New Grad RN, 17 weeks pregnant with upcoming interview

Nurses New Nurse

Published

I live in Southern California and I graduated from nursing school in June from an LVN-ADN program. I passed my state boards in July and have been looking for an RN position ever since with no luck. I currently have an interview lined up for a hospital that I have been trying so hard to get hired at, but my predicament is that I am currently 17 weeks pregnant. At the time of my interview do I tell them that I am pregnant, but plan on working until as close to my due date as possible and plan on returning back to work right after maternity leave? I really don't want me being pregnant to deter me from getting this job, but don't want to make an uncomfortable working environment when they find out that I am pregnant after being hired. Since finding an RN position as a new grad is hard enough in this economy I wanted to know what the best advice is for my situation. Thank you so much.

Specializes in Cardiac.
Pregnancy has nothing to do with job qualifications. I would not mention it.

Not to mention none of their business!

Specializes in Hospice / Psych / RNAC.
I'm curious to know how you got workers comp for a pregnancy. :confused: It may well work differently in the USA to what it does here (Australia), but our workers comp is for people who injured themselves while at work and pregnancy certainly is not a workplace injury.

That's how they did it back then in my neck of the woods. It wasn't considered a normal pregancy because I had to go out early and I think that might have had something with how I was qualified but I can't remember.

Specializes in school nurse.
Not to mention none of their business!

How can you say that? It's none of their business until you come in with a note saying you can't do "X, Y and Z" because of your pregnancy. (And your co-workers will be expected to pick up the slack.) It's none of their business until 4 or 5 months into your new job, you'll be expecting to take a leave of absence- not a surprise, you've known all along. Let's be blunt, just the fact that many people are advising hiding the pregnancy acknowledges the fact that it is not a very good condition to be in while starting with a new job...

Specializes in Hospice / Psych / RNAC.
How can you say that? It's none of their business until you come in with a note saying you can't do "X, Y and Z" because of your pregnancy. (And your co-workers will be expected to pick up the slack.) It's none of their business until 4 or 5 months into your new job, you'll be expecting to take a leave of absence- not a surprise, you've known all along. Let's be blunt, just the fact that many people are advising hiding the pregnancy acknowledges the fact that it is not a very good condition to be in while starting with a new job...

You fail to realize how women have been discriminated against for centuries. Yes we are getting better at working with women in the work force but until women can be guarenteed there will be no discrimination from being a women and that includes pregnancy; women will have to do what is necessary as they have in the past.

The fact of the matter is it shouldn't matter if one is pregnant or not but if a potential employer finds out it is highly unlikely that women will get a job. Would you rather they go on welfare?

Specializes in school nurse.
You fail to realize how women have been discriminated against for centuries. Yes we are getting better at working with women in the work force but until women can be guarenteed there will be no discrimination from being a women and that includes pregnancy; women will have to do what is necessary as they have in the past.

The fact of the matter is it shouldn't matter if one is pregnant or not but if a potential employer finds out it is highly unlikely that women will get a job. Would you rather they go on welfare?

Will you admit that maybe graduation and taking-your-boards-time isn't the BEST time to start your new family?

Established employees are valuable to a company and more than entitled to a leave for any legitimate reason, but please stop saying it shouldn't matter if you're starting a new job while pregnant- it does for practical, not legal reasons.

Specializes in acute care med/surg, LTC, orthopedics.
Will you admit that maybe graduation and taking-your-boards-time isn't the BEST time to start your new family?

Established employees are valuable to a company and more than entitled to a leave for any legitimate reason, but please stop saying it shouldn't matter if you're starting a new job while pregnant- it does for practical, not legal reasons.

..... and sometimes accidents happen. What is your point? That the pregnant applicant should either:

a) inform the prospective employer immediately of said pregnancy and risk being discriminated or;

b) abort the fetus prior to getting the job?

