geegee12

Good luck Scrubby, I had a similar injury after repeatedly repositioning a 400+ lb patient one day (not enough nurses on the floor to safely move her and it was a holiday so no more help available!). I've been on Workers Comp (in the States) for over a year and I'm wondering if I'll work again. I have a lifting limitation of 25 lbs and there seems to be a pattern here of making all jobs require more than that. The sciatica pain can be incredibly intense. At one point I was numb in my right back thigh and foot with notable weakness on that side as well as the pain in buttock and thigh. The spine surgeon was worthless; he only offered pain medication. I concur with the recommendation of seeking input from a neurosurgeon. What has helped: chiropractic care, physical therapy, acupuncture. I also recommend keeping as active as you are able. Walk gently on level ground; it helps to tone and relax the muscles in your pelvic area. Really supportive shoes help me stay comfortable. Keep positive as you can. It can be very discouraging to be in pain and this is an injury that takes much time to heal. Do you have supportive friends and colleagues? Any spiritual guidance you have access to helps to see whatever positive may arise from this situation. I'm trying to get into Palliative care nursing (I know something about chronic pain now!)

Had a needlestick after 2 years in the hospital: I was floating on another floor and their equipment was a little different than I was used to. I pulled the needle out of the pts belly and stuck it right into a finger as I was reaching to activate the cover. Luckily the patient was low risk, we were both tested and resulted negative. The Employee health nurse said that the chances of contracting a disease that way is very remote BUT you do have to be aware of it. There are LOTS of things that can happen to you in this field to endanger your health. I would worry more about being assaulted or straining your back!

Depends on what state and metro area you work in. I, too am curious about how hospice nursing pays compared to hospital floor nursing.

I agree with AllSmiles, you HAVE to help keep you and your mother afloat now, then worry about the nursing job when you have your license. The nursing profession goes through its ups and downs just like any other (ask veteran nurses about the layoffs of the early 1990's) and unfortunately it's a down time now. It will actually look better on your resume if you have some kind of experience in the meantime. Also consider volunteering if you can manage the time. I worked as a Red Cross Nurse between graduation and my first job: great experience!

It shouldn't be a problem for her to renew her license. In California where I have my license, they can't possibly check on whether you are really practicing or not. The only requirement is to complete 30 hours of CE but that isn't even required the first time you renew. It all depends on the state she is licensed in. Good luck to her. It's not easy getting first nursing jobs these days.