Pregnant Nurse!

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Hello, I am a fairly new nurse working on an ortho/neuro/trauma unit. Feb 2013 will make it a full year since I've been employed here. Currently I am 16 weeks pregnant, but I have not shared this news with my place of employment yet. I was a little worried about the type of patients or activities I should avoid while being pregnant. My doctor didn't give me any restrictions besides advising me to use universal precautions. I plan to share this news once I began to show. Until then, I still would like to keep me and my baby safe while working. Can someone please advise me or share with me any restrictions I should use??

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Specializes in Peds/Neo CCT,Flight, ER, Hem/Onc.

The one your doctor recommended. Universal precautions.

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My doctor didn't say much either, but every time a patient with shingles comes in my coworkers make sure I know so I don't go in the room. They also keep an eye out for the especially combative patients so I don't get kicked in the belly. I found an article somewhere about hazards pregnant nurses face from a reputable source but can't recall where it was. In the end, you need to decide if you follow your doctor's advice or the Internet's and coworker's advice.

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Not showing at 16 weeks? Good grief, I was in stretchy panel pants at ten. My crowning achievement was doing CPR at 8 1/2 months-- it was crowded up there on the bed, but hey.

Stay away from anyone who is immunosuppressed to avoid CMV, completely avoid all chemo meds and those hormonally-based prostate and "low T :icon_roll: supplements," things that say "should not be handled by pregnant or breastfeeding women," no more field trips to the radiology suite, and get farther away when they do the portable x-rays.

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I'm 16 weeks also... Also not showing, but have already told my coworkers. I asked my Dr and she said pretty much the same thing... Universal precautions. And said try to avoid CMV pts. I asked specifically about shingles and she said if I've had chicken pox, then no need to worry. Just follow the precautions I normally would. My coworkers are pretty good about making sure I'm not struggling to lift a pt or anything, but really no restrictions!

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I am also 16 weeks! My doctor told me no CMV, No herpes, No shingles. She also told me to try to avoid active flu patients since my immune system has been awful and I have caught just about everything this season. I am really struggling with nights, my body wants to sleep at night and is not wanting to sleep days. I am stuck though, on nights for now. Cant change jobs while pregnant. What is infuriating is that 3 of us on nights are waiting for a day slot, and low and behold our manager just hired someone off the street for a day spot. This is not the first time she has done this. Last time she did it 4 people quit. SO she started offering the spots to us again, then back to her old tricks. After the baby comes I am taking my 12 weeks and looking for a new job. I am struggling with the lifting, we are normally running short staffed and it is really hard to fins someone to help, everyone else is just as busy as I am. Our techs just keep on quitting. :(

Congrats everyone, we are all having June babies, no? :) A few more weeks til we find out the gender!!

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My baby will be a May baby. We're not finding out the gender- looking forward to the big surprise!

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Specializes in Med Surg - Renal.
Hello, I am a fairly new nurse working on an ortho/neuro/trauma unit. Feb 2013 will make it a full year since I've been employed here. Currently I am 16 weeks pregnant, but I have not shared this news with my place of employment yet. I was a little worried about the type of patients or activities I should avoid while being pregnant. My doctor didn't give me any restrictions besides advising me to use universal precautions. I plan to share this news once I began to show. Until then, I still would like to keep me and my baby safe while working. Can someone please advise me or share with me any restrictions I should use??

You can't swing a dead cat without hitting a pregnant employee on my floor. Very few keep this a secret or even try. As soon as we get a patient with suspected shingles - and we do pretty often - RNs and aides get an ashen look on their face saying, "Umm....I can't take that patient" and no more secrets.

There has been a constant outbreak of baby rabies since the day I started on my unit and I'm happy to report all the babies and RN/Aides did (or are doing) just fine. One aide worked a day shift, returned to the hospital a couple hours later, delivered, then went home the next evening.

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My doc told me to avoid getting hit by dead cats.

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My doc told me to avoid getting hit by dead cats.

:) your doctor was HIGHLY specific, sounds like a keeper! :)

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Specializes in Med Surg - Renal.
My doc told me to avoid getting hit by dead cats.

I'm sorry, but it is against the TOS to share medical advice regarding dead cats.

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My bad. OP: follow your doctors advice on the pros and coins of getting hit with dead cats.

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