Nursing Student : Back Injury

[meganec17]

I've asked a similar question quite a few months ago, but I'm hoping to get a few more responses. I have sustained a back injury, Spondylolisthesis, and I am due to start my sophomore year of Nursing school in the fall. I did not get the back issue from nursing, it occurred during a high school sports practice.

Nursing is the ONLY thing that I have ever wanted to do with my life, as clique as that sounds. I cannot imagine doing anything else. However, I worry that because spondylolisthsis cannot be cured, I will suffer even greater problems. I have issues walking/standing for prolonged periods of time, which makes me especially worried. Clinicals start this fall.

I was just hoping to get some input. I love nursing will all my life, but if it will destroy my back, maybe I should consider a new career?

Thanks in advance!

[mhy12784]

Id strongly recommend you only go to a hospital with strong resources for moving patients (mechanical lifts, ceiling lifts, hoyers, turn teams etc)

[Horseshoe, BSN, RN]

Not to be too negative but floor nursing is very physical. Even people with great backs can have issues with all the standing, lifting, turning, etc. When I come on shift, I don't sit for at least the first 5-6 hours and even then it's only sporadically. Honestly I wouldn't waste my time or money pursuing a nursing career if I had a bad back at the very beginning. Maybe you should look for something else in the healthcare field that won't be so demanding on your body. Even if you worked with babies/small children, you would have to be on your feet for long stretches of time. I have no physical issues but sometimes after driving home after a shift, I have to muster my strength to just get out of the car and walk in the house.[/quote']

I hear you!

At my facility, we don't have chairs! 8 or more hours standing/running around with only 30 minutes at lunch to rest. I will feel tired-but still ok- by the end of my shift. But by the time I have driven home, I feel like I'm 90 years old getting out of the car. It would almost be amusing if it weren't so painful.

I am PRN and don't work all that much, so even with my history of bad back and neck problems, I'm able to pull it off. Definitely couldn't do it every day.

[ixchel]

Spondylolisthesis, depending on the severity, is an unusual condition in that if you take measures to build core strength and muscle health (i.e. Treat and prevent spasm), you truly can be active and live a full life with minimal restriction. When I was first diagnosed, I was a grade 1-2. Right on the border. It's been almost 3 years and I am now firmly a grade 2, and the disc above my injury is narrowed in its height. I work on a critical care unit, use impeccable body mechanics, and always, ALWAYS ask for extra hands when doing anything requiring heavy lifting.

Spondylolisthesis is not like other back injuries. You learn what causes pain, and you work around that. Usually it is one behavior engaged in for a long time that causes pain. I typically am in more pain on my days off because I might sit on my butt all day long doing nothing. Work rarely causes significant pain because my physical activity is so varied and can be adjusted as needed.

There are good pain days and bad ones. I would be lying if I didn't say I do put daily effort into preventing pain. The most effective thing I've done by far is acupuncture. I do routinely take muscle relaxers and NSAIDs. I probably have better upper body strength than most people my size and frame. At first, incorporating measures into my life to promote good back health was difficult and frustrating. But now it's routine and is easy.

I understand and appreciate the caution being suggested to the OP and I hope this (and previous) post doesn't come across as throwing caution into the wind. It took awhile and effort to get where I am. I'm thankful that spondylolisthesis is the type of back condition I have as opposed to other more common ones because it is one of the more functional ones.

And of course, all of this depends on what level of the spine is affected, how far the slippage is, how large the foramen is, and how protected your nerves are there by myelin. I have one small area that has no myelin and as a result, have one dermatome in my right leg that has interesting sensations from time to time. After my fall, I battled ongoing pain in my toes, but my anti-seizure medication actually helps that now.

Anyway, the unpredictable nature of spondylolisthesis makes a job on your feet more ideal, in the long run. A brace for my harder days is helpful, though I prefer not to wear it unless I have to, so that my core stays strong. This is doable. It will just take awhile for the OP to find what works for her. That may very well be outpatient, at a desk. All of my strategies may not at all be what her strategies end up being. But ultimately, spondylolisthesis is not like other back problems and only the OP will know (in time) what her back will handle.