5 months pregnant cna

[simply]

hi,

i just finish my cna class and passed the exam. im 5 months pregnant and wondering if anybody would hire me as a cna. is there a law that says pregnant women can't work. any suggestions or advise please!

[NurseLatteDNP, MSN, DNP, RN]

It would be discrimination if they would refuse your employment just because you are pregnant. You can work while you are pregnant, just stay away from radiation patients and don't lift anyone if possible. I did it, but not by myself. Just ask the nurses at the beginning of your shift, if there is a patient you need to stay away from, because of your pregnancy.

[HeartsOpenWide, RN]

they can not NOT hire you, that would be discrimination, they could however refuse to let you work in radiology or O.R. (because of all the anesthetic meds floating around)

[RNfaster]

From some comments I heard some nurses make (joking that they were pregnant and therefore they could not go around someone that had an antibiotic-resistant bug), I think that you might also avoid caring directly for patients with certain conditions. --I am a new CNA, so I don't know which conditions, but maybe others on this board would know, and/or once you get hired, your new supervisor would know.

Here are some excerpts from a Wall Street Journal article on pregnancy in the workplace:

When to Tell a New Boss You're Expecting a Baby by Sue Shellenbarger, WSJ Online

... It's time for skilled women workers to be more honest. While the law doesn't require a woman to disclose her pregnancy, it's usually best to share the facts as soon as you are sure of them and to make a strong case for your ability to manage your pregnancy and maternity leave. Otherwise, surprising your bosses will undermine any hope of building trust.

There are still compelling reasons for unskilled women to keep mum. If you're seeking a low-wage position in which workers are basically interchangeable, it's probably best to keep quiet about pregnancy and prove yourself on the job.

By law, employers may not discriminate against a woman because of pregnancy or single out pregnancy as a factor in job interviews, unless it would interfere with her ability to perform job duties. ...

There's no question that disclosure poses a risk. Tanzenika Lee, Decatur, Ga., recently accepted a job as a server at a fast-food chain. But as soon as interviewers noticed she was five months pregnant, they withdrew the offer. When Ms. Lee asked why, she says, she was told the company couldn't afford to hire pregnant workers.

If a prospective employer reacts that badly to pregnancy, you may not want to work there anyway. Attorney Andrea LaRue was in her second trimester of pregnancy when she applied for a counsel's job on Capitol Hill. She revealed that fact in a second-round interview with the chief of staff, partly to gauge the response.

"If their reaction had been, 'Well, how much time do you want off?' " she might not have taken the job, she says. Instead, her prospective boss responded warmly, congratulating her and assuring her she could fit right in. Ms. LaRue took the job and worked there happily for five years.

If disclosing your pregnancy during an interview feels too risky, wait until you have an offer in hand. This avoids inflicting negative surprises later on, says Cyndia Cameron of 9to5, National Association of Working Women, Milwaukee, an advocacy group. Some bosses may respond poorly -- and illegally -- by withdrawing their offer. But at least, "then you really know you lost it because of pregnancy," not because of some shortcoming.

...

[simply]

hi guys!

thank you so much... as of now im still looking for a job and hoping employers will hire me .

[la mama 310]

I see this thread is a bit old, I just wondered what ended up happening

with all of that? I might be in the same boat! : )