COVID 19 patient and the pregnant nurse

[pRNb]

HI everyone. Are there facilities that do not assign pregnant staff to care for a COVID 19 patient?

[JennBSN918]

I work for a major teaching hospital and pregnancy is one of the risk factors that they cannot work at all

[laurascarborough1310, BSN]

I've been told by my union I should be on a no risk/low risk floor, which I currently am (L&D), however I have past emerge experience and worry they will eventually try to pull me. My union says that's a no-no, however my hospital's occ health says only women in the third trimester are exempt from high risk areas. I'm only in my first. Right now we don't have any suspected or positive cases on my floor, but if we do I won't be caring for them. But eventually my floor won't be low-risk anymore if every other patient is suspected or positive...Not sure what they'll do with me then.

[Wuzzie]

At this point there really is no such thing as a no/low risk floor.

[laurascarborough1310, BSN]

Besides working from home in some capacity or administrative work somewhere. But I agree. The whole hospital is a high-risk building.

[Wuzzie]

Honestly outside of our homes, and even that's debatable, there is no low-risk environment for anyone anywhere.

[laurascarborough1310, BSN]

Yeah you're probably right. Are you pregnant? If so, did you get leave of some kind so you're not working during this?

[Rxg089]

1 hour ago, laurascarborough1310 said:

Yeah you're probably right. Are you pregnant? If so, did you get leave of some kind so you're not working during this?

So I just called my OB office regarding being in the first trimester (8wk) and working in critical care. My Dr is out of office until tomorrow, but will call me back. The MA I spoke to said many other pregnant RNs have been calling in and they’ve been given some kind of work restriction. Not sure the details though. I’ll find out tomorrow. I’ve also been extremely nauseous to the point of just laying in bed all day.

[laurascarborough1310, BSN]

1 minute ago, Rxg089 said:

So I just called my OB office regarding being in the first trimester (8wk) and working in critical care. My Dr is out of office until tomorrow, but will call me back. The MA I spoke to said many other pregnant RNs have been calling in and they’ve been given some kind of work restriction. Not sure the details though. I’ll find out tomorrow. I’ve also been extremely nauseous to the point of just laying in bed all day.

I'm just over 7 weeks. Please let me know what your Dr says!

[ICURN1010]

I've heard of hospitals attempting to reassign pregnant nurses to noncovid areas of the hospital. The hospital where I work is not one of them. I've been in a fight to be reassigned to a floor where I'm not directly caring for covid patients. I've had to make so many calls and they're finally telling me I may qualify for modified duty because I have severe asthma. I would say if you're getting resistance from your job contact your union rep and if they suck call your union's main office and leave a message. Call a lawyer, call HR, call OSHA whoever you have to if you feel unsafe.