Students Forty and over pre-reqs now

RunBabyRN · Feb 9, 2016

I would say it's possible, but you'll need to be honest with your schools that you cannot lift/have physical limitations. There are nursing positions that don't require lifting. I've had a few. Among my jobs that didn't require much lifting were telephone triage nurse, home infusion nurse (I imagine oncology and dialysis would be similar), and working health fairs and flu clinics. Now I'm in labor and delivery, so I am moving moms around a lot, but NICU babies rarely weigh more than a few pounds. NICU nurses, correct me if I'm wrong about lifting!

Point is, there are options. I would consider speaking with the directors of programs you're considering, and find out what's required physically and whether or not accommodations can be made.

Good luck!

ETA: One thing to consider beyond lifting is having to be able to bend and be in weird positions. While doing home infusions, I was having to make due on someone's couch or bed or recliner or whatever, so I was often bent in weird positions or kneeling on the floor. Telephone triage is a lot of sitting, which may not work for you. Just other things to consider.

NurseGirl525, ASN, RN · Feb 9, 2016

You are going to have to pass a physical for nursing school and pretty much any job. I know I had to pass to be able to lift I think 50lbs. It could have been 20 though but I think 50. That's where your issue is going to be.

You also will have to lift in clinical. The PP is correct that you don't need to for certain jobs, but you will have to turn and position patients. Many of whom are obese at above 300lbs. Some hospitals have devices that help to transfer and move patients, but simple repositioning is on you. I had to reposition a 250lb patient last week who was sedated so they were dead weight.

Is there any way to rehab your hip so you can lift? Is this a restriction your physician has put on you? If it is, you may have to put this dream on the shelf. You can always create new dreams. You are not limited by one dream. I would be in trouble if I was. I had bigger dreams in my life initially, but as I am also 40 I had to tailor my dreams to what was reasonable in my life at this point.

Just don't look this as an unfulfilled dream if it's not possible. People put too much emphasis on that. Look at it as an opportunity to fulfill new dreams you can make. Get with your physician and see what he thinks. I never would have went forward with nursing with my physician's full support.

LadyLamp · Feb 9, 2016

I was in a car accident several years ago, which left me with some spine and hip injuries. The sciatica was awful. I did physical therapy, went to an orthopedic surgeon, neurosurgeon, and did everything in exercise from Pilates and yoga to spinning, elliptical, weightlifting...the list goes on.

The only thing that really did it for me, and pretty much eradicated the hip problem, was the ballet-inspired workout, commonly known as the bar/barre workout. There are a number of companies that specialize in this: my favorites are The Bar Method and Physique 57 (though I would work up to P57). It helps to find a local studio to learn proper form (very important), but videos are also available that you can do at home. These workouts are excellent for realignment and strength training.

TacoBelle · Feb 9, 2016

Have you shared these concerns with your PCP?