ssanders80

Thanks for your input, I've thought about the fact that I'm immunosupressed and taking care of sick patients. I believe that what I plan to do (hopefully) is work in the doctor's office as a nurse for a rheumatologist or going in nursing research. I feel healthwise, this would be the best option for me.

Thank you for sharing your story with me, I will continue to have my RA as a priority in my life, but I've learned a lot about myself while having this as well. I was letting my RA control my mind, causing me to fear the future and what I would think I could and could not do. I know how to take care of myself, I know my limits, so I have no reason to let it deter me from anything I want to do! I'm hopefully going to start on Orencia soon, so hopefully that, along w. all my other meds will keep me going for a long time. Good luck, I know everything will work out for you and like you told me, keep taking your meds and don't give up! Steph :zzzzz (I just got back to work from lunch and I feel like that face...sleepy!)

Hi All: I worked and completed all my nursing prereq's w/ the hopes of becoming a RN (this would be a second career for me). I ended up being rejected from every school I applied to for an ASN b/c of my 10 year old SAT score and rejected from a BSN program b/c some of my documents were lost. After all this happend, it became more of a fight to become a nurse rather than a desire b/c I kept being told no so many times. For a few months, I stepped away from nursing and took some time for myself. Recently, I've gotten back on track and my desire to become a nurse has come back...for the RIGHT reasons. My new and ongoing dilemma is my RA. I'm 27 and have had it since I was 22. My Rheumatologist and I have worked together over the years to improve my joints and strengthen my body to prepare me for nursing. I feel great, know my limits. I'm scared that when/if I become a nurse, the frequent lifting will cause my body to breakdown and then I can no longer work as a nurse or work at all. Patient is the first and foremost priority, but I don't want to risk their lives b/c of my physical limits. Is there any advice anyone can give me. I've researched other career options in healthcare and they are very promising, but I still feel this strong pull to become a nurse, I'm just scared of how my disease would affect my work and my body. Thanks! Steph

I have numerous conversations with my Rheumatologist and for the past six years she has been working (and has done an amazing job) of getting my RA under control so as it does not affect my everyday life and thank God it doesn't. I've never felt better, to be honest. You are right, I do fear that working as a nurse may make my condition worsen. I've ready a lot of literature on RA and treatments and ways to improved and maintain my lifestyle. So I defintely know there are options out there! Thank you for telling me about the nurses w/ disabilities forum, I'm going to defintely check that out. I love medicine, I've always had a desire to help the sick, I love customer service. I've always felt God has put me on the Earth to help people and to try to comfort them as best as possible. I know that in my heart, I was meant to go into medicine. After I took my sabbatical from rejection from nursing programs, I did reevaluate what I want to do. I still have that pull to become a nurse, but I also have the pull that tells me physically I may not be able to do it for a long period of time (which makes me sad to be honest). I've come across several options that would put me in healthcare and helping people, and I don't have to fear neglecting my patient due to my RA. Maybe I'm meant to follow one of those paths, which would still give me the ability to do what I want to do in healthcare. Thanks for your input!

Thanks for this info and I agree about being realistic w/ limitations. Even before I kept getting denied admission b/c of my SAT score (took the test 10 yrs ago, earned a college degree and was still was denied, c'est la vie!) I kept thinking about how/what areas of nursing I could work in to limit the need to lift. I would love to work in the NICU, but even that scares me a little. I've heard and read that nursing is now moving more towards machines that help w/ the lifting of patients. How prevelant is that in hospital systems? I know some hospitals in NC have this equipment. Stress does have an impact on my pain level, but not as much as it used to. In the beginning, my joints would become so stiff that I couldn't bend them at all..this was also the period where I wasn't going to a doctor to find out what was wrong w/ me b/c I was scared to find out! Now that I've been on prescription meds for the duration, they help a lot! Tylenol Arthritis is a great thing It may be best for me to pursue my alternate route of anatomical pathology...2 areas that I love (as well as nursing) and I know that I won't fear putting myself in danger of injuring myself or more importantly not being able to provide 100% care to my patients. That would superceed my pain on any given day. Thanks again!

