i am a tall girl - need advice!

Reigen · Feb 16, 2005

Hello Everyone!
My question is - is 5 ft 10" too tall for this sort of work? My mum always thought I was too tall for this work. I don't know. I realise lifting is involved and I am not a weakling or anything. I've had the odd muscle spasm from being hunched at a desk for 15 years tho :chuckle
I have heard that back trouble gets a lot of nurses and I'm a tall girl. My husband's aunt was a midwife at 6ft 1" and is very hunched now (late 60s) with osteoporosis but this may have happened regardless?!
Help!

I am 5 feet 9 inches tall, and my daughter is 6 feet even. We are both nurses. I have not found my height to be a problem (other than starting an IV, I just pull up a chair at the bedside to do that), and I raise the bed if working on a dressing change or other treatments to "my work height needed" to save my back.

Hope this helps you.

Sujeily Martir · Feb 16, 2005

Hello Everyone!
I love your site.
I'd appreciate any advice you can give me. You will see from my profile I am 36. I have just applied to nursing school here in UK. I have enough quals to get a place, I reckon, but I have no experience. I have been thinking for years about getting into this field and have finally decided to go for it. Mid-life crisis?? My years of admin work have literally bored me to tears. I get NO satisfaction from it at all.
I am currently trying to get into my local nursing home as a care assistant as it'll give me much needed experience and a feel for the work. Also, if I am too late for this year's nursing intake I'll gain SVQ quals while I wait.
My question is - is 5 ft 10" too tall for this sort of work? My mum always thought I was too tall for this work. I don't know. I realise lifting is involved and I am not a weakling or anything. I've had the odd muscle spasm from being hunched at a desk for 15 years tho :chuckle
I have heard that back trouble gets a lot of nurses and I'm a tall girl. My husband's aunt was a midwife at 6ft 1" and is very hunched now (late 60s) with osteoporosis but this may have happened regardless?!
Help!

Hello and welcome!!

I think that the height does not matter on this field. I'm 5ft 6" and i'm a ARN student and none of my teachers have said anything to me. Also I have a teacher who is 6ft tall and she has over 10 years of service. so I think that you shoudn't worry about it. att. Sujeily

zenman · Feb 16, 2005

30 years at 6'3" No problem

z's playa · Feb 16, 2005

I'm tall too...5 10 and the only problem I have is finding scrubs that fit my legs lengthwise :chuckle

Another member mentioned pumping the bed up so as not to strain your back and I agree. Even the shorter nurses are taught to do the same thing. All I can say is in the future I'll have to really keep an eye out for my pts when I raise the bed because if they fall off ....... it will be a loooooooooooong way down to the floor. And I'll be in massive trouble.

elkpark · Feb 16, 2005

6' tall, 20 years in nursing, no back problems. Everyone in nursing, regardless of height, needs to be careful of back and other physical risks -- use good body mechanics, always take the extra jiffy to crank the bed up to your height for procedures (and be sure to put it back down when you're done! :) ), etc., etc., etc. Plus, we have the advantage when it's time to lift things down from the top shelves ... :chuckle

I've been a psych nurse most of my career, and have found my height to be an advantage -- patients who get v. hostile, aggressive, and threatening with shorter female nurses have v. rarely done so with me.

There is no "right" or "wrong" height for nursing.

kermit27 · Feb 16, 2005

Please do it! I'm a mature student too; 15 years of office clock watching and now I'm a second year student and I love my new life. Hours fly by; you learn something new every day.

some UK nursing schools require an access course, but if you've done ANYTHING even vaguely cerebral in the last few years, mention it on your application. I included Girl Guide leader training (not insignificant, mind you) and a lot of music, and I was offered interviews at 2 London area programmes that DEMAND access courses, without one.

good luck

Nesher, BSN, RN · Feb 16, 2005

The best thing that us taller gals have to remember is to raise the bed when you are doing something with the patient.

We are also very handy to have around reach things that the smaller folks can't :)

bobnurse · Feb 16, 2005

thanks for the laugh, this was an odd question to ask........

toadflax · Feb 16, 2005

Thanks to you ALL for your replies. That's settled then :)

I can't tell you how often I've heard people say that tallies are no use for nursing, labouring, blah, blah and that it's better to be short and stocky with a strong back. Seems they were wrong! It's great to get advice from the horse's mouth, so to speak.

kermit27

- it's nice to know there IS a life after being an office drone! Glad you're enjoying your course so much. Thanks for your advice. I stayed in London for 5 years and LOVED it. Didn't leave from choice either, unfortunately. I can't bear boredom - think it was lack of confidence and direction that kept me in the office for so long. I get excited just thinking about starting the course!

nosonew, BSN, RN · Feb 17, 2005

I agree! I think the worst issue you will find will be finding TALL scrubs!

Good luck on your future in nursing!

CHATSDALE · Feb 17, 2005

i am 60" [makes it seem taller when you put it in inches]..i have never seen any problems encountered by nurses of any size