Specializes in Med/Surg, Academics.
How can you say that? It's none of their business until you come in with a note saying you can't do "X, Y and Z" because of your pregnancy. (And your co-workers will be expected to pick up the slack.) It's none of their business until 4 or 5 months into your new job, you'll be expecting to take a leave of absence- not a surprise, you've known all along. Let's be blunt, just the fact that many people are advising hiding the pregnancy acknowledges the fact that it is not a very good condition to be in while starting with a new job...

No. Advising her to hide the pregnancy acknowledges that employers will find a way--any way--to break the law regarding pregnancies of employees.

Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
well, i would not mention pregnancy either. but you just have to go for it and see what happens once you show. don't be surprised if you meet some unhappiness with staff/management. this because you will be on leave so fast. don't know what advice anyone could give you there, it's just gonna be something you may need to endure.

it would be best if you did not accept a job that had a really long orientation period. our new grads go through 4-6 months of orientation, and that would probably take you pretty close to your due date. then off a few months for maternity leave, but because you hadn't been off orientation long enough to solidify the material you learned in orientation, you'd need more orientation, or at least more supervision. that's going to make management really unhappy. if you oriented in med-surg (i know, i know -- no one wants to do med-surg) you'd be orienting a whole lot less, and thus have some time off orientation before your maternity leave. your manager still might not be happy, but probably less unhappy than an icu manager.

Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
i'm curious to know how you got workers comp for a pregnancy. :confused: it may well work differently in the usa to what it does here (australia), but our workers comp is for people who injured themselves while at work and pregnancy certainly is not a workplace injury.

while you're right about the workman's comp in the us, i do know people who've gotten pregnant at work. the resident's on call room is notorious for that.

Will you admit that maybe graduation and taking-your-boards-time isn't the BEST time to start your new family?

Established employees are valuable to a company and more than entitled to a leave for any legitimate reason, but please stop saying it shouldn't matter if you're starting a new job while pregnant- it does for practical, not legal reasons.

I do personally take offense to this comment. It is none of your business when it is the right time to "start a family". My husband and I have been trying for YEARS and have been told for years that it will never happen, it just happened when it did. I also had no idea I was pregnant when I graduated or took my State Boards. Lets stay with the question at hand and not get into stuff that is NONE of your business.

Specializes in Corrections, Cardiac, Hospice.

Just wanted to add my two cents. I got not one, but two Nursing Jobs while pregnant. The first was right after I took my boards, too. I was barely showing, but made a point of telling the interviewer that I was pregnant. I got hired on the spot. The next was at a hospital that I wanted to go to for years. I had just found out I was pregnant with my second baby and got the call. I sat down with the nurse manager and again, made it very clear I was pregnant. She thanked me for my honesty and I got the job offer the very next day. Listen, we are women, we get pregnant, it happens. I say, be honest and maybe THAT honesty is what will push you to the front of the line. As far as co-workers picking up the "slack." Well, there were many who had no kids when I had mine and did it for me, then while I was there they got married and then pregnant and I very HAPPILY picked up the slack for them.

Just wanted to add my two cents. I got not one, but two nursing jobs while pregnant. The first was right after I took my boards, too. I was barely showing, but made a point of telling the interviewer that I was pregnant. I got hired on the spot. The next was at a hospital that I wanted to go to for years. I had just found out I was pregnant with my second baby and got the call. I sat down with the nurse manager and again, made it very clear I was pregnant. She thanked me for my honesty and I got the job offer the very next day. Listen, we are women, we get pregnant, it happens. I say, be honest and maybe THAT honesty is what will push you to the front of the line. As far as co-workers picking up the "slack." Well, there were many who had no kids when I had mine and did it for me, then while I was there they got married and then pregnant and I very HAPPILY picked up the slack for them.

Thank you so much for your response. I have decided that I will tell them I am pregnant, I am just not too sure when or how to say it. What advice can you give me there? I really do appreciate it. Thank you.:)

+ Add a Comment