Pre-Nursing Student w/ Disability... What should I do?

mammaoftwo · Jan 30, 2008

I also, would like to know the answer to this as I am not able to lift anything over 50 pounds. I am thinking of psychiatric nursing or wondering what other areas of nursing would be acceptable for someone that can't lift over 50 pounds.

anangelsmommy, ADN, BSN, RN · Feb 2, 2008

I can tell you by experience that i have had nurses in my home to care for my son since he was an infant. He didnt weight 50 lbs until he was over 11 years old. and once he reached that i got a lift, i didnt start using it until i injured my back also but it was always there for my nurses to use as i had two that were pregnant and couldnt lift over 35 lbs. I think there are lots of positions where you dont have to lift and i know others that have finished nursing school with disabilities, i just think that you have to make sure they are handicapped friendly!

JP

allsmiles2008 · Feb 8, 2008

Thanks to all who have viewed.... Thanks for the support 'anangelsmommy'.

4XNURSE · Feb 12, 2008

AllSmiles,

You asked if you can be a nurse. - The simple answer is yes, you can be a nurse.

There are some questions that are more difficult to answer, but that you should answer for yourself.

First of all, What do you want to do as a nurse? How far do you plan on going from an educational standpoint, and can you get there, from where you are, with your disability?

There is hard work in nursing. There are ways to make most of it easier, but there is hard work.

Will your disability put additional work on your fellow students, and then your fellow nurses when you graduate? -If there is lifting, pushing, pulling, to do and you can't do your own, your fellow students and fellow nurses will have to do it for you. Meaning they have to do their own work and yours, too.

Will your patients safety be compromised? If there is some sort of emergency in your area, you need to be able to provide whatever it takes to get your patients to safety. Without compromising your own.

Is your condition one that will deteriorate? How long will you be able to function at your current level?

I am asking hard questions, because I had to answer them myself. I became disabled after I was already a RN. I was able to work for an additional 14 years. My condition deteriorated over those years, and I retired on disability, when I got to the point where my patients and my co-workers safety was compromised. Is your condition going to allow you to spend a reasonable amount of time in your field, without adversely affecting others?

I think in the end, only you can answer these questions. For me, early retirement was not what I wanted, but it was the right choice. I am looking at possible ways to get back into my field, but I can never go back to where I was.

Can you get where you want to be, and do it safely, for you? For your patients? For your fellow team members?

ken

anangelsmommy, ADN, BSN, RN · Feb 12, 2008

Ken,

had you considered doing some type of nursing that doesnt require 8 or 12 hr floor shift? such as teaching or education, well baby visits, pharmaceutical work such as monitoring clinical trials, working in a drs office? Depending on your type of degree, there ARE lots of options and while perhaps you may inconvenience some of your students, it depends....there SHOULD be a lift if there are not people to help with lifting and I found that there are always those that dont mind lifting. if you have a disability then the instructor should be aware of it and you shouldnt be put in a position to compromise a patient's safety. I would hope that everyone will be understanding enough to allow leway for your disability, of course it does depend on what you intend to do with it and what your disability is.

student1000 · Feb 27, 2008

Allsmiles2008 "I have been accepted to a nursing program, and just.. found out that I have a medical condition. My doctor informed me that my lower spine looks like I may have arthritis in this area. ...

Can I still become a nurse? This is something I have worked so hard for, and now I feel like my dreams are crushed."

There are many nurses that have disabilities. Please check out this forum here at allnurses.com. My only advice to you is to make sure where ever you go to school you need to make sure they are willing to make accommodations if you need them and get it all in writing up front. Also even if your problem seems small when you start school FILE the all important paper work. It cannot be done retroactively. Sadly I speak from experience.

People forget that not all nurses have to work in the hospital, it is only during clinicals and not every clinical is in the hospital. There are many different positions that a nurse can hold ranging from being a consultant to doing health education, or working for an insurance company.

It is difficult to listen to the large number of negative comments people will give out but as one person wrote me, at any moment anyone can become disabled including the person denying you the right to be a nurse.

Good luck.

allsmiles2008 · Feb 27, 2008

Thank you everyone for the responses.

My background is social work so I do plan on nursing casemanagement when my body can no longer handle the harder nursing work.

My school says being able to lift 25 lbs is the minimum and must be cleared by a physician.

25 lbs is about the size of a toddler, which I can handle. Anymore than that, however, I will put myself at risk.