what to do in school? next semester starting soon i want to be a RN but body says no

  • Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.

    If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!

    To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.

jenniferand2

Senior Member
Mar 19, 2016
1,433
33
48
#1
My next semester of school starts soon I really want to go for nursing. My heart tells me to go for nursing but my body and mind say ohhhhh noooo you can not do that. I am getting down to a wire here and need to decide what to do. My other choices are keep the program i am in and get my BA and then go on for my Physician assistant degree but that is a whole lot of money and time. I am so confused I have prayed about what to do and I do not seem to be any closer to an answer...
 

Angela53510

Senior Member
Jan 24, 2011
11,780
2,943
113
#2
You did not say what is wrong with you, but I understand your wanting to follow God's will for your life. I had to give up teaching, because I was so disabled by Rheumatoid Arthritis. Then, I went to seminary to become a pastor or chaplain and even had a job offer. But my meds failed, and that was the end of that! But, for me, getting a seminary education is something I use every day!

Not so with nursing! My thought is that there is sometimes heavy lifting involved with nursing, although an RA is doing more administrative things. What is that would keep you from performing your duties, if you completed your Bachelor of Nursing? (This is a rhetorical question for you to answer, you don't need to answer it in this thread!)

Being in health care is very demanding. There are long hours, and it can make a body that is already struggling even worse. I have a son-in-law and a daughter-in-law who are doctors and the work, and on call they go through is incredible. And long, long hours! But they are both extremely healthy, with supportive spouses.

So you are going to have to reason this out, with the brains God gave you. Sometimes he won't light up the sky with an answer, but just tell you that your body is speaking for him. Or not! That is for you to figure out!
 

jenniferand2

Senior Member
Mar 19, 2016
1,433
33
48
#3
Yes thank you I agree my goal in nursing was to work in labor and delivery actually. I do understand it is very demanding. I will think on things more. I can be pretty stubborn and do things I know all hurt my neck and back then pay for it
I was kind of hoping I could push through but I know that may not be possible maybe the physician assistant would be better
 

hornetguy

Senior Member
Jan 18, 2016
6,646
1,397
113
#4
Yes thank you I agree my goal in nursing was to work in labor and delivery actually. I do understand it is very demanding. I will think on things more. I can be pretty stubborn and do things I know all hurt my neck and back then pay for it
I was kind of hoping I could push through but I know that may not be possible maybe the physician assistant would be better
It sounds as if you are almost at your decision.

Just my two cents... if you are concerned about physical strain/stress NOW, you are wise to choose the other route. Believe me... I was very healthy, very active, played softball up into my early 40's, went hunting (LOTS of walking, hills, etc) ...

But it is amazing how much your body slows down from 40-60.... whether you want it to, or not. In my mind, I can still jump up and go move something, but physically.... nope. Even if you can DO something still, the recovery time is exponentially longer.

Even little things, like kneeling down, can take a toll....

End of my input.... more than two cents, I suppose, but I just wanted to let you know what to expect, physically. And you might not go downhill quite as fast as others, but.... it's still downhill.... :(
 
D

Depleted

Guest
#5
My next semester of school starts soon I really want to go for nursing. My heart tells me to go for nursing but my body and mind say ohhhhh noooo you can not do that. I am getting down to a wire here and need to decide what to do. My other choices are keep the program i am in and get my BA and then go on for my Physician assistant degree but that is a whole lot of money and time. I am so confused I have prayed about what to do and I do not seem to be any closer to an answer...
For you? This isn't as hard a decision as you might think.

When hubby was in the hospital he was also completely atrophied. We got excited the first time he could lift his arm. When he first entered the hospital he was 330 pounds. By the time he lifted his arm, he was 260. One of his nurses wouldn't wedge him to one side to avoid bedsores because she had a bad back.

You know what the other nurses (and I. And hubby) thought of her? This old joke.

"What do you call a nurse with a bad back? Unemployed!"

There is no question. You cannot do any job that requires a good back. You don't have one. The same reason I'm unable to work. As someone who watched my husband suffer because some nurse thought she was too special not to help him... Just don't. Please. Just don't.
 
