Pregnant ICU nurses

[icyounurse, BSN, RN]

Hello everyone,

I am an ICU nurse and just got a + on a pregnancy test!! I am REALLY excited because we have trying for a few months and I didnt think it would happen so fast!!

But I did have a question. This is my first time being pregnant and it is very early. I havent even been to the OB yet ( I am making an appointment whenever they open). I was wondering how this would affect my work??

I dont really want to tell people at work, since it is sooo early, but am concerned that if no one knows they will assign me patients that might not be safe for me to have. Like a few weeks ago we had this pt that ate radioactive materials for a test for example (not my patient). I was wondering what other nurses have done in my shoes??

Thanks, any advice appreciated.

[Katnip, RN]

To protect yourself and your baby you're going to have to tell people. Otherwise, there's just no good excuse to turn down the higher risk patients. Your coworkers would perceive you to be very unfair and demanding if they didn't know your reason.

[icyounurse, BSN, RN]

To protect yourself and your baby you're going to have to tell people. Otherwise, there's just no good excuse to turn down the higher risk patients. Your coworkers would perceive you to be very unfair and demanding if they didn't know your reason.

I think you are right. Maybe I should just take the charge nurse aside and just tell her since she makes assignments??

[jenny456]

Congratulations! You need to tell your supervisor immediately that you are pregnant. Otherwise you are putting your baby at risk by taking assignments that are not safe or appropriate for a prenant nurse. I worked in L&D but my friend worked in ICU and had 3 pregnancies while there. They were very good about giving her assignments that were safe. You sure don't want to be left to move a heavy patient, or be given one that is highly infectious, etc... If you had an office job, you could keep the pregnancy a secret, but in nursing things are different because of the inherent risks.

[Roy Fokker, BSN, RN]

Congratulations!

Please tell your Charge nurse/Supervisor :)

cheers,

[Quickbeam, BSN, RN]

You sure don't want to be left to move a heavy patient

Please do not expect to not have to work with or transfer heavy patients. That's unreasonable. The exposure stuff makes sense.

I spent my hospital years with a perpetually pregnant staff and if they hadn't done lifting, I'd have been doing it all myself.

[yeSICU]

Let people know. I had the same concerns as you when I found out I was prego with my son (second one is due in Jan. ) Even if you don't tell now, it will come out eventually when you find out you are supposed to get an admit that has shingles or CMV. I found out I was prego during my orientation, and I ended up having to tell my preceptor because another nurse kept asking me to help her boost her pt with shingles. It became impossible to keep it a secret.

Plus the charge nurses have a funny way of giving you a tech/NA more often than not, which is great (especially in the later months). lol.

You will make do. Just be sure that you take your breaks, drink your water, and put your feet up as much as you can.

Congrats! Motherhood is so much fun!!!

[twinmommaRN08]

:ancong!: icyounurse. Hope u have a picture perfect pregnancy!

[rn-jane]

Congrats on your pregnancy. Please tell your charge nurse and manager. There are limits you can do with your infectious patients and if a patient can be lifted by someone else please let them do it. Last year we had a epidemic of pregnant nurses and if needed i would call an aide from another unit to give a hand.

[mpccrn, BSN, RN]

First, congrats on your pregnancy. I sincerely mean that. :heartbeat

Second, do tell your charge nurse or manager. :heartbeat

Third and perhaps most importantly, there is essentially no patient you CANNOT TAKE CARE OF. I've been an ICU nurse for 30 years, worked full time through both my pregnancies. I lifted heavy patients OOB, took care of isolation including AIDS and was myself bothered by herpes simplex. I drank radioisotope and layed under a scanner for 40 minutes. My son was 14 days gestational at the time unbeknown to me at the time. Although I was terrified, he was born, as my daughter was WITHOUT ANY DIFFICULTIES OR ABNORMALITIES. My children are highly intelligent, have all their parts in good working order. My ICU is a shock trauma unit and often micro labs don't come back before the patient has expired. Use good universal precautions for every patient you come in contact with! You are pregnant, not sick, delicate or needy. You can work full time and have a worry free pregnancy and give birth to the most amazing baby ever seen on this planet! Luck is not part of the equation. Use your head as you would every day of your practice.

[maxr]

if the client is having meningitis it is safe to care when u r pregnant

[Pedi-Gree, BSN, RN]

Meningococcal meningitis patients are usually only isolated for 24 to 48 hours after the first dose of appropriate antibiotics. Transmission by droplets indicates the need for gown, mask and gloves, which will protect a pregnant woman just as well as they will a non-pregnant woman. Unless the woman in question is working in an ED where the underlying illness may not be immediately known, it's unlikely that she'd be in that group of close contacts needing rifampin prophylaxis (FDA category C).

As stated before on this thread, pregnancy isn't an excuse to get out of working.