New Grad RN-Accepted Position, Just Found Out Pregnancy (High Risk)

Published

Hey Everyone,

I'm in a bit of a pickle and wanted to know if anyone has any experience with this topic, or any advice on what to do.

I graduated in December 2018, and I have a job offer for Labor and Delivery RN (my dream specialty to work in) to start orientation on July 8th. The hospital is about a 40 minute drive from where I live, and I have to cross a toll bridge to get there.

I just found out that I am pregnant......with twins ?. Still processing this information lol. Its early in the pregnancy, but I am considering a lot of things now due to my last pregnancy. I had pre-eclampsia my last pregnancy and my daughter was 2 months premature. So I am being considered high-risk.

The orientation/training period at this new job is 4 months long. By the time I am done with orientation I am worried that it wont be long before I am possibly placed on bedrest, or have another reason to have to leave early for maternity leave. Basically, I fear I won't be at this new job for very long before I have to leave.

I am wondering what my best bet is here. Should I continue with the position? Or should I decline for now, and find something more local that I can still use for work experience? I have been in contact with a home care agency that would accept me right away for locations that are closer to me, as well as another job prospect that is close to me as well. These jobs are not particularly in my field of interest, but I could still work them for nursing experience and save some money for the new babies; then once I'm ready to go back to work after they're born, I can try for a hospital job.

Any advice?

Thanks

Up Vote Up Vote ×

You won't be able to qualify for FMLA. My advice is to hold out on this one.

3
Up Vote Up Vote ×
3 minutes ago, Jory said:

You won't be able to qualify for FMLA. My advice is to hold out on this one.

Yeah, I didn’t think I would be able to qualify. Hold out, as in decline the position?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Private Duty Pediatrics.

Disclaimer: I do homecare, and haven't worked in a hospital since the mid-80s.

You should let your new hospital know the pregnancy is high risk. I wouldn't think they would be very appreciative if you went through the 4 month orientation knowing that you probably couldn't stay.

I also think that commute - with a toll bridge - is not going to work. I would want my local hospital to be nearby.

Home care is usually not a good idea for a brand new nurse. You probably don't know what you don't know. It does depend on the agency. For a client on a vent, for example, some agencies will show you a vent, tell you how to use it, and send you to the home. Not good at all. You need to know what the vent settings are and why those vent settings are ordered for this client. You need to understand how to know that your client is decompensating. And you need to know what to do to bring them back up. You need to understand why the person is on the vent . . . etc..

What other job options do you see?

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Just now, JennaSnow said:

Yeah, I didn’t think I would be able to qualify. Hold out, as in decline the position?

Yes.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
4 minutes ago, Kitiger said:

Disclaimer: I do homecare, and haven't worked in a hospital since the mid-80s.

You should let your new hospital know the pregnancy is high risk. I wouldn't think they would be very appreciative if you went through the 4 month orientation knowing that you probably couldn't stay.

I also think that commute - with a toll bridge - is not going to work. I would want my local hospital to be nearby.

Home care is usually not a good idea for a brand new nurse. You probably don't know what you don't know. It does depend on the agency. For a client on a vent, for example, some agencies will show you a vent, tell you how to use it, and send you to the home. Not good at all. You need to know what the vent settings are and why those vent settings are ordered for this client. You need to understand how to know that your client is decompensating. And you need to know what to do to bring them back up. You need to understand why the person is on the vent . . . etc..

What other job options do you see?

Home care isn’t my first option. I’m just keeping open to other positions that I could possibly work before going on a leave.

A position I’m possibly in the running for is a Pre-Op RN at an ambulatory center that’s only 10 minutes away from me. The hours are better. No weekends or holidays. It’s close. And it can keep me in practice.

2
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Private Duty Pediatrics.
8 minutes ago, JennaSnow said:

Home care isn’t my first option. I’m just keeping open to other positions that I could possibly work before going on a leave.

A position I’m possibly in the running for is a Pre-Op RN at an ambulatory center that’s only 10 minutes away from me. The hours are better. No weekends or holidays. It’s close. And it can keep me in practice.

That sounds wonderful!

2
Up Vote Up Vote ×
2 minutes ago, Kitiger said:

That sounds wonderful!

Thank you! It does sound so much better while being pregnant. I think it’s my best bet right now, because I don’t want to blindsight the hospital with my pregnancy. Especially to have to leave so soon after starting. Labor and Delivery is my dream, but I can always try for it again next year when I’m ready to go back to work.

4
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.

I would be frank with the hiring manager, let her know that you really want to work in that specialty, but need to decline it right now because of your circumstances. There is a possibility that she may be willing to hire you in a year, after your pregnancy and maternity leave are behind you. Good luck!

16
Up Vote Up Vote ×
12 minutes ago, klone said:

I would be frank with the hiring manager, let her know that you really want to work in that specialty, but need to decline it right now because of your circumstances. There is a possibility that she may be willing to hire you in a year, after your pregnancy and maternity leave are behind you. Good luck!

Thank you! That sounds like what I will end up doing. It’s a great opportunity and I don’t want to spoil it by not being up front with them. And maybe they’ll keep me in mind for next year! That would be great.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I wouldn’t decline the position. You won’t necessarily have preeclampsia this pregnancy. Just be honest with the unit manager.

I’m not sure with what having to go over a toll bridge has to do with anything. If you are trying to talk yourself out of this position then don’t take it. If you would prefer the other position for family reasons, that’s one thing. But automatically declining a position that is where you want to work because you are pregnant is another.

I guess I see things differently because we always have several women pregnant on my unit. There’s always a baby shower. We currently have 4 pregnant.

6
Up Vote Up Vote ×
1 hour ago, LovingLife123 said:

I wouldn’t decline the position. You won’t necessarily have preeclampsia this pregnancy. Just be honest with the unit manager.

I’m not sure with what having to go over a toll bridge has to do with anything. If you are trying to talk yourself out of this position then don’t take it. If you would prefer the other position for family reasons, that’s one thing. But automatically declining a position that is where you want to work because you are pregnant is another.

I guess I see things differently because we always have several women pregnant on my unit. There’s always a baby shower. We currently have 4 pregnant.

Not talking myself out of the position at all, just doing my due diligence to keep myself professional and not make a bad impression. By the time my probation is over, I’ll be 7 months pregnant (I was 7 months when pre-eclampsia took over and I had an emergency section in March of last year). It is safer to air on the side of caution considering my last pregnancy was in 2018, no?

I included the tolls to imply how far the job is, considering the high risk pregnancy. But that, along with a few other things I did not mention, are reasons I placed in a “con” category for this job. Paying for tolls would be an additional bill just to get to work that I could definitely use to save for the new babies instead.

I definitely do not mind working. I still plan on finding something to do until I cannot work anymore. But being a new grad and new hire, I was not sure if starting at 3 months pregnant was a good call.

3
Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion