taking H1N1 patients while pregnant?

[melisgood]

Hey,

I just graduated in May and started working on a telemetry floor at a near by hospital. I've been working there for 2 months and I am 15 weeks pregnant. I am working with a preceptor who is very persistant that I should have no problem taking patients in airborne isolation rooms who have or may have H1N1. Of course, I am going to talk to my doctor about this. My preceptor insists that as long as I follow policy and wear my N95 mask etc I should be fine. I told her I'm not comfortable at least until I get my vaccine. No one else on the floor has had a problem with me requesting to not take these patients. How risky do you think it is for me to be around these patients. I know the CDC says I should not take H1N1 (or possible H1N1) patients who are on ventilators or be around them when any respiratory treatments or suctioning are being performed. I didn't tell this new preceptor (this is day 2 with her) that I had requested to not be asigned to ANY airborne isolation patients.....now I'm just trying to at least keep from being given H1N1 patients as this scares me the most. I don't want to be silly about this....anyone have more information on this? Some of the other nurses on the floor have told me I should get a note from my doctor so my preceptor will stop bothering me. I just don't want to cause friction if I don't have to, but so far I've stood my ground. Any thoughts? TIA!

[indigo girl]

At my facility, the rest of the staff always switches with the pregnant nurse. I would not allow that preceptor to put you on the

spot in this way. It is not like most people would not be willing to switch assignments knowing that you are pregnant.

The masks are good, but not perfect. Why don't you get an opinion from your ID department privately about this?

Here is the CDC guidance:

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/guidance/pregnant-hcw-educators.htm

Pregnant women who will likely be in direct contact with patients with confirmed, probable, or suspected influenza A (H1N1) (e.g., a nurse, physician, or respiratory therapist caring for hospitalized patients), should consider reassignment to lower-risk activities, such as telephone triage.

If reassignment is not possible, pregnant women should avoid participating in procedures that may generate increased small-particle aerosols of respiratory secretions in patients with known or suspected influenza, including the following procedures:

Endotracheal intubation

Aerosolized or nebulized medication administration

Diagnostic sputum induction

Bronchoscopy

Airway suctioning

Positive pressure ventilation via face mask (e.g., BiPAP and CPAP)

High-frequency oscillatory ventilation

[mich321]

The hospital where I work has released H1N1 guidelines which state that a pregnant woman may not refuse an assignment provided there is appropriate PPE available for use.

I would personally offer to trade assignments with a pregnant co-worker, because I would feel wrong about putting that person at risk if another assignment is available.

[indigo girl]

Trading assignments is the stance of most nurses that I have talked with.

Why wouldn't you if only to help put our colleagues anxities to rest? It's not a hugh inconvenience as long as

the patients are being cared for by a nurse.

[flightnurse2b, LPN]

when i was still working, my charge used to give me everything under the sun and i couldn't refuse it... droplet, airborne, whatever. i was really worried about getting a patient with the H1N1 virus, and my charge nurse said there was no reason why i couldn't care for them.

so i told my OB, who is caring for the 5 other pregos that work on that floor, and he was madder then heck, bc one of his pts who is a nurse at our sister facility contracted H1N1 already... he personally called the director saying that before they assign any of his pregnant patients to someone with the swine flu, they needed to beep him and give him a very good reason for putting the nurse's life and her baby in danger.

never heard about it again.