D

Depleted

Guest
#6
Yes thank you I agree my goal in nursing was to work in labor and delivery actually. I do understand it is very demanding. I will think on things more. I can be pretty stubborn and do things I know all hurt my neck and back then pay for it
I was kind of hoping I could push through but I know that may not be possible maybe the physician assistant would be better
PA's have to be on their feet for very long days. And, if a patient is struggling to get out of a chair or off the examining room, that's also a PA's job. If the patient falls down, then what? Not as physical as nursing, but can you do it? If you're seriously planning on muscling through pain, consider this. Back pain does nothing but get worse. 17 years ago, I became disabled with just one pinched nerve in my back. Three years ago, I was up to problems in six disks. I felt each one, so could point to them knowing I don't know where my thoracics turn into lumbard, into tail. (Can't even figure out how to spell that word. Sorry. lol) Remember last year we were talking about TENS units? I wanted two to cover the four sorest spots. Now I would need three. It just keeps getting worse, and we live in the US where very few want to treat pain.

What's the plan when you're 50 and can't do any physical labor?

I absolutely understand being stubborn, but if the body says NO listen! Stubborn does not beat what the body tells us.

From one stubborn chick to another.

I do know something you might be able to do in the medical field. Have you checked out doing the insurance work? In the 1990's, I knew people who could do it from their homes. (They were making about $45,000 then. No idea what it pays now.) Not sure if that's possible today, but at least it's not on your feet all day, and they don't really demand you sit all day either.

You want to help people in medical need? That's still it. We were getting bills for three times the amount of our home! :eek: Those were the people who stopped me from having a heart attack by fixing that HUGE booboo! No one wants to face what we faced only to come home and see bills for half of America's debt when they get home!
 

jenniferand2

Senior Member
Mar 19, 2016
1,433
33
48
#7
For you? This isn't as hard a decision as you might think.

When hubby was in the hospital he was also completely atrophied. We got excited the first time he could lift his arm. When he first entered the hospital he was 330 pounds. By the time he lifted his arm, he was 260. One of his nurses wouldn't wedge him to one side to avoid bedsores because she had a bad back.

You know what the other nurses (and I. And hubby) thought of her? This old joke.

"What do you call a nurse with a bad back? Unemployed!"

There is no question. You cannot do any job that requires a good back. You don't have one. The same reason I'm unable to work. As someone who watched my husband suffer because some nurse thought she was too special not to help him... Just don't. Please. Just don't.
i agree with you it is just wanted it ever sense i can remember... I will work on doing the Physician Assistant I guess i still want to do something medical I will figure it out for now I will just get my Associates in liberal arts and Science..
 

jenniferand2

Senior Member
Mar 19, 2016
1,433
33
48
#8
Yeah i guess your right with that also I did not think about the lifting even as a PA well heck lol I do not know then maybe just get my Associates Degree then just hang for a while and see what strikes me. I know I have a while before i would be able to work full time as I will most likely need back and neck surgery here sooner or later.. I honestly know I can not do it I try to tell myself this but myself does not like to listen to me lol. I guess I will when the time comes figure it out or just stay on disability and work part time at something who knows.
 
D

Depleted

Guest
#9
Try this site to see what life is like for people with bad backs. It's another site I go to. Surgery doesn't give you a good back. It gives you less pain for a while. You still have at least 23 years of working-age. (Probably more, because they'll raise retirement sooner or later.) Do something that won't turn that into less. The financial side of getting less last a lifetime.
 
Feb 28, 2016
11,311
2,972
113
#10
we have a very good friend who was studying to become a doctor, but unfortunately she had
an horrific horse accident and was not able to fulfill her life-long goal...but, she did become
a PA and was able to work out of her home or at the doctor's office if she was able...
this was very satisfying to her, as she was just so grateful to be able to finish her degree and
help others in so many ways, but of course, she could do no lifting or anything bodily stressful...

she Loves Jesus dearly and He made a way for her to fulfill her dream of helping her follow-man...