Hi folks,
I was an LPN for 19 years until a ruptured disc took me out . I have had a laminectomy (2/05) and am ready to go back to work in the field and am completing the last course for my ADN. A lot of the things that I loved before are off the table now because of the old injury. I'm looking at OB/GYN floor, ER, OR and MICA. I worked as an in house float for awhile and have experience in ER,OB/GYN, Psych,vents, ltc, ICU, med-surg, tele, ortho , peds, office(peds.gyn,primary care). Tele was my first love but I can't handle the lifting now. I have completed but let expire ACLS,and CCNEI(could not take the CCRN as I was an LPN but took the course for ICU)Looking at MICA as I sub in a halfway house for women in early recovery and their children, but am not casac or CARN yet. .

Dwolf...first of all, my congrats for hanging in there! As a veteran of the OR, let me say that it is an extremely physical job and might be difficult for you, considering your surgical history. That's not to say you couldn't do it - each person is an individual. I know nurses who came back to OR following procedures such as yours, and they found that the degree of difficulty was just too much for their bods. Again, only you and your physician know what you can actually do.

That being said, one of the great things about nursing is that there are so many options that you can pursue within the field. Have you considered Case Management for either your hospital or an insurance company? There's also Utilization Review, Infection Control, Nursing Informatics, Nursing Education, and numerous other areas you could focus on that might have a less physical component. With the broad background that you have, I should think that you would bring experience and knowledge to any number of specialties. It's at least worth exploring.

I wish you much success, whichever direction you end up going!