Am I Being Wrong?

Nurses General Nursing

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Specializes in Cath Lab, OR, CPHN/SN, ER.

I'm sure I'm going to get flamed....

I'm almost 28weeks pregnant by this point. So far, I've been doing a lot of work. I lift, I push, I pull, and care for some isolation patients. My co-workers have been very protective of me, and step in a lot and say "You don't need that patient, they have *insert infectious dz here*" or "Let me lift that" (or pushing the stretcher with my 500 pound patient on it!).

Because I work a weird shift, I usually end up in a float nurse position, and take a lot of patients who require monitors to their room once assigned.

However, this is becoming more and more uncomfortable, almost downright painful, and I'm trying to stop doing so. It puts an incredible strain on my belly to push those stretchers, and finding help moving a patient on the floor is a PITA. Add to that the sciatic nerve pain down both legs with an occassional leg buckling, walking all over the hospital is not what it used to be. However, I do offer to watch that nurses patients so they can take the patient to the floor. Would you be offended or po'd?

I don't want to step on toes where I work (I'm a fairly new employee).

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Specializes in Critical Care, Pediatrics, Geriatrics.

don't be a pushover or a people pleaser...the safety of your unborn child should be top priority. As long as you pick up the slack in areas where you are able to, then the other nurses should not have a problem with this. But certainly don't sit on your butt while others do your work (which by the content of your post I am certain this is unlikely.) If they can't understand, talk to your nurse manager. If that doesn't help consider leave under the Family Medical Act.:kiss

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They need to accomodate you in pregnancy- and yes some people will get annoyed.

A good solution may be to have the aide go with you and push the stretcher. You still have to do a lot of walking, but at least all the stress and strain of pushing will be gone. Yes, might PO the aides, but I know ED nurses who take an aide with them each time, pregnant or not!

Be assured someone will complain- but in general- they are people that just complain all the time. :)

Also, perhaps it is possible for you to be assigned a "less active" role in the ED. Our expecting ladies serve in triage (can be quite active, but we have 2 in triage so the other one usually jumps up for any strenuous stuff), or at the monitors. It depends on the ED- what jobs are available for you within your dept.

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You will never be wrong when you are looking out for the health and well-being of your unborn child. The hospital should make resonable accomidations for you, this may or may not include an aide helping you to transport patients( that may be "pushing" things too far :rotfl: ). Before going on family leave you could try a tempory position in anouther area of the hospital like medical records, education dept. or some other non-clinical area where heavy lifting or I.D. might come into play. If all else fails then go on leave. Good Luck w/ your pregnancy and how things turn out at work.

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Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.

You have to be the one to initiate easing off some of your physical activities. So, here's the flame you wanted. :angryfire You are putting your baby in danger of a premature delivery. When we had preggo nurses we didn't let them do any lifting or pulling, and it was because we were concerned not only about the nurse, but more so for the baby! If your co-workers can't understand that, the heck with them. However, what you describe sounds like just the opposite--they are concerned. It seems like the pregnant woman is the problem here.

If you are truely having a hard time of it, have your doc give you a excuse so you can take a medical leave of absence until after the baby's birth. I can tell you that as a former manager we had pregnant nurses that had to do this more than you would think. When I had my first "real" full time job back in 1969 it was standard practice for women to start their maternity leave when they hit their seventh month. So, we were all shocked when there was one employee who kept on working right up to when she started getting labor pains--it was scandalous for 1969!

Your baby has to come first, kiddo! Jobs are aplenty. The precious cargo you are carrying is one of a kind.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.

edited.

Take care of yourself and best wishes. :)

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Specializes in Corrections, Cardiac, Hospice.

On my unit I won't allow pregnant nurses to take care of isolation patients or to do any lifting. Their babys are #1 priority! Most nurses are either mothers, fathers or hope to be one day...they support the unit's position because they know that when/if they are in that position they will get the same concern. Our familys come first!!!

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