nursing career without touching people

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Sep 9, 2011

You go girl! It sounds like you're extremely motivated to begin your career in a field you love. Take care of you
1st and you'll be able to use this experience to be that much more of an empathetic nurse who truly understands the hurdles of mental disorders.
I hope all the members who posted rude and demeaning comments will take a moment to realize the impact of their comments. While this is an anonymous Internet forum there is still usually a real person with feelings on the receiving end, troll or not shouldn't make any difference. If people thought it was a troll why even comment?

I don't think any were rude. Disbelieving, skeptical....yes.....demeaning, rude.... not so much. Besides, Why not comment??? Why not let someone know that it sounded a little too far fetched to be true......you join today just for the soul purpose to post "I can't stand to touch people and I'm graduating nursing school.....where can I work where I don't have to touch people?" :confused: Really? You just suddenly decided to post on an open forum, after months to years of what must be intensive therapy, to seek advice about such a complicated issue? :rolleyes: It does have kind of a fictional ring to it.....don't you think? (and I mean this kindly and friendly.....no digs are being made...) There are all kinds of these provocative threads started for one purpose and one purpose only....to inflame. Even though most of us know they're probably not true it causes a battle every time. Which is fine.....argue on! I love the power of free speech.

Sometimes you just have to call someone out to test their sincerity.....calling some one's bluff in a manner of speaking. I called the post a troll, not the poster....:redpinkhe which, I realize, is splitting hairs.

I realize that most of the time the truth is stranger than any fictional story someone can come up with at any given time. Every single skeptic has returned upon reading that this was a serious matter and offered love and support, recanted our disbelief, and offered advice and caring. I think the poster realizes we acknowledge their dilemma and offer any support we can.....

To the OP, once again.....I pray for your recovery and hope all works out well....:heartbeat

Rob72, ASN, RN · Sep 9, 2011

confused,

This may be some help: http://www.thesurvivorsclub.org/

A few thoughts:

PTSD is generally r/a lack of planning and/or preparation. This is not your fault, but honestly evaluating the potential consequences, and developing analytical/coping pathways before a crisis event is what separates those who "go on", and those who are stuck within the trauma. There is quite a bit of study going on to see how much of the "wargaming" mindset is inherent and how much learned, but once you realize the how and why of the intense personalization of the trauma, it may help in resolution.

Along with that, OCD is typically "pathological", and in the case of PTSD, it is an individual's attempt to reset the clock. I.e., I'm doing everything I can to prevent X,Y, and Z. I'm going to check and re-check... If you're re-re-checking, its a problem. This is where developing a realistic risk assessment becomes important. Ideally, you will be able to look at the risk (whatever it may be), and acknowledge that you have done everything you can to prevent occurrence. At this stage, its time to look beyond, and say, if X does happen, I can do A, so that I'm still functioning, even if I'm hurt; still working, even though I'm not doing(whatever)...

You're getting there. The important thing to look at is the fact that not all trauma can be avoided or prevented, and if we walk through potential trauma, intelectually look at the possibility of pain, loss, grief, etc., it enhances our ability to incorporate "bad" events without being crippled.

My wife thinks I'm a paranoid, OCD sunuvagun. She's half right(I'm half paranoid, half OCD:D). I learned at an early age what it takes to survive.

Good luck and God bless.

If you "intellectualize", contain and control your fears/agitations by learning about them, I've got a few other reading suggestions. LMK...

anotherone, BSN, RN · Sep 9, 2011

I wasn't fond of the idea of touching strangers all the time either. gloves or no glvoes( always wear them ). now i have stopped carrying and carry on with my job. I have no idea what type of job you can get without touching people. Maybe psych nursing , in some places the patients have to be self care without acute medical conditions.?

joanna73, BSN, RN · Sep 9, 2011

There's actually a lot of contact involved with psych nursing. Meds, restraints, outbursts. You have to expect anything with psych.

