But I'm Pregnant . . . . .

Hardknox · Jul 4, 2004

We have a relatively new nurse who's almost 8 months pregnant and absolutely MISERABLE. I'm pretty sympathetic---I went through that five times myself---but I think it's time to take maternity leave if you can't answer call lights at least some of the time, and need the PRN nurse to pass all your meds for you. I certainly don't mind helping her out, but I think it's time for her to give it up!

I totally agree. Avoiding X-Rays and highly infectious patients is a given, but if you can't perform the other duties of your job description go on maternity leave. What happened to the war cry of the feminists and natural childbirth advocates--Pregnancy is a natural state and should not be viewed by the medical establishment as an illness. Sounds like these people are divas!

Hardknox · Jul 4, 2004

We have a relatively new nurse who's almost 8 months pregnant and absolutely MISERABLE. I'm pretty sympathetic---I went through that five times myself---but I think it's time to take maternity leave if you can't answer call lights at least some of the time, and need the PRN nurse to pass all your meds for you. I certainly don't mind helping her out, but I think it's time for her to give it up!

I totally agree. Avoiding X-Rays and highly infectious patients is a given, but if you can't perform the other duties of your job description go on maternity leave. What happened to the war cry of the feminists and natural childbirth advocates--Pregnancy is a natural state and should not be viewed by the medical establishment as an illness. Sounds like these people are divas!

uk_nurse · Aug 20, 2004

if you can't perform the other duties of your job description go on maternity leave
if you cant perform duties of your job i totally disagree by saying you should go on maternity leave. Health and safety law states that if this is so its up to your employer to find you a job you can do with same pay, if employer cant the pregnant woman can be on leave with full pay. I totally agree with this. At the end of the day the pregnant woman and her baby are important. Also those women who disagree with this i wonder if their views will be the same if they were in that situation. Would be interesting to know.
i'm not causing conflict just expressing my views. im not saying pregnant nurses should sit and do nothing. i dont. Today i started work at 07.30 and worked 14 hr shift and didnt have my break till 17.00!! i worked nearly 10 hrs with no break and i'm almost 17 weeks pregnant!! so it works both ways

fergus51 · Aug 20, 2004

UK nurse, the laws of the land are VERY different in the US. VERY. That's all I'll say about that.

KRVRN, BSN, RN · Aug 21, 2004

We had a pregnant night shifter that always complained about being so exhausted and sick all the time from working night shift. So she talked her OB into writing her a note that said she needed to work day shift. The nurse-manager was so irritated! Hadn't seen it before and haven't seen it since! She was a bit of a princess otherwise too.

RuthieRN · Aug 21, 2004

Pregnancy is not an illness, tell that lazy nurse on your floor to get off her duff or go home! As for the holiday/weekend thing, thats part of being a nurses so she needs to get over it and stop being such a prima donna.....sheesh!:angryfire

Trauma Columnist · Aug 21, 2004

I believe in being compassionate and caring. That said, staff that come to WORK should expect to WORK. We all share the work and we are always more than willing to help each other. With a team effort, the work gets done much faster and easier. That said, I was active duty military with my first son and worked up until two hours before I gave birth. With my second son, I was a civilian, but worked up until four hours before birth. We needed the money, so I just didn't consider not working.

uk_nurse · Aug 21, 2004

We had a pregnant night shifter that always complained about being so exhausted and sick all the time from working night shift. So she talked her OB into writing her a note that said she needed to work day shift. The nurse-manager was so irritated! Hadn't seen it before and haven't seen it since! She was a bit of a princess otherwise too.

as fergus51 said laws in US are different to that here in UK. As part of health and safety pregnant women here do not have to work night shift if it makes them ill as body clock changes make pregnant women sick. I'm one of those people who are ill on night shifts and dont work them but before i was pregnant i did more than my fair share of nights. There are nurses on my ward who dont like nights at all and dont work them. we have a couple of permanent night shift staff but still need other staff. My colleagues understand my situation and they know im not trying to get out of nights as i used to cover for others. To be honest i dont care what shifts others do pregnant or not but on my ward we all help each other and its nice to know we support each other despite staff shortages. There are 5 pregnant nurses on my ward and not one of us are lazy. Yes we get tired and have a few mins break but we all get tired and have few mins break. Just like the smokers go off for 10 mins for a cigarette, and non smokers carry on working but hey thats another thread.

