What to do with severe physical limitations?

Published

Hi Everyone!

I am a relatively new nurse (2008 model ;)) although I feel like I do not have nearly as much as experience as I would like because of physical limitaions. I have gone through numerous surgeries and cancer treatments since graduating. The last surgery was a little over a year ago but I have been left with many limitations from the surgery. I have nerve pains in my arms which limit my use of them and at times my left hand will go completly pins and needles. I can not raise my arms over my head for any extended period of time or even use them period for much work. I used to work in the ED and now could not dream of doing the job I did. There is no way that I would survive a code if I had to do compressions. I also have very limited ROM in my neck from the surgery (they removed muscles and blood supplies) and also the radiation treatments. PT was unsuccessful and the dr's have all kinda just thrown there hands up and said "oh well!" I can not accept that. I am 27yo and have a life ahead of me that I want to live and I want to go back to work. The radiation has left me severe damage to my salavary glands which require me to keep water with my at all times. I can not make it through even the most basic conversations without my mouth drying out. I can imagine it is bad enough that it will make doing any type of procedure difficult for me.

I really am at a loss as to what to do next. Nursing was most certainly the job that was for me. I loved the environment and my job. I miss it terribly on a daily basis. I have looked at other job positions online but am not finding much in the way of anything that I think I could physically handle at the moment.

Any ideas on where what areas I should be looking into? How about ideas on how to present yourself in a favorable way to employers. It seems the job market can already be difficult but I feel like I have a ton that can be held againist me even before I can get to the point of being hired.

I guess I am also looking to know that I am not the only one out there that has limitations that must be overcome just to function on a daily basis... and I need some reassurance that I might be able to return to a somewhat normal life one day.

:crying2:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in school RN, CNA Instructor, M/S.

have you considered becoming a case manager for oncology? with your own experiences and the role model you could be I think the possibilities are there for you. the job has enough variety that you wouldn't be tied to a desk or computer. you could also look into occupational health. Talk to the nurses that helped you when you were going through treatment and see if they have any suggestions. Good luck and God bless!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I ams orry to hear about the pain that you have gone through. but the case manager idea sounds great. or become a DON. they necessarily get their hands dirty

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

I am so glad you made it through such an ordeal. With your current physical limitations, you will need to focus on the 'mental' aspect of nursing rather than the physical aspects. There are lots of ways to do this. As PPs said, case management is one way to go. They are likely going to become even more in-demand as e get further into health care reform. Some hospitals also have positions for 'nurse advocates' - basically an intermediary for families who have loved ones in an intensive care situation. I would think that your own experiences would make you ideal for this role. I know a nurse with experiences similar to yours who is employed by an oncology group practice. She manages patient education and discharge planning for the docs... rounds with them in hospitals a lot.

Then there are the operational roles - where nurses function as analysts for IT or finance.. helping to connect the dots and ensure that processes and applications are designed with clinicians in mind.

Good luck - stay strong.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I meant they DONT get their hands dirty

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Health Information Management.

You could look into Health Information Management. I seem to be the local evangelist for my field, but I ended up in it for reasons that are very similar to yours - major disability that pretty much closed the door on anything in the way of direct, hands-on patient care (for instance, there's no way I could help to lift or turn a patient). Anyway, it's a broad field that encompasses a lot of areas: coding, HIPAA/security/privacy issues, design/implementation/maintenance of EHR systems, informatics, utilization review, and risk management. The field is basically the nexus point between clinical, administrative, and operational fields. Now, given that you have a background as a nurse, you could qualify as a clinical documentation specialist with some additional education in documentation.

