Pregnant: What do I really care about it the hospital?

Nurses General Nursing

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Specializes in cardiac/education.

What do you really have to avoid when working in the hospital when pregnant? I am not interested in being some whiny pregnant woman so I really want to know the scoop. Some are telling me avoid all patients with contact precautions but is that true? What about lifting? I work in an ER and on a normal med surg floor.

For those who are in the know, what are the REAL dangers?

thanks!:devil:

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Specializes in Retired NICU.

:nono: avoid:

chemo, radiation, chicken pox/shingles, if you aren't rubella immune be very careful about exposure to measles, herpes, tb. i know there's a couple more i can't think of right now... i would be extra careful about using universal precautions constantly. ask your infection control nurse for the hospital or check with employee health.

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CMV, or cytomegalovirus. If you've already had it (your OB can check with a simple blood test) then you have no worries. If you get it for the first time while you're in your first trimester, it can have either zero effect on your baby, or a profound one (mental retardation and some other things). If you got it in the first 12 weeks, there's no way to predict the effect on the baby--nerve-wracking. In a hospital setting, probably one of your liver patients or in general a transplant patient would be likely to be CMV positive.

Apparently, it is benign for the adult who has it. Kids commonly get it and it's no more bothersome for them than a common cold. But for a pg woman, esp in her first trimester, it's a worry.

I agree with the chemo worries.

I lifted, but people where I worked were pretty good to me and offered more help than usual. I don't know how lifting affects the fetus (my OB told me not to worry), but it sure can wreck your back when you're pg and your ligaments, etc. are loosening up.

I was constantly around the MRSA and VRE folks-- just typical for my floor. We had stricter contact precautions for our acinetobactor patients, and I think I avoided them.

I think this is a great question to ask b/c I know for me, no one ever told me the stuff to watch out for. Some of it I discovered on my own, and some I probably missed finding out about, but both my kids are fine.

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Specializes in Cardiac.

Hey, I thought you were in Neuro?

Congrats on the pregnancy!

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No more advice to give, as the above posters did a great job. I think, though, that you should ask your doctor. Avoid TB.

I fully agree about lifting. Ease up on doing it. Pregnancy really is a delicate condition so you need to expect and accept some kindness in the area of physical demands. At some point, you will feel off balance, clumsy.

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I used to work years ago in the float pool and stopped going to Renal transplant when I was pregnant due to CMV

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Specializes in Cardiology.

I avoided all contact precautions patients if at all possible. My reason was because if I did catch say MRSA or VRE, however remote the possibility, I would not be able to take the antibiotics to treat it. The antibiotics to treat these infections are not safe during pregnancy.

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Specializes in ICU, CVICU.

Avoid smelly patients :lol2:

Seriously, morning sickness is kicking my butt!

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Avoid smelly patients :lol2:

Seriously, morning sickness is kicking my butt!

LOL! So true! I'm pg with my 2nd (due in Aug) and I have my handy Reglan with me because smells get to me too.

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One day I was assigned (this was when I was about 28 wks pg) to a patient who was in isolation with I-131 radiation, a patient with shingles, and a violent psych patient who already put an employee out on disability and kicked a security guard in the chest.....yeah...our hospital REALLY cares about my safety!

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