Weight Lifting RN's

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I was checking the job requirements about a month ago for RN positions at a local hospital here in Austin.

They have an opening for an RN with the ability to lift 100#:eek:

Guess I better start working out at the gym more frequently.:D

By the way, the position is still open this morning.

Bo

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Specializes in Acute Mental Health.

Hey, I can lift it with a proper lift. Do they mean safely lift 100#? Come on, how ridiculous!!!! I wonder if the position is open because the original nurse is out with a back injury!?!

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Specializes in ER, ICU, Infusion, peds, informatics.

that's not an uncommon job requirement. i've seen 70 or 80# lift requirements more often, but i have seen it as high as 100#.

they aren't asking for a weight you can bench-press, after all.

think about it -- it isn't unusual to ask two nurses to lift a 200# patient up in bed.

i can lift 100# without too much trouble, and i'm an averaged-sized female. i carried a 95# dog from my car to the vet's office last week, and only had trouble when i had to open the door.

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that's not an uncommon job requirement. i've seen 70 or 80# lift requirements more often, but i have seen it as high as 100#.

they aren't asking for a weight you can bench-press, after all.

think about it -- it isn't unusual to ask two nurses to lift a 200# patient up in bed.

i can lift 100# without too much trouble, and i'm an averaged-sized female. i carried a 95# dog from my car to the vet's office last week, and only had trouble when i had to open the door.

i hope this isn't the end of my very short career as a nursing student. i tore my cuff rotator keeping my wife from falling down stairs, and had a 6 hr surgery. i almost didn't make it because of an error in anesthesia (ended up on a vent for 2 days). i would refuse to lift as much as 70# much less 100#. :down: propping a patient up in bed is a different story.

how about pediatric nursing as an alternative?

bo

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Moving patients is part of the job. Peds patients can be big too. I have several 120 lb 9Y on my sons football team. Most hospitals now treat peds up to 21Y. Pts are getting bigger...ambulances are being built for pts up to 1600lbs. Lifts are being installed in hospital rooms for moving pts for that reason.

Lifting 100lbs is not really that big of a requirement. Refusing to lift/move a pt would kind of tag a person as not being a team player....

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Specializes in Acute Mental Health.

In 3rd semester clinical we were told to always get help and to lift the least amount of weight as possible. I honestly believe that it is very unsafe to lift 100# of something that is sturdy and especially unsafe if your lifting a person. Our instructor told us that many ltc facilities are equiping their places with more lifts that are better. The big ltc in our town tells the employees that if your lifting more than 25#, you get a lift (if its a person) or help and they stick by it. Honestly, I couldn't believe it but each employee gets the lift (two in each hallway) when they need it. With the number of back injuries that nurses receive each year, I would not risk my back. I still think a 100# requirement is way too much. :twocents:

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Moving patients is part of the job. Peds patients can be big too. I have several 120 lb 9Y on my sons football team. Most hospitals now treat peds up to 21Y. Pts are getting bigger...ambulances are being built for pts up to 1600lbs. Lifts are being installed in hospital rooms for moving pts for that reason.

Lifting 100lbs is not really that big of a requirement. Refusing to lift/move a pt would kind of tag a person as not being a team player....

You think I should risk personal injury to avoid not being labeled not one of the team and lifting 100#? Have you ever had a back injury or cuff rotator surgery? No wonder there is such a big nursing shortage! :argue: Looking more and more like nursing is the wrong profession for me.

Bo

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Specializes in Acute Mental Health.

Bo, don't you dare give up nursing because of this. Honestly, how many nurses can safely lift 100#? The average person will not be able to do this. I agree that hoisting them up in bed with a helper is pretty easy, but for one person to lift a 100# safely is not a reasonable request. This is why back injuries are so common. I have no problem being a team player, if my team involves more than just me as far as lifting. If I saw someone attempting to lift a person, who couldn't really help themselves, I would dive in. I've never seen anyone attempt to do this, honestly, we get help. I've seen back injuries end nursing careers and I for one can honestly tell you that I will not attempt to do a lift if either my pt or my safety is on the line. I would hope that all nursing staff gets the help they need.

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Bo, don't you dare give up nursing because of this. Honestly, how many nurses can safely lift 100#? The average person will not be able to do this. I agree that hoisting them up in bed with a helper is pretty easy, but for one person to lift a 100# safely is not a reasonable request. This is why back injuries are so common. I have no problem being a team player, if my team involves more than just me as far as lifting. If I saw someone attempting to lift a person, who couldn't really help themselves, I would dive in. I've never seen anyone attempt to do this, honestly, we get help. I've seen back injuries end nursing careers and I for one can honestly tell you that I will not attempt to do a lift if either my pt or my safety is on the line. I would hope that all nursing staff gets the help they need.

Did you happen to watch the Olympics weight lifting. One woman from Romania cleaned and jerked 350# over her head. Her husbands comment is always the same "YES DEAR" :D

Bo

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Specializes in Neonatal ICU (Cardiothoracic).
Did you happen to watch the Olympics weight lifting. One woman from Romania cleaned and jerked 350# over her head. Her husbands comment is always the same "YES DEAR" :D

Bo

Dude, I almost spit coke all over my macbook... that was genius......

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Specializes in Day program consultant DD/MR.

I had to take a physical for my current position and part of it required me to lift 75lbs and move them about 2 feet. It was not bad as the weights were in a crate.

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Specializes in Pediatric/Adolescent, Med-Surg.
I had to take a physical for my current position and part of it required me to lift 75lbs and move them about 2 feet. It was not bad as the weights were in a crate.

I was supposed to pass a physical similar to that when I started nursing school, but my country doctor, didn't really test strengh, just tested for scoliosis. With my shoulder the way it is now, there are times when I can not even rotate my arm, much less lift 75 lbs. Thank god, I like working with kids.

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