so for you nurses on here I am almost finished with nursing school.... uggggggg
and then this hits... well
let's say i graduate which it's getting hard to finish but I think i can.
I hardly want to be a floor nurse now....... If anything I would rather have a low key job I already have a bachelors but in another field.
Maybe I can work for a insurance co?
The stress of a hospital is pretty much out that I do know.
Hi mark1 --I'm a nurse too. I was working in a hospital--night shifts, on a floor with patients that required a lot of heavy physical care--when my RA hit me the first time around. I found it absolutely exhausting to work during a flare. It was hard on my energy and hard on my joints. I'm no longer working as a nurse (I've gone back to school) but now that I've started on a DMARD, I think that if I were to work in a hospital I'd be leery that my supressed immune system would put me at risk of catching nasty bugs.
Maybe a desk job would be worth looking into? There're plenty of choices out there.
And congratulations to you!
Are you in the USA?
I keep saying it - but I love my remicade nurse. I think I could do her job physically.
Nurses we need you. You are the only part of the medical system that does not need fixing from my point of view - the patient.
Please try to find a job that you can do without stressing your hurting bodies.
There are several areas you might consider. I left nursing and went to work for an insurance company in 1985 and started my career as the receptionist. I later set up one of the first managed healthcare departments for an ins. carrier and worked with reinsurers on large loss claims and review. I left that career to set set up a workers' compensation program for an employer with 3,000 employees and was Director of that program for several years till. There are many places in the insurance industry for nurses and the pay/benefits are excellent. I retired as vice president of a managed healthcare organization. It was long and hard hours but the pay was excellent and I was always challenged. I've had people ask me how I could work for a health insurance company and I've always believed that if you want something changed for the better you work from within. Nurses are used throughout the health insurance arena.
School nursing is also an option and public health office nursing. Invitro fertilization clinic nursing is interesting and rewarding. I explore and see what your options are in the area where you live.
I have only been a nurse for 5 years and the majority of my experience is in the ER...and some Minor ER work too. There is quite a bit of running involved there...I did night shift in the ER and you hit the ground running at 7p and you dont start to let up untill at least 2 or 3a. It is fun, and you feel good at the end of the night...ER nurses can be sharks when you are the newbie...but they are for the most part crazy, mouthy, and have totally sick senses of humor....and I completely love it. It has been hard to let go. I am an ER nurse. Now that I am not working....and especially once I turn in my resignation....I am not sure who I will be. I did spend some time on med-surg, Tele, general surgery, LTAC, and ICU. I have also done some nursing home work in charge and mgmt positions and I have worked a few times on an outpt. radiology unit starting IVs and doing a few blood draws for those needing it for CTs and MRIs.
Anything in a clinical setting like minor care, the floor, or nursing home is going to require alot of standing and walking and using your fingers to prep meds. The days I worked in the rad. dept were when I was going off of my meds for surgery...even though I was not busy at all, I still was uncomfortable and very tired.
You really have to weigh what is more of an issue for you. If you are having trouble all of the time then you may need something that requires less of you physically. But if you just have bad days, and then on your good days you are able to function pretty well, maybe something like agency nursing or a float pool would work well for you.
I always thought Case Management would be kinda cool. I also think that outpt. infusions could be cool in the right setting. I did it but we were a direct access center for the hospital, so we were holding ER patients, admiting patients sent from the docs offices, and then infusion patients or ones who needed Rhogam or Blood would just show up with their orders in hand and we had to find a place for them too. It was a hasel. But the infusion pts that I did work with I found to be interesting...I guess cause they were going through what I knew I would someday be going through. (and now I am) But my infusions are at the rhuemy office and so the iv nurse does all the infusions for the RDs and of course we come on a schedule. That could be something to look into.
What is you other degree in..? can you use both or are they totally oppisite fields?
They are opposite fields My other degree is in Criminal justice have 2 of them actually.
SO my nursing degree will be my third granted I finish.
I did have a clinical that I thought hey I could actually do this even with ARthritis... I think but the hard part for me of course will be I will have no experiece ...
but did a outpatient Mental health clinical where pts go to 4 groups during the day and The RN runs the group or does evaluations was very outpatient and laid back nothing like being a staff nurse on a unit there were 20 minute breaks between each group.
maybe if i get on more meds besides just prednisone my hands wont get so red, uggg
I am still very terrified of all this..... I survived colitis and that was very hard for me to be young and get that and I really do very well and hardly need any medicine for that and have a normal large intestine they scoped me just last month and once again saw no colitis damage so I was thankful for that.
Having 2 major illness has really hit me hard emotionally I get very scared and yea I most likely have depression because of it. Then again, who would not?
I am still afraid to tell my doc how depressed this has made me.... I wonder if i should just tell him how i feel?
Everyone here is great I am also thinking of trying to see if there is a support group near me knowing your not all alone with this dreadful thing helps....
I am going to try and live the bestlife i can church should help some.... I attend a non denominational church called calvary chapel they are nationwide i think....
today my hand is not so red after 20 mg of prednisone yesterday..... it would be great if I did not need prednisone every day... because its very hard on the bod.. well arthritis is worse i quess..
Mark I also go to a non denominational church. If it was not for God and all the people praying for me I don't think I would be were I'm today.
MY favortie verus. I can do all thing trough Christ which strenghtens me.
One day at a time.
Yes this board is great.
I actually have had a hard time finding support groups and I live near a major city. But the board is great, and I am going to keep looking around to see what is in my area...maybe I will start something of my own someday...like I need more work to do....There are lots of opps.out there for nurses...if you are not having too bad a time with the fatigue then I think you will find something. You reallly did shift gears career wise didnt ya?Mark, There is always work with the mentally ill but please don't go into it because you can do it. I hope you have an affinity for people with this horrible diagnosis. You will be a treasured member of a mental health team (by the patients and their loved ones) if you do not do status -quo and actually find yourself caring about the people you are treating. Good luck.Mark 1,
I have been a nurse for 10 years, and all of those years has been in ICU. Congratulations on graduating!! I assume it is this May. Roxy is right!! Find your passion in nursing, and then it won't seem so much like work. If you know what your passion is and it is really physically demanding, try to "downgrade" to a less demanding area in the same arena. I am trying to change jobs right now, but I am changing because I have always had a passion for hospice and that is where I want to be! Hospice is like an ICU without the tools! ICU has always been my love, so hospice is not that much different.
Finding out that I have RA is tough, because i am not used to depending on anyone to take care of things for me. I think that has been the hardest thing for me. But I will get through this with my families support, friends support and support groups like this, where i can go and people understand what I'm going thru. I can vent, that helps me tremendously.
You will find your niche....just go where you love! Good luck and cogratulations
Trish
Congratulations! It is such a great accomplishment for you. I have been a nurse for 23 years. I have worked at a variety of different nursing jobs. In the past year my RA has gotten worse and I am in the process of trying new meds. I have been working at a University clinic now for a year, and I really like it. It does not require me to do any lifting, and I am learning something new all the time. I assist the physicians with procedures, and do phone triage. I would really like to work in the ER, but I know this is not realistic at this time. I think there are a lot of options for you.
Good luck in whatever you choose to do.
Melody
Hi Mark. I am also a nurse on a med surg unit. I quit my full time