Just accepted the oncology position and now find out 4 weeks pregnant

nmasay · Nov 25, 2007

On any oncology floor I've worked on, becoming and being pregnant are not issues. You just don't hang chemo or dump urine or BM's. If it were me, I'd still take the job. Just mkae sure that you either get patients that don't need chemo for the day or have another nurse administer it. Hope that helps.

Curious1alwys, BSN, RN · Nov 25, 2007

Congratulations on your pregnancy! You must be thrilled after trying for so long!

I agree, tell your manager and see if she is willing to help you out by helping you avoid the things you need to avoid. If she is mean and inflexible, then you have your answer there!

I just found out I am newly pregnant, and starting a new job, and that is my plan!

I hope you have a healthy 9 mos!!

Haba · Jan 8, 2008

You can still hang most types of chemo and give most chemo pushes safely even if you're pregnant.

Here are things that you SHOULD avoid if you're pregnant:

1. Procedures at high risk for aerosolization (such as the cleanup of chemo spills)

2. You should NOT administer investigational vaccines

3. You should NOT administer anti-angiogenesis agents.

I worked up until my due date in a cancer hospital. I regularly hung chemo and took care of patients who had just gotten chemo. I had a beautiful, healthy, happy little baby. (And he only had 2 legs, 2 arms-- no strange mutations!) Seriously, though, you can work in oncology and have a safe pregnancy. If you are going to be worried about everything, then sure, work somewhere else. There is such a high miscarriage rate that exists that no one talks about (for women in general, not oncology RNs)-- I know if something had been wrong with my baby, I always would have wondered in the back of my head if I had exposed the little guy to anything in utero-- but it worked out for me, so I never had to deal with those doubts.

Best of luck to you whatever you decide.

GrumpyRN63, ADN, RN · Jan 12, 2008

I worked in oncology during my first pregnancy, I hung chemo, I avoided the radiation pts/rooms, that was pretty standard back then (15 yrs ago) did pretty much everything else,staff was very accomodating with keeping assignments away from the 'hot' pts-- I'm not sure if you have rad pts but that's the only area you need to be concerned about, I would take the job, you'll be fine--Good Luck!!

bethchpn · Jan 22, 2008

I think you need to take several things into consideration.

1. Will you be asked to mix chemo? Some facilities they both mix and hang.

2. How safe are the practices they use. Do they gown and double glove before hanging chemo.

3. Are you expected to be 1:1, 2:1, 3:1 with patients.

4. Do they do double checks on all chemo and after hanging chemo.

5. Do they have something like Phaseal conectors so there is little chance for leaking or fumes.

These are just a few questions that come to my mind that I would be asking if I was pregnant.

NOTHING is more precious than your baby!

In the chemo class manual it is recommended that pregnant woman not work directly with chemo. You do not know the long term effects.

However I do think that things are WAY safer than they were in the past. At least from my experience and I have been a nurse for 35 years.