Advice: Choosing clinical unit and I am pregnant

[SweetDuluth]

Hello to all of you lovely nurses!!

What unit(s) would be best to choose or avoid for a 135 hour rotation while 30-34 weeks pregnant?

This is my first pregnancy and I don't know what to expect. I am active, reasonably fit, and practice self-care. At this point I have no reason to expect that I won't be able to fulfill my duties.

My goal is to work in women's health at some point in my career. But before I go there I want to gain more critical care experience to prepare me for emergent situations. Plus, I think critical care and trauma is fascinating.

I want to select an ICU unit for this capstone. If ICU is a good choice at this point, would a certain ICU unit be better (MICU, CICU, Burn ICU, NTICU)? What do you think? What am I not considering? Have you worked with pregnant nursing students and what should I consider?

Lot's of questions.

Kelly

[JadedCPN, BSN, RN]

I don't think you should exclude yourself from any unit simply because you are pregnant, except for maybe a psych unit where your chances of altercations may be increased.

[AliNajaCat]

Nobody gets a guarantee of anything, including how your pregnancy goes. If you are normally healthy, you can do anything. Hell, I did CPR straddling a patient on a guerney when I was 37 weeks.

I am not sure if oncology is still sort of off limits because of chemo drugs in the air and transplant because of cytomegalovirus -- the occupational health nurse at the hospital can tell you-- and as Jaded says, you might want to avoid psych. Otherwise, do what you want.

[SweetDuluth]

Neither Behavioral Health or Oncology where high on my list. Thank you!

I bet it would have been great to witness you at 37 wks straddling a pt and giving CPR.

[JadedCPN, BSN, RN]

Nobody gets a guarantee of anything, including how your pregnancy goes. If you are normally healthy, you can do anything. Hell, I did CPR straddling a patient on a guerney when I was 37 weeks.

I am not sure if oncology is still sort of off limits because of chemo drugs in the air and transplant because of cytomegalovirus -- the occupational health nurse at the hospital can tell you-- and as Jaded says, you might want to avoid psych. Otherwise, do what you want.

Good point for the chemo drugs, I don't know how that slipped my mind.

[la_chica_suerte85, BSN, RN]

Good point for the chemo drugs, I don't know how that slipped my mind.

We have special protective gear that we wear to prevent exposure -- many, MANY nurses on my unit have worked while pregnant. The only exclusions are patients who had scans that make them radioactive. When it comes to dealing with bodily fluids, there are special precautions that prevent exposure (flushing urine, throw a chux on top of the toilet prior to flushing and flush twice). Also, as a new grad, prior to giving chemo, I had to get provider certified and couldn't even handle chemo at that point so I doubt a student will be physically spiking and hanging chemo. The risk is minimal, esp at the weeks toward the end.

[/username, BSN, RN]

I would say the CICU will give you the best experience of all of them. if surgical/trauma is your jam, then NTICU, but most of the sickest trauma/surgical patients may go to other hospitals

[AliNajaCat]

Neither Behavioral Health or Oncology where high on my list. Thank you!

I bet it would have been great to witness you at 37 wks straddling a pt and giving CPR.

Picture trying to do CPR over a beach ball. (That baby was 9#10oz three weeks later)