anotherone, BSN, RN · Sep 9, 2011

The op developed this problem while in nursing school. I can understand her not wanting to waste years of efforts and just stop. maybe she thought the problem would go away or it wouldn't even be a problem. I hated the thought of touching people even after i had my license. since at work there is no alternative i just do it and after a while it bothers me less, i guess. Someone suggested teaching. in some states anyone with a bachelors in anything can teach esp in private schools. if you have your bsn that is a possibility. or if you live in an area with a lot of insurance companies you can try getting a job there. or apply for other jobs just like other people do even if it isn't in nursing. maybe you can work as a recruiter in a hospital and get paid more than a nurse. even if all you do is recruite dietary aides not rns. i don't think drs offices are a good idea since you might have to do a lot of lab work which requires potential exposure to blood. if you have your bsn and took real sience classes and some electives like organic chem ( some programs have easier ones for nursing, i know mine did) maybe you can try working at a research lab? i had a friend who did that. like another poster said contact in prision nursing is to be at a minimum, maybe a methadone clinic.

DookieMeisterRN · Sep 9, 2011

I don't think any were rude. Disbelieving, skeptical....yes.....demeaning, rude.... not so much. Besides, Why not comment??? Why not let someone know that it sounded a little too far fetched to be true......you join today just for the soul purpose to post "I can't stand to touch people and I'm graduating nursing school.....where can I work where I don't have to touch people?" Really? You just suddenly decided to post on an open forum, after months to years of what must be intensive therapy, to seek advice about such a complicated issue? It does have kind of a fictional ring to it.....don't you think? (and I mean this kindly and friendly.....no digs are being made...) There are all kinds of these provocative threads started for one purpose and one purpose only....to inflame. Even though most of us know they're probably not true it causes a battle every time. Which is fine.....argue on! I love the power of free speech.
Sometimes you just have to call someone out to test their sincerity.....calling some one's bluff in a manner of speaking. I called the post a troll, not the poster....:redpinkhe which, I realize, is splitting hairs.
I realize that most of the time the truth is stranger than any fictional story someone can come up with at any given time. Every single skeptic has returned upon reading that this was a serious matter and offered love and support, recanted our disbelief, and offered advice and caring. I think the poster realizes we acknowledge their dilemma and offer any support we can.....
To the OP, once again.....I pray for your recovery and hope all works out well....:heartbeat

There are ways to offer helpful, respectful, constructive criticism. I'm not saying anyone in particular but the major tone of the replies seemed to me to be demeaning. I respect your opinion but stand wholeheartedly up for mine:)

diva rn, BSN, RN · Sep 10, 2011

As a new grad, you take what you can get. I think even like insurance company nurses have years of experience, if they did not how could they know what to do and say and what advice to give.
I got one interview as a new grad as a case manager, and I want patient contact so I did not want to get stuck as a case manager with no real experience being a nurse. Plus, how can a manage cases I do not know how to be the nurse taking care of the patient.
May be a stupid question and I am not trying to be mean but why did you continue with your degree and not change majors to like healthcare administration once you knew patients were not ur thing?

Exactly! This is what I do now. We require a minimum of 5 years of clinical experience..this is for the case management and medical review for insurance companies. It's a MUST! There is no way an inexperienced nurse could do this job, you just need the "stored information" in your brain to fall back on ....

diva rn, BSN, RN · Sep 10, 2011

Company cue cards....no joke. Not that all of the ins company nurses don't have experience, but their scripts require a book format :)

Not true at all!!! This is not what I do!!! There is no script at all...I preauthorize medical procedures and surgeries, both in and out patient..which require my obtaining the clinical information from the MD's and then reviewing the cases to determine the medical necessity of the procedure. I then preauthorize the case for payment. I also follow all inpatient cases working with case managers and Utilization Review in the hospitals..looking out for costs and proper use of funds. I also work on complicated cases such as organ procurement and transplants. Then there is Home Health, Durable Medical Equipment, Hospice, Skilled Nursing Facilities and Psych Cases......I do this every day....balancing the best care for the patients and the cost containment for the third party payors...I work for a company that represents 85 different Labor Unions across the entire United States...they are self insured but use the BC/BS network for the PPO...so there is the whole PPO thing to go through too...

So Mainly....

I do much more than USE A SCRIPT AND A BOOK and I use every bit of my 18 years of critical care nursing experience every day to make the decisions that I do.....!!!