It stinks (that's putting it in a family-friendly way) to be disabled, but there are agencies available to help people like us. One group that has been a real godsend for me is my state's Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation/Rehabilitative Services Commission. Every state has some version of this, and the people there work with those with significant disabilities to help them retrain and/or find employment suited to their abilities. If you already have a bachelor's degree they can't help you with any new degree programs, but they can assist with training programs that will help you retool yourself for a different job. If you don't have a degree, they'll often help you pay for one that can further your employment opportunities. They also provide job placement services for everyone, regardless of degree, and will design and help to (or completely) pay for assistive devices and individually-designed workstations that will make it easier for you to function as effectively as possible. When it comes to finding a job, they work with employers to place you, and can even offer them incentives like tax credits in return for employing disabled individuals.

I hope you find something that suits you. It can be rough trying to pick up the pieces after something like this plays havoc with the future you had planned for yourself. It takes some work, but you can reconfigure those plans - and sometimes avenues and opportunities you never would have expected open up when you do. I wish you the very best of luck.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I have lupus and work in an electric wheelchair, night shift in a rehab/LTC facility. It's a very upscale place, so the physical work is pretty light, with quite a bit of paperwork. I mention the upscale part because it never occurred to me that the nursing acuity for rich people is so much less than for poor people, but it's true ;) They also use a lot of MDS people in this area. I see some disabled folks working for hospice, too, and some of them working for home health agencies.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in L&D, OR, CVOR, CVICU.

I am a disabled RN looking for a job too. I have 12 years of experience with direct patient care including CVOR, CVICU, general OR and L&D. I left nsg. several times because of burnout and the last time I started doing medical transcription and proofing for a newspaper. During that time I started having seizures with the first one while I was driving. I hit a car head-on and almost amputated my foot. I had a grade IV fracture of the talus and two surgeries in the two years, eight months since the wreck (Feb. 2008) have not corrected the problem. In fact, three surgeons have told me I am lucky I still have a foot. But after both surgeries more of the talus bone died (AVN) and now my talus was described by an ankle surgeon two weeks ago as "a pile of dead bone, or a pile of rocks". I walk on a good day with a cane, a worse day with crutches and the worst days I pull out the w/c. I have pain with walking/standing even with the cane or whatever I have to use that day. In fact, this surgeon also told me I would need pain management because I will have pain for the rest of my life, even with a successful fusion.

I have a history of depression and have almost given up several times when I lived alone in Virginia. I moved to FL in August to be close to my mom who is my biggest supporter (my other family members don't believe depression is real). I tried home health nursing for five weeks when I got here. Just over a week ago I had to resign because I couldn't be on my feet that much. The pain made the job impossible to do. That got me down some, but today I feel better about things and am actively looking for employment where I can use my BSN degree and nsg. experience somehow. I enjoy documentation, weird, I know, but I was good at it when I was practicing nursing. I really loved the proof reading I did and the little bit of editing I was able to help with. I wonder if I can use my interest in documentation, my experience in proofing/editing to somehow, I don't know, review charts or something along that order? I have been doing job searches for risk management, quality assurance, nurse consultant, research RN, etc. with not really any good results. I have added to my cover letter that I cannot walk far or stand long due to my ankle injury b/c I want potential employers to know right off the bat there is a disability there. I am so frustrated b/c thousands of jobs come up with my searches and they are ALL direct patient care and/or travel nursing jobs and I feel like I am wasting my time fooling around on these sites.

I just want to work. NOW. But - I want the right job for me. I don't want to be quitting another job in the next year; I want to be on a job that I will retire from in 20-some years. I want to buy a home and settle down. I just want to adopt more Greyhounds and I can't without a job.

Are there any nurses out there that might have a suggestion or two for me? I would love to get some feedback.

Thanks,

Jenny

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Pediatrics, PICU, tele.

