refusing patients due to medical reasons.

Nurses General Nursing

Published

I have a letter from my doctor stating I cannot care for anything COVID 19 related patients because I am immunocompromised and pregnant (not so much this). My manager has received this and so has Human Resources. However, I do float to a unit that receives patients that are “covid 19 test pending” OR “needing covid 19 to be ruled out.”

My question is, how would you approach this? Do I refuse these patients? Do I tell the nursing supervision or/and manager when this happens? Do I tell that units’ manager? Etc? My issue is, this isn’t my normal unit so I do not know their policy.

Specializes in Community health.

You need to take a medical leave of absence. There are many contagious illnesses out there, including COVID-19, and you’ll be exposed to them unless you work a telephone job. I see several people have already told you this, but afterward you again posted “What would YOU do?” If I felt that any easily-spread contagious illness was likely to endanger my life, I wouldn’t work with patients.

5 Votes
Specializes in ICU.

Lets face it, very few people enjoy working with positive COVID patients all day. But as a nurse, your job is to care for the sick, even if that means taking care of COVID patients. I see all these nurses trying to find ways to avoid COVID patients for whatever reason (pregnant, old, immunocompromised, live with elderly family, etc.), whether those reasons are legitimate or a guise to simply avoid these patients, who knows, I'm sure a combination of both. So, because a nurse is either young, or not pregnant, or don't have as much seniority, they have to take care of all the COVID patients? That's a load of crap. In my opinion, we're in the middle of a pandemic, there are increased dangers on the job, and if a nurse is not wanting to face such dangers, they need find another position until this has calmed down. No one will look at you differently, just don't play games to try to beat the system by avoiding COVID patients, thus dumping the burden on your coworkers.

10 Votes
Specializes in Telemetry, Med-Surg, Peds.

As my manager says, "Planet earth is a red zone when it comes to COVID." As such, the hospital I work at will no longer honor "medical exemptions" and everyone was required to return to "normal" duties this past Monday. As long as you utilize proper PPE you should be fine.

Do you avoid going out of your home? Going to the grocery store? Walmart? Anywhere else you may come into contact with COVID?

It's just about everywhere.

6 Votes
13 minutes ago, Chazzie_Made_It said:

As my manager says, "Planet earth is a red zone when it comes to COVID." As such, the hospital I work at will no longer honor "medical exemptions" and everyone was required to return to "normal" duties this past Monday. As long as you utilize proper PPE you should be fine.

Do you avoid going out of your home? Going to the grocery store? Walmart? Anywhere else you may come into contact with COVID?

It's just about everywhere.

That's probably the most fair way to do it. Everybody has a medical issue, or a child with a medical issue, or a child without one, an elderly parent, etc.

5 Votes
23 hours ago, ER_BiscuitStripes said:

Lets face it, very few people enjoy working with positive COVID patients all day. But as a nurse, your job is to care for the sick, even if that means taking care of COVID patients. I see all these nurses trying to find ways to avoid COVID patients for whatever reason (pregnant, old, immunocompromised, live with elderly family, etc.), whether those reasons are legitimate or a guise to simply avoid these patients, who knows, I'm sure a combination of both. So, because a nurse is either young, or not pregnant, or don't have as much seniority, they have to take care of all the COVID patients? That's a load of crap. In my opinion, we're in the middle of a pandemic, there are increased dangers on the job, and if a nurse is not wanting to face such dangers, they need find another position until this has calmed down. No one will look at you differently, just don't play games to try to beat the system by avoiding COVID patients, thus dumping the burden on your coworkers.

if you can't beat the system, you join them. got to find somebody else to screw. I agree with your post wholeheartedly.

Specializes in Outpatient Cardiology, CVRU, Intermediate.

Something to consider: I work on a unit in the hospital sometimes as Charge. The Charge independently gets the staffing list from our scheduling program and then the House Supervisor confirms the staff about an hour before the start of the next shift and adds names of floats, etc, that are filling in the empty spots.

There have been MANY times that last minute changes are not communicated by the House Sup, resulting in our having to scramble with no staff to fill in. There have also been multiple instances of the House Sup assigning floating staff to our unit and not communicating important information like yours at all, which then causes the last minute staffing scramble.

