Along the lines of the "But I have little kids . . . . " thread:
One of my co-workers announced her pregnancy this week, stating that she was no longer willing to work weekends or holidays because she's going to be a parent. She also has to have Christmas off because this is going to be her last child-free Christmas. Oh and by the way, she can't take care of anyone with VRE, MRSA, or any other type of isolation. "Yukky wounds" make her nauseous, so she can't take those patients -- in fact, wouldn't it be best to just have her do charge all the time?
We're a large unit and have 1 - 6 nurses pregnant at any given time. Plus there are those who can't travel to interventional radiology, take infected patients, etc. because they're TRYING to get pregnant.
The last nurse to have her baby had to sit in the chair her entire shift "because I'm pregnant," and had orientees to do everything for her. Not the role of I preceptor, I'm thinking!
What's the strangest/most irritating thing you've had a coworker demand because she's pregnant?
Specializes in Education, Acute, Med/Surg, Tele, etc.
I had a CNA in an ALF that wouldn't work with any hospice pt or one that had a 'death' aura around them for cultural reasons!!!!!!!!!! OH PLEASE!!!!!!!! And you chose healthcare why????? It does tend to happen you know!
I don't recall really ANY "pregnant bashing" on this thread. Rather, we are saying that it is unfair when the demands of pregnant women get out of hand, with no evidence to back it up. If a pregnant nurse came to me and needed help lifting, or exchanged a yucky wound dressing with something I needed to do, I would have NO problem. I love helping out other nurses, as long as there is a sense of fairness and teamwork about it. What I do get annoyed with is the stories of women who become consumed by their pregnancy, and have nothing else to talk about. Luckily, although I have worked with a lot of pregnant women, they have all been great! We really looked out for each other, for the most part.
Good point-some of these ladies think they are the only one to have EVER been pregnant and given birth. I think what makes people angry is the fact that many nurses have some sort of health problem but in most cases are expected to "suck it up".But, if you're pregnant, special rules are to be made? That's hardly fair. Yes, it's not easy being pregnant but really, you can't expect your coworkers to continually pick up slack. I have also worked with some real troopers, who didn't avoid work and went on to have healthy babies. You can't have it both ways...Some screech when you treat pregnancy like a disease, but they expect the special treatment and consideration as if they had one.....I also think that if you are having that much difficulty with a pregnancy, maybe you should go out on a LOA. I don't think anyone here was bashing all pregnant ladies, just the lazy, self-centered ones.
Specializes in FNP, Peds, Epilepsy, Mgt., Occ. Ed.
I worked in an ICU during my second pregnancy. One night the RT walked past and patted me on the shoulder. "This is the kind of pregnant woman I like," he said. "She doesn't talk about it all the time!"
I just told him that I thought since no one at work had anything to do with my being pregnant, I didn't think I needed to tell them about every little ache and pain and back flip the baby did!
He said that because we had a couple of co-workers who did indeed seem to thing pregnancy was unique to them.
The only thing worse was the co-worker who was trying to get pregnant. We got to hear about every attempt- including the positions used- not what anyone else needs or wants to hear!!
Now that I'm older I can be downright mean. Don't give me a heave-by-heave description of your morning sickness unless you want to hear a great deal about food. Don't complain about how "fat" you are unless you want me to tell you on a daily basis you're getting bigger!!
I did stop short of saying "It's nice that you're pregnant. Now could you please shut up about it???"
Specializes in ER, NICU, NSY and some other stuff.
The only concession I asked for with my last two pregnancies.....
With my third I left after 10 hours of my twelve, to walk down the hall and check into L& D.
With my fourth as I was being pushed through the ER ( after delivering in teh drivway) I asked them to call the staffing office and let them know I was cancelling my scheduled shift for the next day.
As a pregnant nurse who's still working so I don't lose my house (Now 32 1/2 weeks), I'm glad I've been working with very supportive CNAs, most of whom have had children, who won't let me help with any kind of lifting. I was lifting in early pregnancy, my PCP said it was fine since my body is used to it, until baby started getting bigger, then my perinatologist said pregnant women should not lift more than 25 lbs, even not high risk. I do help pull up with a draw sheet with someone on the other side b/c I don't feel like that's putting any strain on me. I think it's easier in LTC (where I do most of my work, I'm agency) than in a hospital b/c CNAs are so scarce in the hospitals I've worked at and you have to do most of the lifting, turning, repositioning, changing diapers yourself. In the LTCs I've worked in there are usually a lot of CNAs but few nurses and CNAs do most of the turning, changing, etc while nurses do the tf's, meds, treatments, dressings, etc (things only they can do). I don't work with isolation patients often, but when I was assigned to one I had another nurse voluntarily take the patient without my asking so that hasn't been an issue. Working agency has been a blessing b/c when I have had problems (had a bout of PTL at 24 wks) I was able to take off for a while with no problem, and gradually increase my workload by one day a week until I found out what I am able to do without wearing myself out or compromising my ability to do my job.
Along the lines of the "But I have little kids . . . . " thread:
One of my co-workers announced her pregnancy this week, stating that she was no longer willing to work weekends or holidays because she's going to be a parent. She also has to have Christmas off because this is going to be her last child-free Christmas. Oh and by the way, she can't take care of anyone with VRE, MRSA, or any other type of isolation. "Yukky wounds" make her nauseous, so she can't take those patients -- in fact, wouldn't it be best to just have her do charge all the time?