It's very stressful, sometimes I wish I was back in ICU....(most days)

shirleyujest · Sep 10, 2011

Maybe you can do something that involves occupational safety and compliance? Something that involves working for a company and making sure they are complying with OSHA laws and regulations? Many times companies like to have RNs do that sort of work because you have knowledge of human anatomy and physiology and the risks that certain exposures can cause. You may have to take some additional courses, and maybe a certificate program, but it may be worth looking into.

xtxrn, ASN, RN · Sep 12, 2011

Not true at all!!! This is not what I do!!! There is no script at all...I preauthorize medical procedures and surgeries, both in and out patient..which require my obtaining the clinical information from the MD's and then reviewing the cases to determine the medical necessity of the procedure. I then preauthorize the case for payment. I also follow all inpatient cases working with case managers and Utilization Review in the hospitals..looking out for costs and proper use of funds. I also work on complicated cases such as organ procurement and transplants. Then there is Home Health, Durable Medical Equipment, Hospice, Skilled Nursing Facilities and Psych Cases......I do this every day....balancing the best care for the patients and the cost containment for the third party payors...I work for a company that represents 85 different Labor Unions across the entire United States...they are self insured but use the BC/BS network for the PPO...so there is the whole PPO thing to go through too...
So Mainly....
I do much more than USE A SCRIPT AND A BOOK and I use every bit of my 18 years of critical care nursing experience every day to make the decisions that I do.....!!!
It's very stressful, sometimes I wish I was back in ICU....(most days)

I was referring to those with minimal if any actual medical experience...probably one of the first who is in contact with the one seeking approval for something :) Not everybody gets to talk with someone who has medical knowledge :) I phrased my reply badly

diva rn, BSN, RN · Sep 12, 2011

I was referring to those with minimal if any actual medical experience...probably one of the first who is in contact with the one seeking approval for something :) Not everybody gets to talk with someone who has medical knowledge :) I phrased my reply badly

Oh, I don't know who that would be..we don't have a position like that in our company. The people in contact with the public are either initial intake UR tech's who must be MAs, they start the initial files and then they might ask for the initial clinical information to be faxed then they would forward it on to their specific RNs to have it go into review. Eventually it gets auth'd, or followed in the hospital or whatever. But the tech's still have to know what they are doing, medical terminology etc and no scripts...that's what is puzzling me..what's with the scripts?

Anyway, maybe we are just talking about 2 different postions, when you said insurance companies...I thought, "Hey, That's what I do"...but..when you started with the script thing you lost me:crying2:

What I do is a major pain in the neck....it's very stressful...I take in about 50 brand new cases a day. (from phone calls) Then I usually get about 25 faxes in addition to those. Besides the 50 new calls, I get about another 20 calls trasferred to me or called to me directly, and then I usually have to make about another 15 calls out to the hospitals or doctors offices or return calls...that's on a normal average day.

When I get home, I really do not want to talk to anyone...not even the dog:mad:

xtxrn, ASN, RN · Sep 12, 2011

:nmbrn:

I posted some links on the other thread where we talked about this :)

I first heard of the hassles with a documentary on Johns Hopkins- a doc had to go through a bunch of hoops to get a 14-15 y/o girl a repeat CT to find out how far her uterine tumors were advancing. It had already taken months to get the pre-cert for the first one, and by the time they got the follow-up (paid for by the hospital since the ins comp wouldn't approve it) the CA had spread outside of the uterine wall, to her ovaries, and abd cavity.

The links show that the techs are the initial contact, and getting to someone who has substantial medical background (the techs can be coding/billing techs), it takes time some patients just don't have. Sometimes they don't get to someone like you, divarn.... they fall through the cracks...and in the interest of saving money, I have no doubt that it can be a nasty process in some companies. It sounds like you are somewhere that has a plan for moving up the chain of 'command'...evidently not all do (or did- this was several years back- though it's hard to imagine things getting better )

The 14-15 y/o girl was dead in less than 2 years. The doc had been optimistic that he could do SOMETHING, but the foot dragging by UR at that ins comp took months get deal with... when the doc wanted the follow up, he didn't mess with them after the mom had tried all over the place to get info- the doc tried....no use. Sad