Pregnancy Discrimination - Interview

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I have read more than a few threads on here and quite frankly I am a little appauled at the attitudes. No wonder women ask if they should hide the pregnancy! They're discriminated by female nursing collegues right from the start and treated as though it were 1950. "No, you should wait until after you have the baby." Well, I think most nurses on here are used to a higher standard of living than a cardboard box, and that's what happens when you can't pay bills. I have an interview scheduled soon and still waver on what to do. It is for a per diem position and it is not an oncology floor. I think honesty is best, but in this economy, just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean I want to put nursing on hold for a year while my skills dwindle. It's already competitive enough! I could understand the NM being worried about staffing shortages, but I never called off a day in my previous position...why would I call in sick now(my horrible vomiting has passed.) Here's hoping I have decent luck with per diem.

I know a manage who will hire male nurses or menopausal women over those of child bearing age.

We have one year maternity leave up here and pretty much everyone takes it all. I know of one unit who has a nurse who since 2008 has been on mat leave three times. Comes back to work with a re-orientation period, works 20 weeks and guess what? She's off again. 20 weeks is the magic number to qualify for maternity pay on unemployment benefits.

We all wish she'd resign and co prn but she likes "her line" and doesn't want to give it up. I don't think she's going to find it easy to return this time, the contract has changed it's wording about return. Might wind up on the acute care of elderly unit and not the one she's on now.

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Yes it is called "reasonable accomodation" Also, once a pregnancy advances to the last trimester and the nurse is having difficulty, we have had the nurse bring a copy of her job description to her physician visit and ask the doctor to address the critical elements of the job. If the Physician's opinion is that the nurse cannot perform the critical elements of the position while pregnant, we can either provide an easier assignment, if available, or the nurse can go on maternity leave at that time. The only time that light duty needs to be accomodated is with a work-related injury.

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For those of you that advocate disclosure, how would you go about doing it? Wouldn't it be an awkward conversation. I do not know how to go about this.

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And at what point in the process?

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Specializes in LTC, Hospice, Case Management.

I think you should use that charming personality of yours and go thru that first interview with a bang. You usually have a good sense if the hiring manager is clicking with you. At the end of the interview you are often given the opportunity to ask any questions. Ask any questions you may have then say something such as "And, one last thing. Because I have such a strong sense of integrity that I can bring to your organization, I just want to let you know that I am pregnant. I can promise you that I won't be that whiny nurse expecting easy work assignments and I anticipate only needing off xxx amount of weeks. I think in spite of this, you will find that my _ _ _ (qualifications) makes me the best candidate to fill the position".

I've been hiring for many years and I have been burned by some really bad hires. But, on the other hand, I've been agreeable to some wild situations just because I liked someones personality enough and knew they would be the perfect fit for the rest of my crew that it was worth jumping thru some hoops. It doesn't happen often, but it does happen. Work that personality and have the nursing skills to back it up. You've got me on your side. Please PM me if you get that job so I can wish you a congratulations. I will really want to know the outcome.

Editing to add: As a long time manager I think I get what many newer managers sometimes miss. A happy staff with great attitudes just makes EVERYTHING better. Patient care and satisfaction goes thru the roof and ultimately my job gets easier all around. This is why hiring a great personality that fits with the rest of your crew is so important. I can teach some skills if need be but I have never been able to teach attitude!

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Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.

When I was pregnant, it was my coworkers who were coddling me all the time and not let me take the patients with influenza or let me help lift heavy things. They treated me like I was made out of glass. I was willing to pull my own weight, but they wouldn't let me. Maybe working in OB is just a different environment where being pregnant isn't considered this big huge inconvenience to everyone, I don't know.

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Specializes in FNP, ONP.

I didn't post it to make friends Klone, lol. I posted it to help the OP. Nor did I "blacklist" the MA in question, the practice manager did. I don't have the authority to determine who is and is not eligible for rehire within the company statewide, lol. I do decide who works for me, and I won't work with someone who is untrustworthy. The practice manager made the administrative decision not to keep her in the company in any capacity.