winniewoman9060ret · Sep 29, 2004

Along the lines of the "But I have little kids . . . . " thread:
One of my co-workers announced her pregnancy this week, stating that she was no longer willing to work weekends or holidays because she's going to be a parent. She also has to have Christmas off because this is going to be her last child-free Christmas. Oh and by the way, she can't take care of anyone with VRE, MRSA, or any other type of isolation. "Yukky wounds" make her nauseous, so she can't take those patients -- in fact, wouldn't it be best to just have her do charge all the time?
We're a large unit and have 1 - 6 nurses pregnant at any given time. Plus there are those who can't travel to interventional radiology, take infected patients, etc. because they're TRYING to get pregnant.
The last nurse to have her baby had to sit in the chair her entire shift "because I'm pregnant," and had orientees to do everything for her. Not the role of I preceptor, I'm thinking!
What's the strangest/most irritating thing you've had a coworker demand because she's pregnant?

I have 2 boys and had 4 miscarriages in between and I worked in ICU with the first one and ambulatory care with the 2nd and miscarriages. I ended out of work for 5 months of bed rest to carry the second boy. What i would have given to be well enough to work. Check your policies there should be something there to back you up. Being pregnant is not an excuse for just being lazy. Do you evalute the staff, does it include work responsiblities and all. Because she is not doing her JOB!!

EmilyCCRN · Oct 17, 2004

I believe in being compassionate and caring. That said, staff that come to WORK should expect to WORK. We all share the work and we are always more than willing to help each other. With a team effort, the work gets done much faster and easier. That said, I was active duty military with my first son and worked up until two hours before I gave birth. With my second son, I was a civilian, but worked up until four hours before birth. We needed the money, so I just didn't consider not working.

I once knew a nurse who did the same thing. She worked in ICU when she was pregnant with her first son and she worked until her water broke. Then she changed out of her scrubs, took a shower, and walked herself down to L&D to have the baby. You two are amazing!

lovingtheunloved, ASN, RN · Nov 2, 2004

Oh, damn, it's pregnant season where I work right now. There's one girl thatI swear who will go in the bathroom on delivery day, have the kid on the toilet, then make the kid stock the linen closets. The other ones are lazy as hell though. If you can't perform your job, go on leave. The rest of us count on you.

bmcrn · Mar 24, 2005

I became employed on January 25th 2005 and only a week or so later I discovered I was pregnant. I have been an RN since 1987 and recently started a job as Case Manager for Home Care. A very new field for me. As a full time case manager I am out in the field, driving throughout a county and seeing 5 - 7 patients a day which in Home Health is alot. I find that although they know I am pregnant they are sending me to homes that I find out have Shingles and MRSA. It is so distressing. I have been out on medical leave for the past three weeks because of bright red lady partsl bleeding and the doctor had called the supervisor and asked if I could have patients closer to our home base but she would not budge. I have now changed my status to per diem which will begin this Tuesday. What thoughts does anyone have on my situation and about caring for MRSA patients, I know I absolutely cannot care for shingles patient. I can't believe they continue to place me in such positions. :crying2:

Along the lines of the "But I have little kids . . . . " thread:
One of my co-workers announced her pregnancy this week, stating that she was no longer willing to work weekends or holidays because she's going to be a parent. She also has to have Christmas off because this is going to be her last child-free Christmas. Oh and by the way, she can't take care of anyone with VRE, MRSA, or any other type of isolation. "Yukky wounds" make her nauseous, so she can't take those patients -- in fact, wouldn't it be best to just have her do charge all the time?
We're a large unit and have 1 - 6 nurses pregnant at any given time. Plus there are those who can't travel to interventional radiology, take infected patients, etc. because they're TRYING to get pregnant.
The last nurse to have her baby had to sit in the chair her entire shift "because I'm pregnant," and had orientees to do everything for her. Not the role of I preceptor, I'm thinking!
What's the strangest/most irritating thing you've had a coworker demand because she's pregnant?