at age 18 while working my first job as a nurses' aide and now have severe thoracic and lumbo-sacral stenosis, disc herniation and degenerative disc disease/arthritis. I have been through PT and surgery is not currently an option due to the rehabilitation time and the fact that I carry all of our health benefits and cannot afford COBRA for that period of time at present. I have worked staff as well as management positions, but chose to return to staff nursing about 1-1/2 years ago in an effort to refresh my skills. Unfortunately, my back isn't able to handle it--even in an ICU setting where there is a smaller patient load. Now it's a question of finding a position that I am able to do and that I am not "overqualified" for. Believe it or not, even in this nursing shortage, it's tough to find a physically lighter position! I am fearful of revealing anything about my physical limitations to a potential employer, although a pre-employment physical exam as well as how poorly I am able to move some days would definitely show how advanced this problem is. I have contemplated applying for SSI disability, but I don't think I meet the criteria as it relates to my ability to learn a new job or to find something less physical in my current area of expertise. I have been forced to resign from 2 positions within the past year due to my back and am now having a really tough time finding something. It's humiliating as well as depressing.....
Have any of you ever faced these challenges? How did you handle them? What did you finally end up doing in order to obtain gainful employment?
Thanks for any input or advice any of you may have. :)
My last nursing job knew about my disabiity and still hired me to build and start an Allergy Dept with a nice expense account. After 12 weeks, I crashed and burned.Kept working in an obviously poor state and they were awesome. I don't think it's a law u have to diclose????????But I know I would ask for help when I found I needed it, further down the line. It probably depends alot on the management and protocols each place has. Boy this is a tough one. I wish you the best in your career.
great news that someone is interested in this great career !!! generally if i were you....find the best opthomologist and have an eye exam and get a written description of any vision limitations. get a written copy of any and all job descriptions. understand that there are standards of care in this industry and i would look at these. be honest at all times with yourself and any and all employer !!! there are sooooo many ways to be a nurse and many directions to go and the field has some place for all. if you keep the desire, you WILL do well. there are diabetic nurses who have vision changes, there are hypertensive nurses who have vision changes, there are nurses with lupus who present symptoms on duty, there are many nurses with many conditions and continue to work around the situation. the severity of the condition and your ability to perform on the job is vital...remember you are part of a TEAM also. there are internet sites for the disabled that will assist and toll free numbers all across this nation...investigate first and you will be fine. have a great career and keep smiling !!! mary
I have been hearing impaired for about 10 years. I have a hearing aide but I cannot always wear it at work because the phones just make it buzz. I have learned to read lips fairly well. Many people do not realize I am hearing impaired but they can tell quickly if they call me and my back is to them LOL. I have had hearing impaired phones before to help me which made a huge difference. I am 50% impaired in the right and 75% in the left.
renerian
Does your hearing aid have a telecoil? Mine do and it does cause a buzzing with phones so I also use a neckloop and wow what a clearer difference. What level is 50% and 75%? My hearing levels are 120 decibles left ear and 136 decibles in right. Just curious. Hope to chat with you someday.
I am curious as to how many of the members of this bb are nurses or nursing students with disabilities. By disabilities, I am including congenital problems, injury-related problems, or work-related injuries that have resulted in that person's inability to perform regular nursing tasks without accomodation or the inability to perform bedside nursing at all.
I am a 25 year veteran of healthcare, 20 of which have been as a RN. I sustained an initial back injury at age 18 while working my first job as a nurses' aide and now have severe thoracic and lumbo-sacral stenosis, disc herniation and degenerative disc disease/arthritis. I have been through PT and surgery is not currently an option due to the rehabilitation time and the fact that I carry all of our health benefits and cannot afford COBRA for that period of time at present. I have worked staff as well as management positions, but chose to return to staff nursing about 1-1/2 years ago in an effort to refresh my skills. Unfortunately, my back isn't able to handle it--even in an ICU setting where there is a smaller patient load. Now it's a question of finding a position that I am able to do and that I am not "overqualified" for. Believe it or not, even in this nursing shortage, it's tough to find a physically lighter position! I am fearful of revealing anything about my physical limitations to a potential employer, although a pre-employment physical exam as well as how poorly I am able to move some days would definitely show how advanced this problem is. I have contemplated applying for SSI disability, but I don't think I meet the criteria as it relates to my ability to learn a new job or to find something less physical in my current area of expertise. I have been forced to resign from 2 positions within the past year due to my back and am now having a really tough time finding something. It's humiliating as well as depressing.....
Have any of you ever faced these challenges? How did you handle them? What did you finally end up doing in order to obtain gainful employment?
