Can I be fired for refusing PPD during pregnancy?

bagladyrn, RN · Oct 4, 2017

There is a blood test called Quantiferon Gold which is an alternative test to the ppd. Why don't you see if your agency will accept that?

RN/Mom · Oct 4, 2017

Never heard of that, thank you! I will look into it

MunoRN, RN · Oct 4, 2017

Your employer is free to terminate your employment for refusing to meet their requirements, particularly since there is no evidence to support a claim they are asking you to do something unsafe. At the same time, I haven't heard of any employers that still use PPDs since it's not a particularly useful way of screening caregivers.

While there haven't been large scale RCT's on the use of PPD's in pregnant women, it's important to understand the basis of why studies are done, and not done.

There are no studies for instance that establish it is safer to jump out of an airplane with a parachute compared to without, that doesn't mean it's just as safe to jump out of an airplane without a parachute. Similarly, there's no reason to believe a PPD is dangerous for a fetus, and therefore there are no studies to refer to either way.

Penelope_Pitstop, BSN, RN · Oct 4, 2017

At the same time, I haven't heard of any employers that still use PPDs since it's not a particularly useful way of screening caregivers..

Interesting...every employer I've had requires an annual PPD. I wonder if this is perhaps a regional thing?

Also, as a side note, I'm currently 39 weeks pregnant and my OB's office administered a PPD when I was 11 weeks.

Sour Lemon · Oct 4, 2017

I had the same concerns and the same history (multiple). I only had a PPD with my first successful live birth.

Sour Lemon · Oct 4, 2017

Interesting...every employer I've had requires an annual PPD.

Mine too.

morte, LPN, LVN · Oct 4, 2017

Your employer is free to terminate your employment for refusing to meet their requirements, particularly since there is no evidence to support a claim they are asking you to do something unsafe. At the same time, I haven't heard of any employers that still use PPDs since it's not a particularly useful way of screening caregivers.
While there haven't been large scale RCT's on the use of PPD's in pregnant women, it's important to understand the basis of why studies are done, and not done.
There are no studies for instance that establish it is safer to jump out of an airplane with a parachute compared to without, that doesn't mean it's just as safe to jump out of an airplane without a parachute. Similarly, there's no reason to believe a PPD is dangerous for a fetus, and therefore there are no studies to refer to either way.

what do they do instead?

PixieRN1 · Oct 4, 2017

My employer uses the blood test listed above exclusively, never the PPD. Ask to have that instead since you are concerned. It's better than the PPD, ergo no reason to go down over this one.

Good luck on your pregnancy.

klone, MSN, RN · Oct 4, 2017

what do they do instead?

If they're smart, they use a parachute.

What do who do instead of what?

dream'n, BSN, RN · Oct 4, 2017

what do they do instead?

A recent large hospital system I worked for did not do annual PPD tests any longer. Nothing else took its place. I just assumed that evidence based research showed that it was no longer necessary and it wasn't required by some law? I'll try and get time to contact their Employee Health department tomorrow and ask why if someone wants to know.

klone, MSN, RN · Oct 4, 2017

A lot of facilities are no longer doing annual TB testing for low-risk areas of nursing.

CDC | TB | Testing & Diagnosis | Testing Health Care Workers

https://www.cdc.gov/tb/publications/guidelines/pdf/appendixb_092706.pdf