Nurses with disabilities

Nurses Disabilities

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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

Specializes in IM/Critical Care/Cardiology.

Good thinking!

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I also am hearing impaired and work on a acute care oncology unit. I recently found some better hearing aids by Rexton (Revera Free BTE) that work really well for me and although I pull the plastic plugs out of my ear I dont take them off my ear to use my stethoscope which is an ADC electronic version that does quite well. I don't need a telecoil for my hearing aids as they have a BTE device and I can hear the thermometer beeping. What aids are you using? Also, if your hearing needs more help they have that operation now, I forget the name, that can be done for the higher sounds and still use the hearing aids.

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Any nurses out there working in clinical setting that have had a cochlear implant? I have Nucleus 23 but am having a hard time getting my stethoscope to work with it. Anyone have a stet that works good with this?

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I do not have a coclear implant, so I can't answer your question. I do hear it takes a while to get used to the implants. I asked my doctor if I could use the partial coclear implant but he said I did not have enought of a hearing problem to warrant it. I use Rexton Revera Free BTE, which has improved my hearing from my old in the ear model with remote control. I do use an ADC electronic stethoscope which works real well for me. I'm on a stepdown oncology unit and I have trained most of the nurses and aides to work with my hearing problem.

Cudos to your years in nursing. I am 56 and graduated from nursing school in 2006. I'm just starting and a lot of people my age are already retired or just about to. I wish I had made this career move a long time ago. It just took me longer than usual to find out what I wanted to do when I grew up.

Sid.

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Specializes in ER,Trauma, ICU, Flight, Hme Hlth, CCath.

If per chance anyone should come across rights for disabled nurses on line or other forms of support groups, I would be very interested to research some of them.

I have been disabled for some time now and getting no where fast as far as therapy, pain management and case workers with workers comp. I feel that there has to be someone other than a labour attorney that can stand up for up.

Someone who is on the side of right and wrong and not the almighty cost.

I would still like to be able to work, at the moment this is not the case.

An Ombudsman, or the like if anyone is aware or has any other ideas please let me know.

Thank You.

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Specializes in IM/Critical Care/Cardiology.

I can honestly tell u I understand the wanting to work but can't. I went to local agencies in my state (maybe for u where the injury occurred England hmmmm not sure but u could try state employment agencies that help with discrimination and it's free!).

Best Wishes for a good day today!

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Specializes in ER,Trauma, ICU, Flight, Hme Hlth, CCath.

Originally the post was for the US as I have worked here for the last 20 years. I worked in England when I went home for evtended periods of time.

Here there just does not seem to be any follow up once you are injured. I feel as though I have basically been put out to pasture. Yes there are jobs but the limitations always arise, not a solution.

I have also been looking for jobs that I can do at home.

Greatful if anyone hears anything, I guess I just have not come to terms even after all this time, that I want to give up.

I was a good nurse, not patting myself on the back, but I am sure there is something I can do and anyone else for that matter.

Thank You

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hello to everyone and have a gooood day !! this site is worth the cost of my little notebook !!! it is difficult being a rn and not working when you have done the "job description" and received your "annual performance report" for years . it is rather comforting to see in writing what other registered nurses who are disabled are posting. this is a lonely situation for older rns..i am 64 and on continuous oxygen and do not drive due to diabetes. anyway, i am studying coding and taking a legal consulting course which may help. it is good mentally to "study" something. my husband just had brain surgery...we are a sight together !!! the thing we disabled rns do have left is our brain and our vocal skills.....i figured, use what you have and keep GOING !! mary

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Specializes in ER,Trauma, ICU, Flight, Hme Hlth, CCath.

I agree with having to keep an active brain. I applied for assisstance to go back to university via home learning. I am still waiting for a call back as I stated that I wanted to do something in the legal system.

The question "have you done this before" My response was no but I have done 20 years of nursing and critical thinking.

I really do hope that something happens.

Again if anyone knows of any programmes out there that do not require a great deal of monetary input, please let me know.

My brain still thinks it is a nurse, it is the rest of my body that cannot keep up..lol

Thank You.

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I agree with having to keep an active brain. I applied for assisstance to go back to university via home learning. I am still waiting for a call back as I stated that I wanted to do something in the legal system.

The question "have you done this before" My response was no but I have done 20 years of nursing and critical thinking.

I really do hope that something happens.

Again if anyone knows of any programmes out there that do not require a great deal of monetary input, please let me know.

My brain still thinks it is a nurse, it is the rest of my body that cannot keep up..lol

Thank You.

thanks for the note...i was just on line at WORLDWIDE LEARN.COM...note everything and search carefully. write down what you CAN do//what you WANT to do//and SKILLS required for the job. the focus will become more narrow and in line for a realistic expectation. investigate thoroughly and call with a lot of written questions. job projects are goals for anyone, especially the handicapped. i have done chart reviews for an attorney i know, but it is not steady at this time, but very interesting. you will succeed !!! have a good day !! mary

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Specializes in Inpatient Psychiatric, Medical.

Hi All,

I just got a CNA job at a local hospital and start the nursing program this Fall. I have Retinitis Pigmentosa which mainly impacts my peripheral vision in my right eye. I am still able to function well, but sometimes have "clumsy" moments when I run into something because I wasn't paying close enough attention or when moving from a lighted area to a dark area. My visual accuity is still very good, but I am very concerned about sharing this info with my employer/school for fear of discrimination or worse. While I know that this is a progressive and uncurable disease, my eyes appear to be stable for the time being.

At what point do you "throw in the towel" and tell your employer so you can request "reasonable accommodations" and then at what point do you call it quits?

Thanks, in advance, for your replies.

Jack

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Specializes in IM/Critical Care/Cardiology.
Hi All,

I just got a CNA job at a local hospital and start the nursing program this Fall. I have Retinitis Pigmentosa which mainly impacts my peripheral vision in my right eye. I am still able to function well, but sometimes have "clumsy" moments when I run into something because I wasn't paying close enough attention or when moving from a lighted area to a dark area. My visual accuity is still very good, but I am very concerned about sharing this info with my employer/school for fear of discrimination or worse. While I know that this is a progressive and uncurable disease, my eyes appear to be stable for the time being.

At what point do you "throw in the towel" and tell your employer so you can request "reasonable accommodations" and then at what point do you call it quits?

Thanks, in advance, for your replies.

Jack

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.

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