Nursing careers where you don't stand up all day?

Caffeine_IV · Nov 14, 2014

I am considering going to nursing school after having earned my Bachelor's degree in an unrelated field. My problem is that I have fibromyalgia and am unable to stand for extended periods (I could probably spend a maximum of 30% of my workday standing). How likely is it that I will be able to land a job as a phone triage nurse or something similar immediately after graduating from nursing school? Or do they only hire nurses who have prior clinical experience...

How likely is it that I will be able to land a job as a phone triage nurse or something similar immediately after graduating from nursing school? Not likely but not impossible.

Or do they only hire nurses who have prior clinical experience? That is preferred. How could one triage with no experience to draw from? A triage position at my facility requires min of 3 years experience.

Farawyn · Nov 14, 2014

Triage was actually hard on my body. The sitting and phones/charting was sometimes more uncomfortable to me than the floors. I like to move. 100 plus calls a day, leaning over a phone and a computer was not super comfortable. I took frequent walking breaks around the office. I don't have fibromyalgia, but I do have herniated discs (don't we all?)

I am a school nurse now. Less hours. Not as much up and down, lots of data entry, no lifting. The down side- I have gained 8 pounds.

As far as experience- I did most of my nursing career in a hospital setting, so I can't really answer that for anyone but me. I feel like I needed to do my time. That's what made me into the nurse I am.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Nov 14, 2014

Remain cognizant that you will need to complete mandated hands-on clinical practicum requirements while in nursing school. These experiences can be physical and require a great deal of standing.

For one year I attended three 8-hour clinical practicum shifts per week as a nursing student. The one-hour post-conference and one hour lunch break were the only real opportunity to sit during these clinical rotations.

Therefore, your first question should be "Am I able to fulfill the physical requirements that are needed to successfully complete a nursing program?"

vintagemother, BSN, CNA, LVN, RN · Nov 14, 2014

I don't stand all day. I walk, sit, power walk, sit, sit, walk, sit, lol! I'm an Lvn and I work in LTC and my job is not medication nurse. It's a unique position in which I assess medical concerns, call the doctor to recv new orders, put the orders in the chart and the mar, update and write care plans, do pt teaching, etcetera.

My position used to be called "quality assurance/review nurse" or something like that.

firstinfamily, RN · Nov 14, 2014

You may find sitting for long periods of time not comfortable as well. You circulation tends to pool with lengthy sitting as well as lengthy standing. You should re-evaluate your goals as nursing school involves a lot of clinical hours and providing patient care does involve lifting, repositioning, standing, transferring patients. Also, if you are on pain medications I am not sure you would pass the drug screening requirements.