Which nursing specialty or position is the most physically demanding?

About to start nursing school and just exploring different specialties and wondering which of them is the hardest and most challenging physically.

Thanks

Josh

HMM. ltach or even ICUs where most of the patients are total care? That can even be some LTCs or med surg floors. If you meant challenging physically as leaving sore some or most days. I wouldn't say any field is like construction work on a daily basis. But maybe I still have youth on my side or only a clue as to what construction work is like.

I have to say med surg. There are days that are so physically exhausting that I wonder why I continue. For one, I like the people I work with, we are a team and help each other on hard days. And even though the job is hard, it can be very fullfilling to be a great nurse to people in need.

Being a wound/treatment nurse in LTC! Holding peoples legs up and bending at weird angles to apply dressings *kills* your back. Ever have to apply a dressing to the bottom of a heel on a 400lb pt? Imagine doing stuff like that for eight hours....

Ortho!

Ortho!

I guess I need to clarify my post. I work ortho/neuro/medsurg. We get a little bit of everything including traumas, TKA/THAs, CVAs, diabetic foot ulcers, GI stuff. I mean everything!! Lol It's hard. I always wake up sore the next day.

Psych :)

I say that because you sometimes spend entire shifts running from floor to floor, "wrestling" with clients (holds) and dodging punches, kicks, spit, etc.

Beyond that, you are doing medical cares on clients that don't always want them performed. Add to that doing ADLs (again on client's that don't always want them).

Psych :)

I say that because you sometimes spend entire shifts running from floor to floor, "wrestling" with clients (holds) and dodging punches, kicks, spit, etc.

Beyond that, you are doing medical cares on clients that don't always want them performed. Add to that doing ADLs (again on client's that don't always want them).

My mum (just about to finish Bsc adult nursing) told me the same thing and that since you can't hit patients back of course all you can do is dodge and take it haha

Thanks for the responses guys! All seems very diverse atm keep them coming!

@RockinChick66

I've read that a lot too every where not just this site that med/surg is VERY tough mentally and physically. No one seems to like it but to me it sounds quite challenging and rewarding because of it.

Ortho!

Why ortho beeker?

I guess I need to clarify my post. I work ortho/neuro/medsurg. We get a little bit of everything including traumas, TKA/THAs, CVAs, diabetic foot ulcers, GI stuff. I mean everything!! Lol It's hard. I always wake up sore the next day.

Do we work together, lol? That sounds like my floor. Take away the CVAs ( ours go to the unit or step down) and add in the urology patients, with their CBIs, and that's my floor. Craziness, but I love it. I used to work a very physically demanding job (non nursing) and there are many nights where I go home feeling like I did at that job.