If it was me in your situation, I would make a point to communicate to the unit I am going to that these are the restrictions I have as early as possible, every time. I would also make sure to have written documentation on me to back me up, as well as following back up with the House Sup to let them know that this information was not communicated to the unit.

I would approach it proactively, as an advocate for myself, instead of waiting for report to find that the assignment is not appropriate.

3 Votes
Specializes in retired LTC.

I would guess that approx 2/3 nurses all have some reason to wanting to avoid C19 pts. Their own health issues, age, vulnerable family obligations, etc. Pregnancy. Just general fear is truly understandable.

But you're asking for a cherry job, leaving other staff to do what you don't want to do. IT DON'T WORK THAT WAY!

Facilities still have the obligation to provide care to EVERYONE. Regardless of how you personally feel. Either you're there to pull your share of the workload, or you take the time off, if you feel that that's the best route for you. So sorry.

Also know that staff WILL prob resent you. I doubt OVERTLY, but that sentiment will be there. Sorry to say, but we're talking extreme situations in extreme times. Bottom line - you're no more special than anyone else. I have similar issues like you, so why am I not getting special consideration like you?!? I just couldn't get someone to write me a note!

Everyone feels pretty much like you. You will not be thought any less if you were to just ride out the pandemic until you feel safe to return to work

I was working when AIDS/HIV hit in the early 1980s. Same employee reax then. And also the pts were literally ostracized and being sorted out. Whatever happened to non-discrimination?

For your own peace of mind, take the time off.

Wishing you well, esp with your pregnancy.

To ER_BiscuitStripes, BSN, RN, EMT-B --- I endorse your post for its honesty . Hit the nail on the head!

1 Votes
Specializes in ER, Pre-Op, PACU.
On 8/19/2020 at 6:41 PM, ER_BiscuitStripes said:

Lets face it, very few people enjoy working with positive COVID patients all day. But as a nurse, your job is to care for the sick, even if that means taking care of COVID patients. I see all these nurses trying to find ways to avoid COVID patients for whatever reason (pregnant, old, immunocompromised, live with elderly family, etc.), whether those reasons are legitimate or a guise to simply avoid these patients, who knows, I'm sure a combination of both. So, because a nurse is either young, or not pregnant, or don't have as much seniority, they have to take care of all the COVID patients? That's a load of crap. In my opinion, we're in the middle of a pandemic, there are increased dangers on the job, and if a nurse is not wanting to face such dangers, they need find another position until this has calmed down. No one will look at you differently, just don't play games to try to beat the system by avoiding COVID patients, thus dumping the burden on your coworkers.

Yes to all of this. It may be brutally honest but true. I have high risk factors like many other nurses but have never refused to care for covid patients - but I won’t lie, it does bother me when some of my coworkers do, citing medical conditions, pregnancy, etc. The fact is that nearly everyone has some risk factors whether it’s their own or their family members and it’s frustrating when part of the team who has equal risk factors carries not only their own weight, but the weight of coworkers’ as well.

4 Votes
Specializes in Med Surg, Tele, PH, CM.

Being immunocompromised and pregnant, might not be a good idea for you to be working at all right now. Your employer may have designated COVID units, but that applies to patients that have been diagnosed. I would realistically assume that everyone is a possible positive. Many are asymptomatic, but contagious. Might be a good time to take some time off. Even if you were to transfer to an administrative position, you have to protect yourself from co-workers.

2 Votes

The hospital/ unit policy is not important. You and your baby are. Covid is everywhere in a hospital. FMLA and the pandemic unemployment assistance program are some good options.

Get outta Dodge, best wishes.

2 Votes
Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

Given the widespread community contagion, this really isn't very important anymore. You are as likely to get it in the community as you are caring for a patient with it, known or unknown, at work. Except at work you have PPE.

Literally everyone has some reason why caring for anyone with a communicable disease might be a really bad idea. Only you can decide what risks you are willing to take, but you can't decide to extend the risk of others so yours is lower.

Congratulations on your pregnancy. Hopefully you have figured out by now what to do.

3 Votes
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