Did you look into dialysis positions? I used to be a PCA on a dialysis unit and most of the staff was composed of older nurses who had gone into dialysis after a lifetime of nursing left them with back injuries. There was also a young man who had a spinal fx due to an MVA and found that dialysis was the only field where he could meet the physical demands (he wasn't a wheelchair-user but he did have a lot of activity restrictions.) I don't know if your limitations would prevent a dialysis nursing role or not...but it's one of the physically easier fields and it usually pays very well.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Health Information Management.
I am a disabled RN looking for a job too. I have 12 years of experience with direct patient care including CVOR, CVICU, general OR and L&D. I left nsg. several times because of burnout and the last time I started doing medical transcription and proofing for a newspaper. During that time I started having seizures with the first one while I was driving. I hit a car head-on and almost amputated my foot. I had a grade IV fracture of the talus and two surgeries in the two years, eight months since the wreck (Feb. 2008) have not corrected the problem. In fact, three surgeons have told me I am lucky I still have a foot. But after both surgeries more of the talus bone died (AVN) and now my talus was described by an ankle surgeon two weeks ago as "a pile of dead bone, or a pile of rocks". I walk on a good day with a cane, a worse day with crutches and the worst days I pull out the w/c. I have pain with walking/standing even with the cane or whatever I have to use that day. In fact, this surgeon also told me I would need pain management because I will have pain for the rest of my life, even with a successful fusion.

I have a history of depression and have almost given up several times when I lived alone in Virginia. I moved to FL in August to be close to my mom who is my biggest supporter (my other family members don't believe depression is real). I tried home health nursing for five weeks when I got here. Just over a week ago I had to resign because I couldn't be on my feet that much. The pain made the job impossible to do. That got me down some, but today I feel better about things and am actively looking for employment where I can use my BSN degree and nsg. experience somehow. I enjoy documentation, weird, I know, but I was good at it when I was practicing nursing. I really loved the proof reading I did and the little bit of editing I was able to help with. I wonder if I can use my interest in documentation, my experience in proofing/editing to somehow, I don't know, review charts or something along that order? I have been doing job searches for risk management, quality assurance, nurse consultant, research RN, etc. with not really any good results. I have added to my cover letter that I cannot walk far or stand long due to my ankle injury b/c I want potential employers to know right off the bat there is a disability there. I am so frustrated b/c thousands of jobs come up with my searches and they are ALL direct patient care and/or travel nursing jobs and I feel like I am wasting my time fooling around on these sites.

I just want to work. NOW. But - I want the right job for me. I don't want to be quitting another job in the next year; I want to be on a job that I will retire from in 20-some years. I want to buy a home and settle down. I just want to adopt more Greyhounds and I can't without a job.

Are there any nurses out there that might have a suggestion or two for me? I would love to get some feedback.

Thanks,

Jenny

@Jenny: If you enjoy documentation and have experience as an RN, look into the role of a clinical documentation specialist. Just plug it into google and go from there.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in L&D, OR, CVOR, CVICU.

Sorry I posted twice. I typed the first one, thought I lost it, retyped it and posted it and this morning I find them both on there. Oops. Does anybody know if I can delete one of them? I hate to take up so much space.

Thanks for the idea about clinical documentation specialist. I will look into that today. I hadn't heard of it until I saw it yesterday on a post here. Sounds like it would be a good fit for me.

Thanks,

Jenny

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I am just about on the same boat, now out of work for the ??? time due to complications stemming from RA and severely painful ulcer(s) in my lower leg d/t venous insufficiency from a blood clot years ago. I work in LTC and it is not light duty, it is constant walking, standing, frequent interruptions, etc, etc. (yes, whoever mentioned that here is right, and the stress is constant) My RA is not in the severe stages but my factor is very high (in the 200's) and my pain, stiffness, and endless fatigue have worsened. Years ago my job was easier, stressful, yes, but i did not have the health issues that i have right now (i'm 48)and i could deal with it better. my performance has slowed right down. I have an MD appointment this week and i am almost for certain he will put me back to work with restrictions (he has mentioned that before) He knows my job duties and is not thrilled about them (he has been mentioning that to me in my visits and i have been going against him and continuing to work, putting up with the way i feel and praying that things would get better)

I've read everyone's posts and have gotten some great feedback regarding light duty work for us nurses as i want to return to work. So appreciative of those suggestions!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion