Please help. Career over before it starts.

Published

Hello everyone. I am 24 years old and just graduated with my BSN in may. I have a job lined up in a busy ICU but unfortunately I've been diagnosed with Degenerative disc disease and have been having a lot of back problems for the last 6 months. Doctor says I will likely improve but that I will have to be careful from now. Because of my illness, it seems like my worst nightmare is coming true and I'm going to have to turn down the job. At this point it seems like the vast majority of nursing jobs are out of the question for me due to having to turn/readjust patients and just the general physical nature of nursing. I still however want to be a clinical nurse, and most non-clinical nursing jobs seem to require at least a little bit of clinical experience. I've been trying to think of clinical nursing jobs that might be practical for me. So far all I have been able to come up with is NICU or Psych. I would really appreciate some suggestions from people in specialties that are not very physically taxing as well as advice from others with DDD or other back issues. I'm pretty desperate here. Thank you in advance. :)

Specializes in Urgent Care, Oncology.

You can ask for modification from your job with an actual disability and they have to provide you with reasonable accommodations. You can also ask your fellow co-workers for help. I was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis 6 months ago and I've been having pain for at least 10 years. I worked all this time (4 years) as a nurse and only hurt my back once. It was due to a co-worker improperly lowering a patient to the ground and I had to catch the patient's head. I'm in my early 30's so I have a lot of working years ahead of me so I get it but I make it work.

See this link for possible accommodations. I chose back because it seemed easiest but you can look around the website to see what suits you best. Accommodation Ideas

Hey, thank you so much for your reply. I've thought about this as a possiblity but I'm concerned that even though I may be able to handle working a certain job with my condition, I certainly don't want to put myself through unnecessary wear and tear over years of working if I can just choose a specialty that is overall more accommodating of my condition. If I have no choice I will have to look into this as an option, but since I'm a fresh nurse, I rather just choose something that is better suited for me in the long run.

NICU would not put stress on your back like most ICU jobs.

You can specify cases with children weighing less than 20 pounds when working in extended care home health. Make certain that their crib/bed adjusts to the correct height for you when you go for an orientation to each case. By keeping your employment active with at least two or perhaps, three, agencies, you can alternate between cases to keep a nursing career going for as long as you want.

Specializes in ICU.

I spent a significant part of my NICU career shoving a very heavy transport isolette around. You were not allowed to work in our unit with a weight restriction. Despite the fact that the patients are small, much of the equipment is still very heavy.

Public Health, perhaps.

Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.

Meh, I was diagnosed with DDD several years ago. I'm still alive and kicking. I had an L5/S1 discectomy/laminectomy a few years ago, and I take 400mg ibuprofen BID to manage the pain, and my life is not any different in any significant way.

I spent a significant part of my NICU career shoving a very heavy transport isolette around. You were not allowed to work in our unit with a weight restriction. Despite the fact that the patients are small, much of the equipment is still very heavy.

Good to know!

I've had DDD ever since I hurt my back at 16. I've had numerous back issues and I've also had neck surgery. I worked ICU and for the most part was able to carry on between episodes. I work OR now and it's not too hard on my back. I also continue to exercise regularly (bike 1.5 hours several times a week and do resistance training x 2/week), which really helps imo.

Don't count yourself out. Seek out help from a physical therapist who can help you with ergonomic body techniques and exercises to help strengthen your core.

You are giving up before you even try. I would accept the job and see how it goes. At minimum, you will have nursing experience on your resume if you choose to apply elsewhere if it does not work out.

Specializes in Critical Care.

The ICU would probably be more physical than tele or med surge since ICU doesn't usually use CNA's. I would take a job long enough to get experience than move to clinic nursing. Bending can cause more pain than lifting so raise the bed before moving a patient. Many hospitals have hover mats to help move large patients and sit to stand or hoyer lifts. The VA is your best bet as they have ceiling lifts in every room and were the first to go to a lift free environment as much as possible.

+ Add a Comment