Pregnant nurses

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Specializes in Education, Acute, Med/Surg, Tele, etc.

I am at a new job full time and orienting to a ortho/med surge floor YEAH! It is going awesome and I am getting compliments like crazy...I am loving it!

Well...my preceptor today informed me that she is pregnant with her first child! YEAH!!!!!!

But that reminded me of the things nurses shouldn't do or get near while pregnant and we went over some. We do have cancer pts so we knew she should stay away from those, and many of the patients with radioactive dies for tx/x-rays/MRI/CAT...so those I have been keeping an eye on and informing her of...but I once remember a list of MEDICATIONS that pregnant healthcare providers shouldn't touch or even get near.

Sadly, I can't find that list, or even find it on the web...

Does anyone know of a list of meds to stay away from (like not touching nitro or some prostate/hormone pills)? I know I have seen one or two out there...but can't find it when I need it of course! LOL!

Thanks in advance!:nuke:

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Specializes in rehab; med/surg; l&d; peds/home care.

most of the meds that can't be touched by pregnant women, or even women in childbearing years are usually labeled as such by our pharmacy. i would have your co-worker ask her OB, i know they gave me a list of things to avoid, knowing i was a nurse. sadly, i don't have it anymore either. we occasionally get pt's with implants that have to be avoided, also some prostate ca meds and also had a pt on thalidomide (sp?) which obviously has to be avoided as well.

sorry i couldn't help more. i will search my pregnancy files to see if i can come across it, but she should ask her OB as well. congrats to her! so exciting to have a baby, esp the first one!

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Specializes in Education, Acute, Med/Surg, Tele, etc.

Thanks so much! Yeah, she will be talking to her OB, and I am just going mad about where I had that list! LOL! It is somewhere...LOL!

That is pretty much my idea...glove up till otherwize known if you are touching meds while pregnant and in healthcare...good practice anyway ;). I teased her that her glove size will change though..LOL! (she is already getting some swelling in the hands and feet..and morning sickness like crazy to any odd smells...oh man to be a nurse while pregnant...I would be throwing up all the time with the way I was sensitive to all smells!).

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Specializes in ER.

I know that nitrous oxide is one, but is that even used in a hospital?? (Sorry , just a student with a little dental knowledge:)

T

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Specializes in Education, Acute, Med/Surg, Tele, etc.

I haven't seen any at our hospital but there are studies coming out that make it a nice pro for certain sedations we do, and even ambulance protocols...so you may be just ahead of your time ;)! I heard that this can be an up and coming thing again!

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Specializes in Oncology/Haemetology/HIV.

Actually most cancer patients are "safe" for pregnant nurses. as most are not actively on chemo or having radiation implants.

Even if a patient is receiving chemo, the ONS has policies in place to insure safety for the pregnant nurse . IF the facility/employee obeys those safety practices, there is no danger in the pregnant nurse caring for chemo patients.

The problem is that some facilities do not actively take those proper precautions, or does not supply the appropriate protective personal equipment. Or they are cheap and provide inadequate supplies (gowns get reused, etc) or unusuable equipment (cheap thick size huge gloves, that fit no one and impair your ability to handle products safely, due to being too cumbersome). Or you have someone that crushes thalidomide on the unit without a biohood, to make the patient happy - defying rules that thalidomide capsules are made in such a way that they are NOT TO BE FREELY CRUSHED.

Thalidomide still worries me, and if a fellow nurse asked me to cover a thalidomide patient for them. I have no problem with it.

While some facilities bar pregnant nurses from hanging chemo, or caring for the patient in the first 48 hours post IV chemo infusion (7 days for PO, 4 days for IV liposomal therapies), others do not. I am currently working in a world renown facility, rated in the top 10 nationwide. There are close to a half dozen pregnant nurses on the unit and all hang chemo. And many of the drugs are still in experimental stages. Strict chemo precautions are adhered to, and I have seen no miscarriages/problems here. I have seen problems in other facilities that are more careless.

Radiation implants are an issue, but those are not that common.

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Specializes in Education, Acute, Med/Surg, Tele, etc.

Awesome info! Thanks!!!!!!!

Yeah, our PPE isn't as great as I would wish, but we can get better now, and I am sure we can get some up for her. We do deal with chemo/rad pts post tx (our cancer center is across the street and they stay with us overnight), so more education is certainly necessary about the precautions! I will certainly suggest this :)!!!!!!!!!

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Specializes in LDRP.

I think Proscar is one of them, if the tablet is crushed or broken, not to be handled by pregnant ladies.

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Specializes in ICU, PICC Nurse, Nursing Supervisor.

you can have nitrous oxide after the first semester or so my doc says....

I know that nitrous oxide is one, but is that even used in a hospital?? (Sorry , just a student with a little dental knowledge:)

T

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Specializes in ICU, PICC Nurse, Nursing Supervisor.

I have been pregnant most of my life .........:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: and have passed and crushed all sorts of meds and cant remember coming across a no-no drug... But Im standing by cause I know there out there....

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Specializes in FNP, Peds, Epilepsy, Mgt., Occ. Ed.

Proscar is the only one I can think of, and ribavirin but I don't think that's used for inhalation any more.

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