Trying to decide if I can do it with physical ailments

[wannabe1976]

Let me tell you a bit about myself to begin with. I'm a 34 year old with ruptured discs in my neck that are compressing my spinal cord. Doctors are wanting to do a fusion, but I am tryin to wait as long as I can since the meds are working. I have left arm numbness and tingling due to the nerve damage from the disc. Not to mention the headaches that come along with it. The numbness is mostly controlled with steroids shots and the headaches with a compound of Depacote and Topmax with Excedrin Migrain or Lortab 7.5 (only if it gets too bad). And my eye site isn't the best in the world. I can see but can not see as clearly as people with 20/20 vision due to the fact I can not be corrected to 20/20.

But for the last 2-3 years I've wanted to go to nursing school. Gotten so far as to get the Pell Grant. Even had several nurses to tell me that I should from what they have seen me do with my elderly father when dressing and taking care of his wounds. Several thought I was a nurse because I know so many medicines and the uses. Not to mention the terminology used. But there's a reason for that, I was a first responder for 7 years at my local volunteer fire department. So, I've even seen some very intense scenes that most people couldn't imagine. Then with my father having a peg tube and stage 3 bed sores on his feet I have had a lot of practice on wound care.

My biggest concern is that my body will not let me do it. If I was to be able to finish school I would prefer to work in a ER setting since that is what I am used too. But it would be a totally different type environment from what I have always known. I would keep 'em alive til EMT's got there...that was my job. I didn't have a boss we all worked together and did what had to be done to keep the person safe and breathing. But I also thought about doing wound care. Since I am already familiar with it.

As a entry level nurse how demanding will it be on my back/neck?

Do you think it is possible to pursue this career without causing myself more injury?

Would I be able to even pass a physical to be admitted to nursing school due to the physical problems I already have?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Any personal experiences also.

I'm just not sure what to expect and too scared I may bite off more than I can chew. :)

[babynurse428]

Hi. I am an RN with the exact problem as you, but on my right side. I have bulging discs at C5-6 and C6-7 with nerve impingement at C7 and a compressed spinal cord. I have been lucky that epidural steroids have kept my pain and tingling/numbness away. They want to do 2 disc removals and fusion, but I refuse. But I have severe weight lift restrictions (to 15 pounds) and it has basically ended my career. Most hospitals require that you can lift at least 50 pounds and I cannot do that. I don't want to discourage you, but you really need to take an honest look at what you can and cannot do before going to school. What causes you symptoms to become worse. I don't know where your disc issues are in your neck, but I would think that lifting is a no-no for you too. Good luck!!

[lovesthejob]

So Baby Nurse What are you doing. I had a back fusion last year. I did not want to have it done but my drs insisted. Now I have numbess in both legs and I get sore hips. Of Course my Nuerosurgeon from Mayfield Clinic in Cincinati dumped me and said I cant do anymore even though he said he would not do this. I have had so many Ct Scans,Mri,epidurals and even had steroid induced Cushings with the moon face buffalo hump and tremendous pain. The moon face is gone but not the weight or pain. I have applied for food stamps. I did work for a short time for a hospice doing massage on hospice patients but they dumped me too or stopped giving me clients. I have no reason because most of my patients gave me great feedback. So now I am working flu-clinics and Corporate Wellness Events. I can do massage on some private clients but it is very hard. I am almost of unemplyemnt and I dont think I would qualify for disability. I would not go to nursing school with a bad upper or lower spine unless you can find a sit down job like casemanagement or utilization review or just 1 patient at a time. I a, in my 50's and have applied to every hospital in Cincinnati but cant get an interview. I worked for TriHealth for 12 years and they wont even let me have an interview and I could work as a massage therapist for them at the workout pavillion but they wont answer my resume. I was with the Health Alliance in Cincinnati when I developed my back issues now they wont even give me a glance. I could work part-time. I have 18 years of GI nursing experience and even the private centers dont have any openings i believe my back surgery got around. So I am not sure what I will do. The Cincinnat Hospitals will not help a partially disabled nurse and I have applied at them all even Mercy and Childrens VA. So dont go to nursing school do something else ie social worker,pharmacist or pharmacist assistance or anything sitting down. Good Luck.