We're a large unit and have 1 - 6 nurses pregnant at any given time. Plus there are those who can't travel to interventional radiology, take infected patients, etc. because they're TRYING to get pregnant.
The last nurse to have her baby had to sit in the chair her entire shift "because I'm pregnant," and had orientees to do everything for her. Not the role of I preceptor, I'm thinking!
What's the strangest/most irritating thing you've had a coworker demand because she's pregnant?
What a joke! I had all 3 of my kids while being a nurse in NICU. I would only not care for CMV or Varicella exposed babies, which I think is fine to refuse.
BUT, not working holidays?! Give me a break. Does your unit even allow that? I've worked the majority of the major holidays for the last 16 years! I'm finally at a new job where they are more flexible with holidays and I might get a few more off. I alos worked up until 36 weeks or so of pregnancy.
A lot of times first-time pregnant women just want a lot of attention.
Along the lines of the "But I have little kids . . . . " thread:
One of my co-workers announced her pregnancy this week, stating that she was no longer willing to work weekends or holidays because she's going to be a parent. She also has to have Christmas off because this is going to be her last child-free Christmas. Oh and by the way, she can't take care of anyone with VRE, MRSA, or any other type of isolation. "Yukky wounds" make her nauseous, so she can't take those patients -- in fact, wouldn't it be best to just have her do charge all the time?
We're a large unit and have 1 - 6 nurses pregnant at any given time. Plus there are those who can't travel to interventional radiology, take infected patients, etc. because they're TRYING to get pregnant.
The last nurse to have her baby had to sit in the chair her entire shift "because I'm pregnant," and had orientees to do everything for her. Not the role of I preceptor, I'm thinking!
What's the strangest/most irritating thing you've had a coworker demand because she's pregnant?
What a joke! I would've said " I hope you don't have your baby on one of those days because none of us will be here since we're all moms. Good luck!" Crazy @#$%&!
BTW, I worked through all three of my pregnancies. People yelled at me not to go and lift and I've always done the same for a pregnant coworker. I certainly never expected to sit with my feet up somewhere. You go to WORK to WORK! Be serious!
I didn't read all of the posts but wanted to add something. Our facility requires that anyone claiming restrictions because of pregnancy (or any other heath issue) have a note from their MD outline the restrictions that they have including Dx's to aviod caring for and lifting restrictions. If those restrictions can't be met by the unit they are on, they are treated like any other employee with a work ability altering illness/issue. I think it's only fair.
During my peds clinical in nursing school a classmate of mine was pregnant. She was in her first trimester.
The nurse she was working with called me in to help reposition a child using a draw sheet. I asked her, where is my classmate so and so who is working with you? She said, oh, she doesn't want to do any lifting, she's preganant.
Hmm, sliding a draw sheet, hmmm, a little kid on the draw sheet, hhmmm, yeah, must be tough too tough for the pregnant classmate, Maybe she should take the next 18 years off before she becomes a nurse, no?
i've only ever seen the opposite really. have worked with people in all stages of pregnancy, and if they were at work, they were there to work, and otherwise they were off sick.
i read back through some notes of a long-term rehab patient, and found an entry by one of our pregnant nurses that was dated right in the middle of what she called 'the churning zone'. minor things would turn her stomach (like the THOUGHT of snot or vomit), yet she had noted that the patient had passed a large, loose grey stool in her pad, and she had cleaned her up herself. this was on an afternoon shift, where staff aren't particularly busy, and we team-nurse, so she could have got her team-mate to clean, and no-one would have minded, but she did it herself anyway.
i think the only time someone pulled the 'i'm pregnant, so you'll have to take that patient was totally legit. he was full-assist, hoist transfer, foul-mouthed, and was liable to 'tap' you (he was a feeble puncher) if he didn't like what you were doing.
I did think 'oh christ, what do i do now' one day when i was transferring a 2x assist lady to the loo with a pregnant nurse, and all of a sudden she stopped the patient, steadied me with her, and bolted, shouting 'i'll send laurie (our HA) straight down'.
turns out she'd had a contraction, so i forgave her.
OK folks, the last 3 people who became pregnant on my unit went TWP (light duty) before the first trimester was over. What this means is they were not given patient assignments and a list of what duties they could do was provided. They are not counted as staff.
That surprises me. Usually where I've worked, pregnant women don't get the option of light duty, because light duty is reserved for job-related illness/injury. I don't think (hope!) they got pregnant on the job!
When I was pregnant, I tried not to do heavy lifting, but only because I'd heard other nurses request the same restriction. My doctor never said anything about it. But I did my job on 12-hr nights right up until I was hospitalized for pre-eclampsia.
When I was pregnant and working in the neuro-ICU, I felt bad because my co-workers wouldn't let me do anything. They hovered like mother hens...even the men!! It was all very sweet and I appreciated it....but I don't think I was as helpless as all that. I think it was because I didn't ask for help or belly-ache (pun intended) or harp on my pregnancy ad nauseum.
The second pregnancy, I was working ER and they let me work triage (rollin' around on a stool) a lot during the third trimester. But during the first two trimesters, I rocked and rolled with the rest of them.
Antikigirl, ASN, RN
2,595 Posts
I had a CNA in an ALF that wouldn't work with any hospice pt or one that had a 'death' aura around them for cultural reasons!!!!!!!!!! OH PLEASE!!!!!!!! And you chose healthcare why????? It does tend to happen you know!