Am I right to feel irritated? What can I do about it?

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I need a little perspective here. I work 12's at an LTAC that routinely gives you 6-7 patients who are all vented, total dependent, on titrated drips...very sick in other words. I am almost 8 months pregnant and am having a hard time being on my feet, boosting etc. for that amount of time. I called my DON today and asked if I could be telemetry monitor for my shift tomorrow night, as I am having an asthma flare up and do not feel safe working the floor. (My pulse is up to 140 just walking around the house.) I was told no, that telemetry is randomly assigned and they cannot promise me anything. I haven't worked a telemetry shift my entire pregnancy, but they have put young nurses, able bodied nurses, male nurses there routinely. I have never requested the position before, but I feel that it should be obvious to them that if I cannot work safely for my fetus, then tele is a viable option where I can still contribute. I stated this to my DON who again refused. I then stated that I would not be coming to work at all. She REFUSED to take me off the schedule and told me to call tomorrow. I know that the same will be said tomorrow and they will then write me up for not giving 24 hours notice. I'm ****** and need some input. Thanks!!!

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Specializes in Home Care.

Tricky situation for you and your manager. I can see her point in not assigning you and your desire for that seated position.

Soo, have you asked your doctor about you going on "light duties"? Or maybe its time for you to go out on mat leave?

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Specializes in Emergency, ICU.

That's terrible. You tried to go about this the civil route and the manager seems to prefer to be a nurse down than to accommodate your situation. Shameful.

Now, you're going to have to get your Ob provider to document light duties for you and present this at work. They'll have to comply or put you on disability.

Good luck!

Sent from my iPhone using allnurses.com

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Specializes in retired LTC.

Not sure but 'light duty' is usually reserved for work-related, on-the-job incurred injuries only. I don't think pregnancy is protected, so she may have to consider early maternity leave.

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Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.

Light duty is for people who have had a work related injury. If someone can't do their job because of pregnancy or illness, light duty wouldn't apply. Can you afford to start your maternity leave now?Best of luck.

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I've been thru my share of rough pregnancies (5), so I know where you are coming from. Thankfully I had a great group of coworkers that would mother hen me more than I needed so I really didn't have to deal with this. In order to "make them" give you an easier assignment, you would need to get a doctors excuse and then ask them if they have a position for this. It would be the nice thing to put you on telemetry, but I don't think they have to unless there is a policy for light duty etc .

Is pregnancy covered as a disabilty?

really stinks that your coworkers wouldn't trade off with you for a shift or two.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

They don't have to accommodate you. Light duty varies facility to facility on how or whether they will offer it to an employee. If you wish to purse this I would check with your OB-GYN and possibly get a modified work statement or maybe an early FMLA.

I think it stinks that the DON or your co-workers wouldn't help you out....maybe that is what you need to look at as you go forward.

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Light duty is not just for work related injuries. I had surgery for a non work related situation and returned to work on "light-duty" until I was able to lift, etc. Light duty is at the discretion of the employer, though, IF they have a need. Sometimes it just may not be able to be accommodated.

That aside, it would be nice if they could allow you to work closer to your due date and not waste your leave and still contribute to the facility. You have to look out for you and your child, though, and I hope the rest of your pregnancy is uneventful.

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I have empathy for you in your situation. I was a government employed nurse a few years back and was diagnosed with a fractured sternum (from a non-work related accident) and had a MD order for light duty. My Nurse Manager said, "I can't honor this request because the injury didn't occur on the job". I was forced to take FMLA (no pay, of course) and return to work when I was able. After that episode, I had a different attitude about how much investment I wanted to give my employer. In other words, 'life is not fair!' and worse, 'you can't change the world!'.

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