Nurses as SUPERHUMANS!!

[Epona]

Hello. I was reading another post on here about what nurses are responsible for lifting and someone said that finally there are lifting machines and nurses do not have to lift very obese patients on their own and be superhumans anymore........ that made me think.... I have thought about posting this concern and was debating it..... seeing this about superhumans made me decide to go ahead and do it.

I have a mild health condition and have to take meds at certain times and eat a bite here and there through-out the day. When I first started RN school a year ago, one of the nursing instructors asked me why I wanted to be a nurse and I told her of my condition and that was one of the reasons I wanted to be a nurse....... her response.... she stopped writing on her desk, looked up at me and said, "You are a XXX patient and you want to be a NURSE?????" I tried explaining to her my meds and that for the most part I am just fine. Anyway, we were having post conference a few days ago after clinical and I told my RN instructor that I really liked the OR and her response, "How are you going to work in the OR when you have to take meds and eat on occasion?" I had to explain my situation again. Basically I am getting really tired of having to explain myself and my condition. I know the concept is that nurses are supposed to be gladiators, so I guess that means you have to be perfect and can have nothing wrong with you. :uhoh3:If I am working in the OR, I can take my meds a little later OR when I know the schedule of the patients for the day, I can plan my meds and food around it within an hour or two. I have taken six meds a day for years and know my schedule well. There are numerous shifts and numerous positions available for nurses. I happen to like the OR very much and do not want my handicap to stop me. Just because someone has a handicap does not mean they can't be a nurse. Yes.. it may be a little challenging in the OR, but don't throw me out because of my condition. I guess they forget I am one of the top nursing students in the class. My condition has not stopped me yet, OR any of the patients I have attended to as a SN. Sorry for the vent, but thanks for listening!!!! I feel much better now!!!

[jessiern, BSN, RN]

I'm sure you will find that your condition may cuase some problems with whatever position you decide to take...but nurse are inventive people. You will figure out how to manage the problems that come up with YOUR condition, just like you figure out how to manage the patient down the hall that develops a complication.

[gonzo1, ASN, RN]

If only completely healthy people could be nurses, most of us would be jobless. Almost every nurse I know has something wrong with them. We are humans, we break.

Anyone that tells you otherwise needs a psyche eval.

[nyapa, RN]

So far with school and clinicals I have managed my meds Ok with no problems.

There's your answer! If you have managed it already, then yep, keep going for it! Knock the 't' out of can't

Jay

[Scrubby]

Epona -you sound like a very determined person to work in the OR. I wish you all the best and hope that you are able to work around your health problem. I have a very good friend who is a theatre nurse with diabetes, and that hasn't stopped her. So i say go for it! :nuke:

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

Good luck to you.

Rule #1 for the future - don't tell people you're personal health issues unless they have a need to know. :)

[dcarriv]

all you can do is try it. if you get an interview in the o.r. be up front with the nurse manager and human resources. if what you have is a considered a disability they cannot discriminate against you. you may be limited with the kind of duty you can do in the or. you can have surgeries that last for hours, and nobody gets a break, even to go to the bathroom.

[Mikey31079]

to the op: go for it sweetie, don't let the words of a few certain people stop you from what you want to do. i speak from experience. i was born with cerebral palsy, and was told by many, even my family, that i would never have a career, much less in health care. fast forward to the present: i've been an stna for going on 12 years..and i'm currently taking prereqs for lpn school at columbus state. don't give up, have faith in yourself because we certainly have faith in you:up: :loveya:

[1jazzynurse]

How do people expect us as nurses to take care of patients and not take care of ourselves? I know how weak i get if i don't eat and guess what? I WILL find time to eat, even if i have to stuff it in my mouth and go. I WILL NOT kill myself trying to take care of others. How can i safely care for my patients with a distended bladder, bad back, and decreased level of consciousness b/c i haven't eaten or peed yet i'm working overtime? Though I'm not sure about how the OR works, you can be a nurse.

[Epona]

:urck:I am not a nurse yet, but feel so blessed to feel that one day I will be called a NURSE along with you fine folks. :tku: I am a realist, but also have a lot of guts and determination. I will not let my handicap OR the teachers get me down. No way. I appreciate those of you who have been upfront and laid it out and I appreciate those of you who have cheered me on. :clphnds: I thank everyone for all their replies and I will just have to go there for myself and see how I fly. You never know unless you TRY. I will reach for the Moon, but if I fall, I know I will land among the stars. :wshgrt: :[anb]:

[BrokenRNheart]

There are plenty of nurses hobbling around with bad hips, bad knees, high blood pressure or hypoglycemic episodes.

You can work. It's just a matter of finding a job with the support. Lengthy OR cases are probably not an option, but there are plenty of shorter procedures. Certain lengthy procedures also require more specialized OR nurses. A general OR nurse might not be in an open heart surgery.

You are going to run across people that are "flabergasted" with your issue. I know of a charge nurse that kept falling due to a muscular disorder. She kept working until she was wheelchair bound. She didn't do patient care but she had to walk a lot as a charge nurse.