Please help. Career over before it starts.

[Emjked123]

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. :)

[Horseshoe, BSN, RN]

Bending can cause more pain than lifting so raise the bed before moving a patient.

That's definitely the case for me. Every single time I've ever put my back out, it was while I was bending over. Many times I wasn't even lifting anything heavy. Once it went out on me while I was bending over drawing blood (body mechanics-simply raising the bed- could have totally prevented that). I've hurt my back bending over to tuck a sheet in, bending over to pick up an envelope, or picking up my little cat. It's the act of bending over unsupported that does it every time. Lifting heavy objects at waist level has never resulted in injury for me.

[Daisy4RN]

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.

This is a good idea if you think you can tolerate that. I would also wonder about the facility where you are hired and their pre-hire policy. Most hospitals require a medical exam prior to actually working even if they have already offered the position. You may or may not pass that exam with those pre-existing conditions. Either way, your career is not over, you just might have to do something different than you first thought. Maybe telenurse, case management etc.

[Daisy4RN]

That's definitely the case for me. Every single time I've ever put my back out, it was while I was bending over. Many times I wasn't even lifting anything heavy. Once it went out on me while I was bending over drawing blood (body mechanics-simply raising the bed- could have totally prevented that). I've hurt my back bending over to tuck a sheet in, bending over to pick up an envelope, or picking up my little cat. It's the act of bending over unsupported that does it every time. Lifting heavy objects at waist level has never resulted in injury for me.

I have the same back problems and this is true for me also.

[hawaiicarl, BSN, RN]

Show me a nurse who doesn't have degenerative disc disease ...

[Sour Lemon]

Show me a nurse who doesn't have degenerative disc disease ...

Back problems do seem very common, but if they're already present at age 24, I can understand the extra concern.

[Hoosier_RN, MSN]

dialysis is generally a no lift environment

[DextersDisciple, BSN, RN]

Out patient oncology. Infusion, radiation and clinic positions are all minimally taxing on your back, especially the last two choices. PICC nurse would be great too but you will probably need to work in infusion for a bit before you can be trained.

[NurseSpeedy, ADN, LPN, RN]

The worst time I injured my back was when I leaned over to silence an IV pump (because the furniture all fits so well in our double bed hospital rooms-darn chair was in my way). I know I had injuries from the 15 years prior, but they would always feel better with a few weeks of taking it easy on my days off. Well, this time I didn't get better and months went by. My doctor told me to bypass the insurance BS and just get the MRI done self pay for $250 at a local outpatient radiology facility since PT would cost me more in the long run if I did it first again.

Well, we found out that I had three herniated discs, spinal stenosis, and that scoliosis the pediatrician had pointed out but we never followed up on 25 years earlier, it was definitely there all along. It took a lot longer this time to feel normal again, but I can run again, do normal activities, and work in patient care as I have been doing for the majority of my nursing career. I'm not going to say that I don't have bad days, because there are, but I have never let back pain define what I can do with my career. I would recommend taking it one day at a time, making sure to use proper body mechanics, get help with lifting heavy patients, and maybe not ignore that annoying chair that's blocking access to your equipment. If it's too much for you your body will tell you, but at least then you've given yourself a chance and have gained experience.

[jennylee321]

Not every one in NICU has to do transports, it would be one of the easier specialties to get by with a weight lifting restriction

[inthecosmos, BSN, MSN, RN, APRN]

I have DDD and it has NEVER limited my capabilities as a nurse. It is all in how you approach the job. Usually, there's more than just you to move people. If you do things properly it will save your back and you future trouble.

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

Moved to Nurses with Disabilities

[RobotechTD]

You should try school health or case management.