End of Shift: Facing My Own Fears
Jeanni Piccicaccio, RN
Monday November 19, 2007
I am a jack of all trades in the OR. I have 33 years experience there and am fortunate to love my job. Each day presents new challenges because no two patients are exactly the same and the surgeons depend on the nurses in the operating room to constantly be on the top of their game.However, this past winter I experienced my own health scare, which threatened my ability to do the job I love. It started with my left hand feeling numb, which was a major problem because I am left-handed. Although I had had a tingling feeling in my arm before, I never felt anything quite like this. After a while, the pain became so intense it would wake me up throughout the night.My work assisting with colonoscopies required a constant repeat motion of my left hand as I applied pressure to different areas of the abdomen to help manipulate the scope. I would also hold retractors during other types of surgeries. The tingling in my hand made those actions very difficult. I started to avoid procedures and was afraid I might have to resign from my job. I'm an active person, so taking a desk job in the hospital would not cut it for me.People rely on their hands in any profession, but for nurses the physical aspects of the job, such as holding a patient's hand before surgery or helping him or her get out of bed afterward, are so important. I knew I had to see a doctor to find out what my problem was. Wearing a brace to keep my hand in a neutral position or lengthy rests weren't options for me.I was nervous walking into the doctor's office. I had no idea what the diagnosis would be. The fear of having a condition that forces me to leave my job dominated my thoughts.After I described my symptoms, the doctor told me he thought I might have carpal tunnel syndrome. I jumped to the conclusion that this would mean weeks waiting to see a specialist and a lot of time off of work. I also assumed I would have to endure a painful test that involved needles inserted deep into my muscles.I was surprised and relieved when my doctor told me he had a nerve conduction test right there in his office, the NC-stat system, and he would be able to diagnose me on the spot.The NC-stat test is non-invasive. Single-use, nerve-specific biosensors are placed on the skin. The system then analyzes the response waveforms collected from the biosensor and displays nerve conduction response parameters (including latency, amplitude, duration, and conduction velocity) in real-time on the LCD screen.During the test, all I felt was a fairly mild pulse on my wrist and hand. Almost immediately, the diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome was confirmed, and I was given a treatment plan on the spot: surgery.I had an endoscopic carpal tunnel release to get rid of the tissue that was "pinching" the nerve. It took less than 10 minutes. The surgery came with the usual small risks of infection, hematoma, pain, and swelling, but I experienced none.For the following two weeks I had to wear a wrist splint and was not allowed to lift anything. After that, there was no need for physical therapy, and I was back to manipulating colonoscopy scopes and holding retractors again.Now, when a patient needs me to gently hold his hand or help him out of bed, I can do so. I no longer lose feeling in my hand when filling out charts, and I don't worry about not being able to hold surgical instruments.Sometimes you have to face your fears and take care of your own health in order to take care of others. Each morning when I report to work without hand pain, I know I will be able to fully concentrate on taking care of my patients. I am confident that dealing with my own health issue made me a better nurse.
Jeanni Piccicaccio, RN, is an operating room nurse in Port Charlotte, Fla. To comment, e-mail editorFL@nursingspectrum.com.
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