Too Short for ICU Nursing?

[sixthwannabe]

I would love to do ICU nursing and evnetually CRNA but I'm only 5 feet and 100 pounds female with a thin bone structure. I work out but don't have much upper body strength.

As a CNA, I had problems with pivot transfers and lifts when the patients were 130 pounds plus.

Mentally, I can handle ICU. I am in a top nursing school with a high GPA and I absolutely love it (usually)I also have a BS in chemistry. I know this doesn't mean i'll definitely be a great ICU nurse, but I do believe that I will be able to handle ICU someday.

Since I'm only 22, I' dont have joint problems (yet )

Can anybody rank the ICU nursing specialities that require the most physical strength? I am doing another preceptorship that is going to help me land a job there. Luckily, I have the choice of several ICU units. Given my physical strength limitations, which ones will have the least physical strength requirements?

[sunnycalifRN]

Don't let you size hold you back from what you want to do. I worked with an RRT who was under 4 feet tall (small person, midget . . . don't know what the politically correct term is) and she carried around a step stool with her. She was smart as a whip. Eventually left the bedside and went into staff education.

[grbrico]

I am 5'1. ahem... Im not going to give my weight..LOL... but I have never had a problem working in ICU. I have rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalga as well. Never once had I a problem with working with my co-workers in moving patients and preforming my duties... as a matter of fact... my current co workers are very protective of me due to my RA, however.. no one here.. is left on their own trying to move patients.... do not try to hinder yourself due to height issues... if this is what you want to do... then do it!

[littleneoRN]

I agree with all that you should not let your size limit you. BUT...if you're looking for less intense physical work, you can get excellent experience for CRNA in a large PICU, especially if they do cardiac surgery and ECMO. Lots of experience with sedation, drips, etc. there. I know plenty of PICU nurses who have gone on to be CRNAs. And I know some NICU nurses who have too...so there are places that accept NICU experience. This can vary on the type of NICU people have worked in because not all NICUs have the right type of patients to give you the right type of experience. I work in a NICU that deals with plenty of drips, complex airway management, sedation, ECMO, etc, but this is definitely not what you'd get in every NICU.

[nerdtonurse?, BSN, RN]

I love it when we have a petite nurse on shift -- you can get in around the equipment and lines, chasing down a power cord or lead better than I can; I'm not fat, I'm tall and built like a Clydesdale. When you've got a vent and external pacing wires and leads and A line and NGT and flexiseal and etc.,, it's good to have someone we can send under the bed or around the head of it without ripping everything out of the wall.