If their are any nursing recruiters out there I have 25 years experience and 10 years as a massage therapist. I miss it i have RN,BSN sined loves the job Thanks

[babynurse428]

I am currently working with a pediatric home health care company, but due to the weight lift restrictions, I have very slim pickings. I have not had anything in a month. I currently am lucky enough to have a baby coming back on board this week that I have worked with before. Thank goodness her parents and I bonded as they requested me specifically. So I will have her Sun- Thur 10p-6a for 4 weeks. At least it is something.

Sorry to hear about the job issues. I have figured out that the hospitals are protecting themselves. I have worked Neonatal ICU for 17 years with weight restrictions without a problem, but now the hospitals have put a requirement to have to be able to lift 50 pounds (even in NICU) to cover themselves and keep themselves from incurring higher health care costs in the future. Pretty crappy if you ask me! But I get it.

So sorry for your troubles, "Loves the job". I can definitely empathize since I am in a similar boat. So a Cincinnati girl, huh? I have extended family that lives in Cincinnati and both of my parents were born and raised there. I was born in Cincinnati, but left when I was four and don't get back there often.

I agree with your advice to "wannabe". I don't know that she would make it through clinicals, though. It just depends on her restrictions. Good idea with pharmacist. If I had the money to go back to school and wasn't close to 50 myself, I might consider going back to school. But as it is, I need to find something to keep me going on a day-to-day basis.

Best wishes to you!

[ERNeck]

With any back or neck injuries - nursing as a future is tough unless you go into an area that does not require direct patient care. During schooling, you will be required to do clinical, which will be difficult with your injuries, and you will likley not make it through the clinicals (a reality check - sorry, but I am a realist). I know first hand. I am out on disability now (and have been on and off since 12-08 at only 39) after a work comp injury that is similar to yours - A long story short is I had a lifting inury that caused injury to the lower back / sacroiliac joint and also my neck - but the work comp clinics/MDs missed the neck issues until I got to MDs I know I trust 9 months later and they finally addressed the neck to learn I had two herniated discs...the inury was 12-08. I wont bore you with all that happenefd inbetween - but lets just say I worked through a lot of pain and other crap...I had Anterior cervical discectomy with fusion plates, screws and cadaever bones c5 to c7 in 11-09. My grips came back (by that time both hands had dropped out like I a had a stroke), and some other symptoms resolved, but I am still left with residual left arm weakness, headaches, and neck pain often excacerabated by sleeping (wish I could sleep standing up). Yes- I too have to deal with meds - no I will not do any more injections. I am in limbo with my employee as they only offer 120 days of modified duty by policy then they kick you back to disability - where I am now. I had a side business doing certified legal nurse consulting that I am trying to work on again now that my body is more stablized again... but I will likley never do bedside nursing again... and I miss the ED! (ER some of you call it). Our facility just a about a year ago added actual nursing physical job descriptions to the job description - likely because of so many work comp incidents in general. Most nursing postions (at least in ED are lift-push-pull 10- 50 pounds, carry 10 - 50 pounds, assist 200 pound patients, bending - stooping-reaching for 12 hours). If you think you can handle this... go for nursing school!

[CNA2day]

I do not have the same problems you do but I do have a herniated disk issue in my lower back with numbness in my legs. I was doing a desk job where I sat on the phone for 8 hours a day and my pain was unbearable. Physical therapy was not helping and the PT was urging me to go and see a neurosurgeon. On my breaks I would lay in my truck and after work I would come home and go to bed. (i was previously very active) I took a job as a CNA at a nursing home and was told that I would never be able to handle it and when my employeer realized I had a back problem they tried to "unhire" me. I fought them through that stating they could not fire me for it and they backed down.

I have been there a year now and my back feels so much better. the movement and exercise actually help it. Last weekend I had 3 days off in a row and by the third day I could hardly function the pain was so bad, after a day back at work it no longer hurt. I am very careful and our favility has a 25lb lifting limit which helps. If I am not comfortable I get a lift instead of trying to manually lift someone, or get help rolling some of the hard ones if my back is hurting but no one but my boss and a couple coworkers even know I have a problem anymore.

Sometimes you get suprised by what you can do!