Pregnant ER nurse

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So I started a new job in the ER in Feb. I just found out I'm about 6 weeks pregnant. How is working in the ER pregnant?? Is there anything I shouldn't be around?? I'm excited and scared at the same time,especially since it's a new employer. We've been trying for over a year so we are so happy. Thanks for your help!!

Congratulations! Enjoy this special time :)

Do keep in mind the precautions that have already been mentioned and perhaps your OB will give you additional job-specific precautions/advice, and reassurance. Check w/ your employer regarding the fact that there might be some policies related to pregnant employees to you give you a starting point as far as what YOUR employer's expectations are. I've worked in areas where such things were already hospital/unit policy (administering certain chemotherapy drugs, for one example). No sense worrying about things that are already spelled out. I do think it's good to portray an attitude of just wanting to be safe/sensible - I'd try to make sure your concerns are not misconstrued as being overly-anxious or looking to get out of a number of responsibilities. That is not necessary with a normal healthy pregnancy.

Most of all, stay positive - doing meaningful work at a job you enjoy is going to help you stay in great shape physically, mentally, and emotionally as you go through your pregnancy! If you can pay attention to your nutrition/hydration and rest, you may very well find that the ER keeps you feeling energized and well, great, through most of your pregnancy!

Best wishes.

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I'm not critical of all pregnant nurses only the lazy ones...these are not newly lazy people in my experience but people who have a new excuse to be even lazier.

I'm very sympathetic to the uncomfortable pregnant female in the workplace...my only point was there are two types, those who handle it well and those who don't (whether it be because of more severe s/s or because they chose to be lazy).

I do not see it as a disability and would hope that the women on here don't expect us to. There is a reason the women have the babies they are much tougher than us men...if we had to have the babies mankind would have been extinct shortly after Adam and Eve...:-)

"Handle it well?" What exactly do you mean by this? Did I use pregnancy as an excuse to be lazy? No! But I was nauseated 24/7, vomited a few times a day, had pregnancy induced hypertension starting at 7 weeks, low progesterone and had to supplement, and had frequent stabbing pains from ruptured ovarian cysts. I did my absolute best, but you better believe I wasn't able to work as hard and as fast as I did prepregnancy. Have some sensitivity and realize that growing a human inside your body is not easy!

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Specializes in ER/Critical Care.

First of all, congratulations!

I worked in ER throughout the last 6 months of my pregnancy and really was able to do it without too much difficulty. I worked in a very "rough" ER with lots of very physically violent pts that were frequent fliers, so I tried to keep my pregnancy hidden as long as I could. I was worried that if some of our "regulars" knew I was pregnant they would aim for my belly while swinging/kicking (it has happened to a few nurses in that ER). I just tried to keep my pregnancy on the down low from my patients.

That being said, I did try to be "superwoman" so to speak while I was pregnant. I was CONVINCED that pregnancy was not going to slow me down (both professionally and personally) and that nothing had changed.

Looking back I really wish I would have cut myself some slack and allowed myself to be pregnant and just enjoy the experience a little more. I wish I would have napped more, rested more, and more than anything I wish I would have taken the last week before my due date off. I was due July 10th and my manager put me on a 4 day stretch over the 4th of July weekend. I told her that odds were if she kept me on that schedule that soon to my due date that I wouldn't be able to work the full 4 days, and sure enough on the 3rd night I went into labor. The problem with that was that I was SOOOO exhausted from working the holiday weekend that I wasn't able to really labor properly. Imagine working 3 night shifts in a row and then running a marathon-that's essentially what I tried to do, and it was really dumb.

Not what you asked, but I actually found being a nursing mom and finding time/place to pump WAAAAAAY harder than being pg in the ER. I just don't think being pregnant was that big of a deal for me as a nurse.

Ultimately just take care of yourself and your baby. If you are finding 3 12's are too hard, break up your days. Whenever you do get a break, put your feet up as high as you can get them. Eat and drink regularly, and just hang in there. Most of your co-workers will understand, and hopefully you will have some supportive ones if you have any problems (mine knew that I had hyperemesis so were really good about watching for me running to the bathroom to cover my patients-those coworkers made all the difference!) Good luck, and enjoy your pregnancy and the new baby!

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"Handle it well?" What exactly do you mean by this? Did I use pregnancy as an excuse to be lazy? No! But I was nauseated 24/7, vomited a few times a day, had pregnancy induced hypertension starting at 7 weeks, low progesterone and had to supplement, and had frequent stabbing pains from ruptured ovarian cysts. I did my absolute best, but you better believe I wasn't able to work as hard and as fast as I did prepregnancy. Have some sensitivity and realize that growing a human inside your body is not easy!

He actually did express, IMHO, good understanding of and empathy toward the pregnant woman. At least, I felt better after reading his reply to my post. I'm sorry you had a hard time and hope things are good for you now.

I do consider pregnancy sort of a disability, no matter what the condition is legally.

