Nursing Student: Can a Person with a Trach Work in the Hospital?

[Nurse Beth]

Dear Nurse Beth,

I recently found out that I would need a permanent tracheostomy. I have one more semester left of nursing school (rn) before I graduate, but I have taken a leave from school to work out all of this health stuff. I don't know when exactly I will get it, but I am trying to push it off as long as possible. I am still mobile and everything else is fine, but I would be hooked up to ventilation about 20 hrs of the day. My pulm said that I could actually be mobile with the vent.

Can a person with a tracheostomy actually work in the hospital? The whole cross contamination seems like it could be a huge liability to the patients. Is there something I could go into right from graduation that I could work as an RN with the tracheostomy?

Thanks

---

Dear Needs a Trach,

I'm sorry for your medical problems and applaud your spirit.

The most important thing for you now is to take care of your health and adjust to your abilities and limitations. Give yourself time to stabilize.

Nurses with medical histories and disabilities can make powerful connections with patients. I don't have an employment answer per se, and you are right, it may not be in acute care, but there are so many options in nursing.

An at home setting would be ideal, such as working for an insurance company.

I would find a community of nurses such as yourself for support and advice.

I do have a great resource for you: Exceptional Nurse | Welcome

This is a site run by Donna Maheady, an RN with expertise in nurses with disabilities. You will be inspired and amazed by her help and insight.

Best wishes,

Nurse Beth

[EaglesWings21, ASN, RN]

I would discuss it with your doctor. You might also be at risk for developing an infection. There are so many options for you, though. There are many innovative ideas and suggestions on this post. Acute care and floor nursing is nice but I as a healthy person have gotten sick much more often since I've started working at the hospital. It is also good experience but I don't want to be a floor nurse forever. I have my own innovative plans and ideas for myself. Good luck with your surgery!

[DiplomaNurseRN]

There are many jobs for nurses aside from direct patient care; advocacy, audit, investigation and case management to name a few.

[Wuzzie]

There are many jobs for nurses aside from direct patient care; advocacy, audit, investigation and case management to name a few.

Unfortunately the OP does not have any bedside experience which makes her an unlikely candidate for many of the non-bedside positions. That being said I do not want to give the impression that I do not think she will find a place in nursing with her disability. She will just have to be very creative and may have to do some serious marketing of her abilities.

Again, I think her best option will be a career with a patient education/advocacy focus particularly within the arena of her current diagnosis and other things pulmonary. I can only imagine what a positive impact she could have talking to patients/families who are dealing with these kind of diagnoses and their ensuing issues.

[Archerlpvn, LPN, LVN]

Maybe in a clinic of some sort performing telephone triage?

[Wuzzie]

Maybe in a clinic of some sort performing telephone triage?

No! Why do people keep assuming that telephone triage requires no experience? Believe it or not, when a nurse is assessing a patient telephonically (which is much harder to do than in person) and making decisions about the next course of action he/she is actually working at the top of his/her license. True telephone triage requires finely honed assessment and critical thinking skills that only actual patient care experience provides. I'm sure there are places that use inexperienced people but doesn't make it right.