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Discussion

I need some Advice please

I need some advice please:

I am 20 wks Pregnant and my doctor gave me restrictions while working ( no lifting or pulling) because of medical condition that can lead to a miscarriage. I had a miscarriage before because of this condition. The problem is my OBGYN still thinks I am able to work and there is no need for bedrest at this time.

My Job (I am an RN) on the other had does not agree and classified my restrictions as LIGHT DUTY. They claim they don't have light duty for pregnacy only for workmanscom(sp) Injury.

I was never given an option to work less days, to do adms, secetary, or monitor tech position. I was just told by my MRG, HR and EMP health that THEY HAVE NO LIGHT DUTY JOBS AVAILABLE FOR PREGNANT RN'S AND I HAVE TO STOP WORKING. the think is I was working fine before; my co-workers were awesome in helping me lift and pull, I am still able to work, myself and the doctor agrees with that.

Now I am home sitting on my butt no work, My PL and job disability runs out at the end of the mth. My thing is women makes up more than half of the nursing field and if and when we do get pregnant and are given restrictions by our OBGYN It's the hospitals responsbilty to find us a place to work or try and work around it. Wouldn't you all agree? The doctor did not say bedrest; had she said that then that would have been different; she just had Restrictions.

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    Eeek. The only thing that I can tell you is that I myself have worked twice while pregnant, in two different hospitals, and in neither case was I given a lighter load due to pregnancy.

    Now, you have a note from the doctor saying that you have restrictions but again... I have worked in hospitals that will not allow someone to work with restrictions unless like you said, the restriction is due to an injury that occurred at work.

    Long story short... you are stuck not working. I hope you have a partner that can pick up the slack, or family that can help you.

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    " It's the hospitals responsbilty to find us a place to work or try and work around it. Wouldn't you all agree?" No, I don't agree. The RN position is what it is. In my opinion, since there is no light duty available, the hospital would be risking a lawsuit if they allowed you to work while knowing that the doctor had placed restrictions on your activity.

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    No, it is NOT the responsibilty of the workplace to find something else for you to do. This is an unfortunate situation that many people - not just pregnant women - run into.

    I have a herniated disc, and am virtually unemployable. But I still have a brain, and could be doing good work with it. But the facilities see me as damaged goods.

    Are you working long enoufh to get FMLA? or unemployment?

    I know you may not want those, but you need to look for all the possibilities.

    In most workplaces you are either able to do all of the work, or not.

    This does not mean I am not sympathetic to your plight - I am extremely sympathetic. But however hard as it is to hear, the company is not responsible to keep you at a paying position for conditions acquired outside of the workplace.

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    But there is light duty available!!! Plus I was working with my condition from the begining on conception and I am still able to work and is willing to do so.

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    I am currently out on FMLA, and I think you have to be fired in order to get unemployment. from my understanding andat the moment I am not fired. On the FMLA my job is secure for up to 9wks, afterwish its in limbo.

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    Yeah... and they will get downright ANGRY with you if you try to come to work without absolute clearance from the doctor!

    See, I hurt my back close to two years ago. Unfortunately I was never able to pinpoint exactly the moment when I really blew my back out... if I knew that I'd done it at work, I'd have saved myself some financial hassle! But anyway, so I hurt my back and had to have surgery. When it was time for me to go back to work, it was a huge hassle getting clearance from the doctor because the doctor's office kept trying to fax the note for me to go back to work with no restrictions, to my HR office... and the HR office either kept losing it, or their fax machine wouldn't work. (it was a bit of a hassle for me to hand deliver the excuse myself, because I lived 45 minutes away from work).

    So I went in to work one night, and after what seemed like several attempts to get things straight, the house supervisor stopped me getting off the elevator and told me that they STILL hadn't received the clearance for me to

    come back to work! I ended up calling my doctor myself, and he was livid, not at me but at the hospital. I asked him if he could get an excuse to the hospital that night and he said that he would, and he spoke to the supervisor. At that time, the supervisor gave me the OK to go ahead and work.

    The next morning, my manager came in and actually chewed me out for working that night and not having the excuse from my doctor! My charge nurse was standing there with me and we were BOTH like, excuse me????

    The SUPERVISOR told me that I could go ahead and work, and I had done EVERYTHING that I could to try and make sure they got my clearance to work!!

    Anyway... bottom line is, they aren't going to let you work. Stay home, enjoy your pregnancy, take care of that little baby growing inside of you. Again, hopefully your partner can pick up the slack, or your family can help. The Americans with Disabilities act doesn't really apply either I don't believe, as pregnancy is not considered a disability.

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    But there is light duty available!!! Plus I was working with my condition from the begining on conception and I am still able to work and is willing to do so.

    Your employer has spelled out their requirements for light duty, and you do not meet them. Even if you are willing to work, your employer would be taking an unacceptable risk allowing you to continue, given your doctor's assessment of your condition. The fact that you were working after you became pregnant is irrelevant, because your employer was in all likelihood unaware of the gravity of the situation.

    As sympathetic as I am to your situation, I agree with the employer on this one.

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    Thank you NURSECARD and others for your adviced.

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    I see where all of you forks are coming from and I thankyou for all the imput. I just hope in the future Hospitals will start making positive changes towards not just pregnancy related issues, but issues such as unrelated work injuries.

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    i need some advice please:

    now i am home sitting on my butt no work, my pl and job disability runs out at the end of the mth. my thing is women makes up more than half of the nursing field and if and when we do get pregnant and are given restrictions by our obgyn it's the hospitals responsbilty to find us a place to work or try and work around it. wouldn't you all agree? the doctor did not say bedrest; had she said that then that would have been different; she just had restrictions.

    actually, i don't agree. you are the one who decided to get pregnant, it's your responsibility to make sure you can afford it. it sucks to be given light duty and to be told there is none available -- i've been there when i injured my back. but it isn't the hospital's responsibility to try to work around your pregnancy. it's yours.

    no where in your post do you say that you requested to cut your hours, work as a unit secretary (for unit secretary's pay) or take any of the responsibility for your own condition, income or restrictions. i'm sorry about your situation -- but not sorry enough to think that i (and all of your co-workers) should be paying for it.

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    Ok the OB said restrictions, no lifting or pulling, but I'm guessing that these are listed in your job description and if you can't perform your job description, you can's do the job. I don't see why you think it is the hospital's responsibility to find you work you can perform, I know of no other business that would, some might say you can do this for their pay, would you be willing to take a cut in pay?

    With the restrictions, the hospital cannot let you continue in your current RN position, because if you had a miscarriage after pulling a patient, they would be liable.

    Sorry not what you wanted to hear.

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    • Guides

    I agree with Ruby. The hospital is a business. If you can't perform what paid work they have available, it is not their responsibility to pay you or to create something for you to do. If all business had to do that, none of them would be profitable and none of us would have work. I hope the rest of your pregnancy is uneventful and you are able to return to normal activities as a healthy new mom.

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