Thanks for any input or advice any of you may have. :)
Suzanne
good morning !!!! what about service in the insurance industry....case review, pt. education, workers comp. reviews, managing care after pt. goes home, hmo chart reviews......look away from hospitals and toward other type employers. may take more time....i am looking too !! thanks and good day, mary
I too know the humiliation of being "medically discharged", some fair , some illegal, but anyway I'm returning to school spring semester and finishing those 9 classes and then hope to get in the lpn to rn bridge class when I finish. I have to go slow. I am into continueing personal training and PT to keep my strength up. I hope to land a research job, but at the moment I am on SSDI and medicare along with my wonderfully supportive husband's insurance. I was misdiagnosed 6 years ago and still fighting to get back to what I love....Nursing. I'll never stop, it's just the mindset I have. Never could figure out i was really sick and all of this will go away. It never did obviously so i had to change my own mindset and I'm going to get that RN, and find a job that works my brain and hopefully my skills. As an LPN I worked my butt off and acquired skills in many areas and know I can do this, but It Has to Be Slow, unfortunetly. Best of luck to all of you.
It took me 6 years to get out of the house, and I get what the depression feels like and the career gone poof, try to hang in there, I sure hope you get SSDI disabled girl, sure sounds like you needed it yesterday. You are in my thoughts!
Thankyou Viking, that means so much to me, no health insurance, cant afford Cobra, chronic condition and very rudimentary health care at free clinic makes for a situation in which a condition that could be improved has become worse.Thanks for your concern, am feeling a bit better now and will keep making trouble here on these forums.
I have migraines, SEVERE migraines 2-3x a week. I consider this a disability cause it is! Voc. Rehab. agreeded and helped me get a college education. But at work SO MANY people think I just have a headache and am over reacting. I am a new nurse, but some of these comments is absurd!
There is a good website for disabled nurses with links for job applications and areas to look for employment. I am in school as an amputee getting my BSN. I have a motorcycle accident with 6 years trying to get my leg to mend. 46 surgeries in 6 years and finally I said "enough!" Last summer whacked it off and now I can walk again, but a bit messed up in the back with 2 fusions. I worked in a Level II nursery and would love to get back to that for the physical demands anren't much and are right up my alley. Been out of work for over 7 years now and taking a re-entry class next month along with my BSN classes. I expect to graduate in March and pray that the doors will open. So far two have slammed in my face so I figured that is God's way of telling me that it isn't time yet. He is preparing a place for me out there. The depression gets bad sometimes, but I try to stay busy with school. I know I have to get stronger, so I guess I am not quite ready to go 100%. I will have a large government loan to pay back so I h ave to work somewhere. Thanks, santababy52
Ooops forgot to give you all the website I was talking about. Here it is
www.exceptionalnurse.com Also there is a good book out there called "You Are Not Your Illness" by Linda NobleTopf, M.A. ISBN #0-684-80121-8. Though she had a illness that became her disability, she was able to get past it and her story is inspiring. I don't know about the rest of you but I have been given many books to help me get out of this pit. Some I recommend is Beth Moore "Get Out of the Pit", "90 Minutes in Heaven" (awesome book, but forgot the authors name). Anyway, thought I would pass along some of what got me through. Family, prayers and a loving God! I am hopeful, just like the rest of you. Good luck and happy reading.
There is a good website for disabled nurses with links for job applications and areas to look for employment. I am in school as an amputee getting my BSN. I have a motorcycle accident with 6 years trying to get my leg to mend. 46 surgeries in 6 years and finally I said "enough!" Last summer whacked it off and now I can walk again, but a bit messed up in the back with 2 fusions. I worked in a Level II nursery and would love to get back to that for the physical demands anren't much and are right up my alley. Been out of work for over 7 years now and taking a re-entry class next month along with my BSN classes. I expect to graduate in March and pray that the doors will open. So far two have slammed in my face so I figured that is God's way of telling me that it isn't time yet. He is preparing a place for me out there. The depression gets bad sometimes, but I try to stay busy with school. I know I have to get stronger, so I guess I am not quite ready to go 100%. I will have a large government loan to pay back so I h ave to work somewhere. Thanks, santababy52
Trust in yorself that when that door opens it's goin to be sunny so bring those glasses. You've worker hard and you're still going. Keep fighting. I too have depression after my disability "ruined my life", now my life is getting better every day! Best of Luck.
punkingirl
25 Posts
great news that someone is interested in this great career !!! generally if i were you....find the best opthomologist and have an eye exam and get a written description of any vision limitations. get a written copy of any and all job descriptions. understand that there are standards of care in this industry and i would look at these. be honest at all times with yourself and any and all employer !!! there are sooooo many ways to be a nurse and many directions to go and the field has some place for all. if you keep the desire, you WILL do well. there are diabetic nurses who have vision changes, there are hypertensive nurses who have vision changes, there are nurses with lupus who present symptoms on duty, there are many nurses with many conditions and continue to work around the situation. the severity of the condition and your ability to perform on the job is vital...remember you are part of a TEAM also. there are internet sites for the disabled that will assist and toll free numbers all across this nation...investigate first and you will be fine. have a great career and keep smiling !!! mary