what is the right answer to this question??????

if the nurse is pregnant and she is assigned to a pt who has tested positive for hiv. if she asked the charge nurse to change her assignment and assign her to a different patient what shud the charge nurse do??? should she change her assignement; or shud she tell the nurse that she cannot change the assignment and that nurse have to take care of that patient because all patients should be treated equaly????? shouldn't the charge nurse change her assignment ??? yes i agree that all the patients should treated equally...but she have the right to protect her baby....i m soo confused the book i was reading from says that the charge nurse shudnt cahnge the assignment....what do you guys think....

and yes dont worry i didnt copy the exact question out of the book...

Correct me if I'm wrong, only universal precautions are necessary for HIV+ patients. So there shouldn't be any problem if the pregnant nurse was assigned to that patient.

[HeartsOpenWide, RN]

Unless it is a cancer patient receiving chemo/radiation, or a disease that can not be avoided by standard universal precautions (i.e. T.B.) I do not see how the charge nurse is required to change the assignment. Most HIV patients are in reverse isolation and are at more risk of getting sick from the pregnant nurse than a pregnant nurse getting sick from the patient.

Unless it is a cancer patient receiving chemo/radiation, or a disease that can not be avoided by standard universal precautions (i.e. T.B.) I do not see how the charge nurse is required to change the assignment. Most HIV patients are in reverse isolation and are at more risk of getting sick from the pregnant nurse than a pregnant nurse getting sick from the patient.

oh i see, thanks soo much ....!!!!!

If the nurse follows proper precautions, there should be no problem. The charge nurse does not need to change the assignment.