She is gone, and I'll be interviewing all next week I guess. Maybe I'll hire a male this time. ;)

OP, my advice is to just tell the whole truth. Find a natural time in the interview to mention it, and if it doesn't present itself then I'd just mention it at the end of the interview. If I were interviewing you, I probably wouldn't hire you immediately, but I'd respect you for telling me and hang on to the resume for the following year. I do wish you luck with both your family and career.

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Wouldn't giving special treatment, assignments and desirable days off to pregnant women be the equivalent of discriminating against those who are NOT pregnant? Just wondering. And giving preferable days off or easier assignments or jobs to those who are pregnant in order to be "family friendly" is a ridiculous way of looking at it. Most of us have a family, whether or not we have children or are pregnant.

I didn't interpret the "family friendly" reference to infer easier assignments for pregnant women. I read it to mean that some organizations are more flexible/understanding with maternity leave or not immediately judgmental towards hiring pregnant women; maybe naive or ego-centric thinking on my part. But I can understand and remember feeling frustrated with a certain pregnant nurse on the unit getting all walkie talkies while I had 3 total cares in addition to other patients.

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When I was pregnant, it was my coworkers who were coddling me all the time and not let me take the patients with influenza or let me help lift heavy things. They treated me like I was made out of glass. I was willing to pull my own weight, but they wouldn't let me. Maybe working in OB is just a different environment where being pregnant isn't considered this big huge inconvenience to everyone, I don't know.

From what I've read, it does seem as though pregnant nurses are viewed differently/better in OB. Maybe I should apply to those units. ;)

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I didn't post it to make friends Klone, lol. I posted it to help the OP. Nor did I "blacklist" the MA in question, the practice manager did. I don't have the authority to determine who is and is not eligible for rehire within the company statewide, lol. I do decide who works for me, and I won't work with someone who is untrustworthy. The practice manager made the administrative decision not to keep her in the company in any capacity.

She is gone, and I'll be interviewing all next week I guess. Maybe I'll hire a male this time. ;)

OP, my advice is to just tell the whole truth. Find a natural time in the interview to mention it, and if it doesn't present itself then I'd just mention it at the end of the interview. If I were interviewing you, I probably wouldn't hire you immediately, but I'd respect you for telling me and hang on to the resume for the following year. I do wish you luck with both your family and career.

I still disagree that someone who does not disclose is untrustworthy. Momentarily deceptive maybe, but I don't view the issue as so "black and white." Pregnancies can be unplanned, and someone still has to pay bills. I am a nurse who does what is in her patient's best interest. Having a child brewing may affect my employers staffing temporarily in the long term, but it does not affect my patient's safety or livelihood in any way. And I am a dedicated long term employee to an organization I deem compatible and worthy. I think your reaction to the MA was harsh, and your primary reason was because you didn't want the inconvenience of having a float for 6 to 8 weeks. From my experience in outpatient settings, the job function of MAs is mostly routine...they obtain histories(brief or in depth depending on the area), obtain vitals, and draw blood work; an experienced float would not have difficulty fulfilling that need. But I do appreciate the honest feedback. You obviously do discriminate based on pregnancy, and "play the game" in firing her as much as she did in deceiving you.

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I got hired at 28 weeks two years ago. I didn't hide it at all (kinda rounded to begin with). I nailed that interview and got hired. I really truly believe if you know you're stuff and you have a genuine disposition about yourself (and they think you are a good fit for the unit's culture), you'll get the call to come back! Go girl...knock them dead!

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Specializes in Med Surg.

It is deceptive not to disclose pertinent info about the ability to do one's job. It would be like waiting to get hired and then declaring needing time off to recover from an undisclosed surgery, or needing time off for a planned vacation. I would be hard pressed to trust someone who is willing to lie by omission to get what they want. Be honest, be yourself, and you'll be a le to look at yourself in the mirror and know you didn't deceive to get your job.

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