Can they do that??

[Loxam10]

To give a little back story- I worked in a pediatric operating room for man years. About a year and a half ago I had a prosthetic joint placed in my wrist. I now have a 20 lb lifting restriction that is permanent. Permanent is a scary word when you are only 29 and really just starting your nursing career.

Well obviously this new restriction created some problems working in the OR. I left the OR and took a job in management. I am now a clinical logistics coordinator doing patient flow management and staffing. I love my job.

Lately our hospital has gone into a budget crunch. They are calling it financial vitality ?. So now they are forcing us to pick up shifts in other departments in order to get out full time hours. Mind you, I was hired into this department as a full time employee. They are telling us that every other week I will have to pick up a shift in the OR or I can orient in the ED and pick up there. Well I left the OR because of my restrictions. Can they force me to pick up shifts in another department that isn’t really safe for me?

I offered to go to part time so that I wouldn’t have to risk my (or my patients) safety but my director said no!?!?

[fulitarn, BSN, RN]

No. According to the Americans with Disabilities Act, they have to make "reasonable accommodation" for you. You have a documented disability and can do the work you were hired to do. For them to say that you need to do more than you are able, especially if it puts patients in danger, is illegal. Get in touch whoever is your hospitals EEO contact.

https://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/internal/reasonable_accommodation.cfm