not sure i can handle demands

AmyB · Jan 16, 2004

I don't think size (in this case) matters as much as you might think. In our first semester, it was drilled into our heads that if you needed to do something physical, you needed to call for help if unable to complete the task on your own. That seems to be a common theme throughout nursing school. If you need to reposition that 350 lb patient, obviously you can't do it alone. Ask for help. Your back will thank you.

Catma63 · Jan 16, 2004

Originally posted by student_rn_IL
Hi everyone
hello I am trying to decided if nursing is right for me. I am a small woman, I weigh about 100 lbs and i am 4 foot 10 and i know that you have to have physical strenght to do the job. I am not sure i have the strenghth. and dont know if i can acomplish the needs that come with the job. how do i decided if i can or if it is right for me.
seriosly complexed
beth

Then you're one inch taller and 7 lbs heavier than one of my classmates and, trust me, she never has worries about what she can handle on her own. Like the rest of us, if it comes down to movign a pt you're incapable of moving, you get help. Doesnt' matter if you're 4 foot 10 or over six feet....gotta take care of that ole back! ;-)

BarbPick · Jan 16, 2004

I am sure there are babies in the nursery who need care, or a psych patient who need someone to listen. There are nurses in wheelchairs, desk jobs. They also have step stools that are considered safe to get things ath are too high. I have a friend who fits your description, and he screen name is APteteRN. She works open heart unit. Hospital beds also have low positions. We are supposed to keep them in their lowest position for safety.

Carolanne · Jan 16, 2004

As the other posters have said, you usually call on someone else to give you a hand and now there's so many great lifting devices on board in the hospitals such as the Chorus, where the patient is hooked into a sling and the machine does all the lifting and manuevering from point A to point B. Don't let your size concern you too much, I've seen many petite nurses on the floors who manage just fine.