pregnant at a risky job

[pn5437]

Hello everyone- i could really use some advice please.

I am an LPN with one year of experience. I am currently working at a drug rehab facility that I dont love, but have been trying to deal with in order to gain experience. This position pays the minimum for an lpn, and sometimes doesnt pay us at all-we will be in march soon and i still havent gotten paid for working new years. We stay overtime and they refuse to pay us. We've reported it and still nothing. We're risking our licenses every day as our MD is constantly giving us orders that are questionable. The company knows he has to go but they cant find anyone whos willing to replace him. Our patients are argumentative if they dont get what they want and recently we had one threaten us with coming in and shooting us all dead the next day. This place has a history of violence against workers, including a few deaths from a few years ago.

Anyway, I started applying at other places after the death threat b/c that was the final straw-no job is worth getting killed over. But in a twist, I just found out I am pregnant. I have 5 months experience in another clinic and 7 months where I am currently at and have been trying VERY hard to suck it up and not leave. My choices are to either stay here for another 9 months for the benefits or leave asap before i start to show and get another job. I have no idea what to do-I'm really trying to stay but dont know if its worth the risk. Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks!

[tsalagicara]

Hello,

I'm still just a student nurse but I had to reply to this. I'm really sorry to hear what a terrible facility you are working for (at least it sounds terrible to me...). I don't know how it is legal for them to withhold pay from you -- to me, that is a big tip-off right there that something is wrong with that company. As for that MD... as a nurse it is your right and duty to question those questionable orders, and you don't have to follow orders that you think are unsafe or extremely questionable. Your nursing license is something you worked very hard for, and if it were me I would not want to put my license in jeopardy that way. It sounds like your safety and your baby's safety is in jeopardy too. What you do is ultimately up to you, but I would definitely not stay and work under such conditions. That is me, though. There have to be other jobs out there, even if the pay and benefits aren't quite as good. I wish you the best of luck though and hope you can get out of that harmful, stressful situation soon! And congratulations on the baby!

[KaroSnowQueen, RN]

Even if you weren't pregnant, the not getting paid in a timely manner would be reason enough for me to RUN away. That would certainly be an acceptable answer to the interview question "Why are you leaving your current job?" "They are two months behind on paying us!"

Secondly, get out of there away from the weirdoes who threaten violence. Even if nothing comes of it, that's a lot of stress on you during your pregnancy.

Look for another job NOW.