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I had to bump this thread because I'm 15 weeks pregnant and also work in the ER. I'm surprised that many nurses suggested to "get help" lifting. I was advised by my OB not to do ANY lifting or pushing of stretchers. It's just to much strain on the already delicate womb. Luckily, my manager and clinic leader have been understanding. I made sure to let them know about my pregnancy before I started showing and before I ran into any problems, including unknowingly giving me an assignment with a really infectious pt. Although, I did have one male CL tell me I shouldn't get any special treatment because I'm pregnant, including transporting pts on heavy stretchers through hallways and elevators. :icon_roll I promptly told him there will be things that I will NOT be doing, and that was the end of that conversation.

I don't think it's fair to call any pregnant nurse "lazy" for any reason, no matter how lazy they may have been before. Being pregnant I feel is the ultimate responsibility. You are the sole provider and caregiver for your baby, and no job is worth risking having a miscarriage. It's a lot of pressure. So I say cut preggo nurses some slack. The majority of us want to do a good job and be a part of the team, but not at the expense of the baby. As ER nurses, we should be especially sympathic because how many bleeding, crying miscarrying women do we see on a regular basis and prep them for D&Cs and so forth. No woman wants that to happen to them and it's a scary reality. I agree with the poster who said even though pregnancy is not considered a disability, it's definatly a delicate physical condition.

So far, I haven't had any major issues. Luckily, I haven't had any major problems besides getting drained from time to time. And when that happens, it's time to take a time out and eat something and drink a bunch of water. Sometimes the ER can get really busy and hectic and they will try to give you pt after pt. And sometimes you have to advocate for yourself and your baby and let your CL's know you need to slow down and get caught up or take your lunch. I'm not showing much yet, so I think sometimes they forget I'm pregnant. And I hope to take my last month of my pregnancy off if financially feasible. So for any other preggo nurses needing advise, just remember that it's important to be a good nurse, but nobody needs more TLC than your baby :)

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I wish you luck in your pregnancy. Sadly I became one of those women who was prepped for a D&E. At our first ultrasound at 12 weeks we found out baby stopped growing at 8 weeks. It was a bump in our road of trying to conceive and sometimes I wonder if I did something, especially at work but there was nothing I could do.

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I'm gonna bump this thread because I am a 12-week pregnant ER nurse. My main concern is bringing critical patients to CT scans. PPs said to avoid this, but you DO sit behind a wall during the scan. Is it still safe though? I know the CT workers wear radiation detectors on their shirts so I don't know how much radiation you really get exposed to?

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I'm gonna bump this thread because I am a 12-week pregnant ER nurse. My main concern is bringing critical patients to CT scans. PPs said to avoid this, but you DO sit behind a wall during the scan. Is it still safe though? I know the CT workers wear radiation detectors on their shirts so I don't know how much radiation you really get exposed to?
Not to worry... you're not in the suite while they're buzzing the patient and the walls/windows block the already low levels of radiation.

If you're really worried about radiation, stay out of airliners and off the top of mountains... more radiation there than you'll get from standing outside the CT suite.

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Specializes in ER/ICU.

I'm just over 4 months with twins! I work a rural ER and small ICU at the same hospital. We've been completely slammed with our census full. I have already had to change how many days I work and MUST have them grouped together. No more work 2, off 1, work 1, off 2, work 3. It makes me physically ill. Now I work 2-3 days (12hour night shifts) on, and have 2-3 days off. I have to move slower, unless it's a code situation, which bypasses any regs of what I normally go by. I still move my patients, get puked, snotted, coughed on, suction snot, get elbow deep in blood.

A friend of mine had twins over a decade ago said she'd have had to stop ER @ 20 weeks. I intend to work until my c-sec if my Doc okays it! I sit down more, drink more water, and take more breaks as possible. I do clear things with my Doc. I've been covered in flu germs for weeks now, it doesn't scare me. I do everything I can to avoid getting sick. In the end I'm exposed to illness constantly because my job is to deal with sick people before you know what they're sick with.

Good luck

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Specializes in ED.

I just found out I am 4 weeks pregnant. Also an ER nurse. I know that being pregnant is supposed to weaken the immune system and that doing physical work is ok as long and it is not too physically straining. Like I can still boost a patient as long as they don't weigh 300 lbs!

I got my flu shot before so I'm not too worried about that. I know to avoid radiation and maybe wear a mask around sickos, also I've been told to not care for anyone with shingles or chickenpox since it can go to the baby and cause a miscarriage. Does anyone else know of any major illnesses to completely avoid? I would maybe guess meningitis?

Thanks!

-New Mommy

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And always follow OSHA rules. There is no reasons to avoid pulling meds. Think about all the oncology floors and the nurses there do you really think that they don't give their patients meds if they are pregnant or work somewhere else for 9 months? You will need to make sure that you follow the appropriate precautions

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I worked up until 36. It was hard. My doc gave my a RX saying I could only do 8 hour shifts. It did help a lot with all the back pain u get while prego. As for the germs. Yeah it freaked me out. But I just stayed positive. Just make sure u r always hand washing. U can still do everything u did before u were pregnant just be a little more cautious. :)

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