We have a nurse here in our ER that is expecting, she is just entering her 2nd trimester. Myself and some of the other nurses are starting to get irritated with her, because she keeps using the "I'm Expecting" excuse to get out of doing tasks on the nastier side of our jobs.
However, last night she just totally ticked me off. We had a pt come in just last night with difficulty breathing. Pt is in late-stage HIV/AIDS. She was about to do the eval on the PT, until she found out he was HIV+. She then came to me and asked me to take the PT. She flat out said to me that, she wouldn't touch him because he has AIDS and she is too worried and thinking of her baby. At first I really didn't mind, I was rather busy at the time, but still agreed. However, as the night progressed, the more I thought about it the more irritated I became.
I understand an expectant mother's want to protect her child, BUT at the same time. She was doing no blood work, and would have no contact with bodily fluids of any kind. I didn't say anything or make issue of it, mainly because she is such a sweet person, and I do get along very well with her, but its getting ridiculous.
By the end of the night after several other small things, I was about ready to tell her that if she wasn't going to pull her weight she should just go home! She basically wants to just sit, answer the phone, and triage, which i am TOTALLY fine with, however, stop taking pt's then pawning half of the work off on everyone else! Either do it or don't. She's only in her 2nd trimester, so we've got at least another few months of this, and something needs to be said, I don't want to sound like jerk when I approach our attending about her. Anyone have any input?
I know I'm a guy, so hopefully I haven't offended any of you girls, but before you call me an in-sensitive b****rd, I was raised my mother, aunt, and I'm the baby of 5 sisters. When it comes to women, I've heard it ALL. lol