Thank you for your input, I greatly agree that people need to think about their physical limitations before entering a career. That's not to say they shouldn't go for it, but they should be prepared for what may lay ahead. Thanks again!

Thanks for this info, I do have a Rheumatologist that I've been going to ever since and she's got me from not being able to walk, grab a pen or hold my dogs leash to feeling and performing as if I don't have RA, although I know it's there. I have a fallback plan and I may go on that one b/c the last thing I want to do is interrupt my body and hurt it more than it needs to be. I appreciate your input thanks for this!

Hi All: I've come back to allnurses.com after taking a sabbatical away from working to become a nurse. I was rejected from several schools and it became a battle to become accepted b/c the determining factor of my acceptance was something from 10 years ago. I was beginning to lose the desire to become a nurse because I was focusing on the fight to become accepted over the program, so I had to let it go for a while. To me, that is not why one should become a nurse or anything for that matter. Over the past few months, that flame has been back and I'm wondering about one thing that may keep me from working as a nurse. I suffer from RA, I'm 27 and developed it at 22. I feel amazing, I have no problems other than occasional aches that go away after a hour and carpal tunnel in my wrists. Other than that, I feel great. What I am scared of, though, is entering nursing and with all the lifting, injuring myself and/or making my RA become a more serious, possibly debilitating problem in my life. My question to those with RA who are or have worked as nurses with RA is how much did it impact your work? Did it stop you, did it not bother you at all. How did you manage? Any input you can give me would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! Steph

Hey there: I don't think you should quit, unless you do some "soul searching" and realize you don't want to become a nurse. Onyx77 is right, a low gpa does not a bad nurse make. But if you are serious about becoming a nurse, you may want to find a new method of study and work it out in the last 3 courses. Don't let what other nurses/nursing students intimidate you and think that you can't make it as a nurse. Although being successful in nursing courses is important, grades DO NOT make you.

Regardless of what you may have, don't let it stop you from becoming an FNP. I can't lie, there will be days where you just want to give up if you have RA, but don't let that stop you, keep focus on your goal. If you need to make life adjustments, not a problem! You'll be successful none the less! I've had days (I'm pre-nursing) where I stop and think if I'm physically cut out for this, but I push that out of my mind. Just remember you can do anything you set yourself to do. If you are worried about how your body would cope, maybe you can research different areas of nursing to see if there are any that "aren't as physically demanding." (I know that sounds impossible, but it can happen.) Good luck! Steph

Hi there, Research is a good suggestion, I never thought about that! I know I want to get my PhD in nursing, but I really want to have some patient experience before I advance. I've been thinking about working in the NICU since the patients in this area are fairly easy on the body. But I do want to do a stint in Med/Surg, and I know that's a lot of lifting of patients. But with the new machines that assist in lifting that are being utilized in hospitals, it may not be as bad as it once was to lift.

At some schools, if you have had to withdraw from a course, they ask for an explanation as to why you had to do so. If you can't get the courses dropped, maybe write a statement explaining about those two courses and add that they in no way reflect your performance in the pre-reqs or once you are a student in a nursing program.

Thanks for this info! I really appreciate it. I've applied to CCHS and I will apply to UNCC and ECU once I get my Chem. completed. I'm also taking nutrition next semester so as to have that done in case I don't get accepted again (thinking positive that it won't), but it's always best to be prepared.

Howdy! There is NorthEast Medical Center, which is part of CMC in Concord, it's a really good small/medium sized hospital. I believe that is the "major" hospital of that area.

Hi there: One of the things I did to pay for school was to get a second job. I was able to pay for the all of my prereq's that way. If your grades are high enough (which I'm sure they are!) see if you can obtain an academic scholarship. That way, you don't have to worry about a cosigner. Also look into work study at whatever school you go to. Steph