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Discussion

Re-entry after disability?

I am an RN who became disabled in July 2007, after a serious illness.I had acute pancreatitis, acute respiratory failure, & ended up vented & in a coma for a few days. When I came out of the coma, I had gait disturbance, balance issues, & loss of stamina & strength. I was living in Oregon, & relocated to Iowa to recuperate near family. I've gone through PT & OT, and speech therapy. Had to use a walker for a time, then a cane. As time went on, I improved, & grew stronger. Now, I'm great. Sometimes, my legs are a bit weak, in that when I go to stand, sometimes, I can't on the first try, & have to try again. I always make it on the second try. I am great, though, and ready to get back to work.

My work history is that I graduated nursing school in late 1995, began work as an RN in 1996. I worked up until July 2007. I worked acute care all that time, mostly orthopaedics. I'm having a hard time getting back to acute care. I have tried long term care, but was let go from one job & had to quit another when I got sick with a viral URI (there's more to that but that would make this ungodly long).

I keep hearing about a nursing shortage, I am not sure there is one. Not in Iowa anyhow. I get interviewed & rejected. I suck at long term care, but I acknowledge it's hard work. Harder than acute care. I have heard there is freeze on nursing jobs in Des Moines, & so I am starting to look further afield, like Nebraska or Wisconsin.

Is there something else I should be doing? When I can afford it, I plan to work on getting some CEU's, esp in medications, assessments, & documentation. I have also begun to consider nursing refresher courses, although Iowa has no programs that I can find. There's always Missouri & Nebraska. I'm trying just for some stopgap jobs at this point, just to keep the rent paid & lights on.:paw: My German Shepherd says don't forget the dogfood.

Any helpful ideas would be awesome. I know I can do the work, I think about it all the time & I'd give most anything to get back to it.

Thanks in advance!

Susan

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    Try Home Health Case Management or Hospice Case Management or Workmans comp case management....yes they are desk jobs, but do require someone with quick thinking ability...

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    UPDATE!

    I'm working again! An agency took a chance on me and I am currently working in a factory's health clinic doing occupational health nursing. It's a temp job, that started last November, and was only supposed to last till January, but was extended into March and then through May!

    I have felt like the village idiot with this job, but it's been an awesome learning experience and it's work experience, something positive I can put on my resume. And the pay is nice too!

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    Congratulations on the new job! I am hoping to get a permanent job, too. I am an LPN. I have been out of work since 2004. I am on disability, both SSDI and from LTD. I took refresher curse in 2008 with intent on going into home health. However, I learned that I needed the acute, or med/surg experience. I felt that I was too green to be out there on my own.

    Anyways, I attempted a NH job, but only lasted 6 weeks. It was way too overwhelming, and too taxing on my health. I have sarcoidosis and don't even appear to be ill. However, there are days that I just suffer from extreme exhaustion. Also, I have days that I feel fantastic. I left the NH without notice. I handed in a two-week notice, but had a family emergency and just quit after one week. they put me "on the bad girl list". that really hurt, since I always had a good work ethic. Anyways, shortly after, I found a job in a allergist's office. I got fired after three weeks because some pt. had anaphylactic reaction to his serum that he self injected. Since, he was a long time pt., and I was new, I got fired. In my defense, I was not the only one making the serum. So, my next job was just working for Mollen Immunizations. Too bad, it was only seasonal. I did enjoy that work.

    Now, I have an upcoming interview working at an outpatient clinic. But, am having some doubts that it may be too fast paced for me. I know that I need a slow paced job and thinking maybe I should try to work privated duty. Maxim called me back a week ago. I just wish that I had the stamina when I first started out in nursing. I have worked mainly in behavioral health. I worked at drug rehab, and a psych facility.

    I had a staff recruiter contact me via email from epeople healthcare. But, I believe that is strictly nursing homes, and working "agency" I am sure that I would not be able to handle it.

    I really need to buy a new car, as mine is falling apart, but I can barely pay the rent. So, I need some extra income. I know that I will be forfeiting my benefits. I plan on working for 10 years until I retire at 63. I just hope that I could find the right job. My old employer did not even welcome me back. I guess that I was away too long. If I would have gone back before two years, I think they would have gladly taken me back.

    My DH is going to retire in Sept., and I definitely want to be out working PT. When he was out of work due to illness for three months, it drove me nuts.

    What I really want to do is be a travel agent, where I get to try out all of these vacations. It would be mandatory for me to take 3-7 day vacations. lol :smokin:

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    :nurse:I would like to know how to explain a gap in work history due to a disability, without disclosing the actual diagnosis? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

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    I am status post anterior cervical discectomy with fusion c5- c7 with plates and screws by 4+ months. Working modified duty in Performance Improvement for one month after being off since September as I still have weakness in my left biceps and triceps, and headaches... long story from an ED lifting injury 12-08 that was mis-diagnosed herniated discs / spinal compression for 9 months.

    I am frustrated.. and am starting to feel hopeless that I will not be able to return to the floor which I love, and I am doing basic data entry in the position I am in now.. feel I am a waste mentally, emotionally, spitirually, etc...like I am of no value especially with all my background, and how social I used to be... and now I sit in a quiet office alone all day and crunch numbers or enter data.

    I also have my CLNC and have done some cases besides working in the ED - but now with my new hours in Performance Improvement.. it has been more difficult to market to local attorneys... so my business is also affected.

    Anyone have suggestions for a nurse with such a background (ED / Critical Care RN - Associates Degree with MICN, CLNC, TNCC, ENPC, ALCS, PALS, BLS) and such a disability?.. I am just not able to lift patients (especially with our minimum requirement of 50 lbs lift, and 200 lbs assist at the facility I am at).

    ERNeck

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