Full disclosure, I've never been pregnant... that being said everyone I've ever met has been. Once upon a time working with pregnant co-workers meant they couldn't go into radioactive rooms or take care of patients with chicken pox... at some point they may need more bathroom breaks, no sweat.
Now somehow I can't get through a shift without hearing about how pregnancy is making poor Susie suffer at 14 weeks gestation (give me shelter).
I'm sure it sounds ****** but if you can't do your job, get light duty orders from your doctor. We have full benefits.
We already have to work short staffed for 3 months while you are on maternity leave... don't half ass everything for 9 months before that and make us pick up the slack on top of it!
Today I tried to call report to the ICU while I was pulling my patient off the table in IR. The nurse told me she needed me to have a transporter meet her in IR to push the bed back to ICU for her because she is pregnant and can't push it herself.
We have self-propelled motorized beds, it's harder to push a shopping cart at the supermarket. I took the patient expecting to find a woman due any day now and was greeted by a young, healthy, girl who was barely showing.
I wish this was an isolated incident, but it's a growing trend and among hundreds of examples where women expect others to do their work for them because some of us take birth control and some of us don't.
There is no reason in the world a healthy pregnant woman cannot perform her work duties (baring obvious exposures). There is no reason in the world why an unhealthy pregnant woman should be at work in a damn hospital.
Gary is a woman, she never said pregnancy was easy. I said if you cant do your job, stay at home so we can bring in float staff that can. Or get put on desk duty until your due date.
In this specific example someone used being pregnant as a rational to keep from picking up a patient... again you dont push these beds. They are self-propelled motorized beds. You walk behind them and steer. If shes working in the ICU, what's she gonna say when someone needs a crash cart?
"Sorry I'm pregnant "
You don't know me and I DO push those beds. I'm a critical care nurse and we have motorized beds too- they aren't novel to just YOUR hospital. I work in the ICU and fulfill all my job duties- I have no problem grabbing the crash cart and have many times. I also don't go pushing those beds on my own when I don't have to. It doesn't matter WHAT reason she gave that you think is bogus- it's not bogus to the nurse and you don't know her entire medical history so butt the hell out- it's none of your damn business. Needing help with the bed HARDLY means she can't do her job.I
I'm in pain everyday at work from an injury. I don't use that as an excuse and fulfill all duties of my job- I turn, transport, etc. all my patients and others patients. I don't ask for special treatment or avoid helping others because of it. I absolutely take advantage of all my resources, which includes transport, lifts, etc, to avoid putting unneeded stress on my body. In an emergent situation I wouldn't hesitate, but picking up a patient from IR (in most cases) is NOT an emergent situation.
Specializes in Adult and Pediatric Vascular Access, Paramedic.
Honestly, I have never been pregnant because I have chosen not to have children. I however do not judge pregnant women who ask for help or say they cannot do something because I assume they really can't, and not that they are trying to get out of work. You have to realize that I think a lot of doctors don't want liability so they will tell these women not to lift or push etc, so as a responsible mother to be they abide by that, because no one wants to be responsible for harming their own baby!
So try and be understanding of them, and just help instead of wasting energy complaining about something you aren't going to change. Do I think some of them abuse it, probably yes, but I also work with people that smoke and abuse their co-workers by taking breaks every hour, or people who are really just lazy and walk away when an ambulance arrives or ignore call bells. I could complain about these people, but they will still smoke and still be lazy so I would rather use my energy for something else, like patient care. I also want to add I never once complained about he male nurses who constantly gave female nurses foleys to do for them, because they claim they cannot do it as a male. Never once heard a female nurse claim they couldn't insert a foley in a male!
So try and be understanding of them, and just help instead of wasting energy complaining about something you aren't going to change. Do I think some of them abuse it, probably yes, but I also work with people that smoke and abuse their co-workers by taking breaks every hour, or people who are really just lazy and walk away when an ambulance arrives or ignore call bells. I could complain about these people, but they will still smoke and still be lazy so I would rather use my energy for something else, like patient care. I also want to add I never once complained about he male nurses who constantly gave female nurses foleys to do for them, because they claim they cannot do it as a male. Never once heard a female nurse claim they couldn't insert a foley in a male!
Annie
The whole point isn't that every pregnant woman should be able to run a mile with a cinder block over her head at 36 weeks. It's that if you can perform basic physical functions of your job you need to be on desk duty, or at home on disability. The ICU is certainly not a safe work environment for a sick pregnant woman. Most of the people saying they cant do ______ because they are pregnant have no reason to say it.
And I would never complain about this at work! That would be insensitive and unprofessional. That is what allnurses.com is for.
As for the men who dont want to start Foley's on women.. I tell them they have seen more lady partss than me so they should be better at it.
I worked up until the day before I delivered. Was never charge, never asked for special favors. I was treated quite well by my coworkers. Other colleagues have requested special assignments during their pregnancies. That's not what I did. I breastfeed, but I don't take extended pump breaks or expect others to drop everything so I can pump. I tidy everything up and then go pump.
The whole point isn't that every pregnant woman should be able to run a mile with a cinder block over her head at 36 weeks. It's that if you can perform basic physical functions of your job you need to be on desk duty, or at home on disability.
Pushing a bed around without help isn't exactly the foundation of a nurses job description.
Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.
I worked a 12-hour overnight shift while in labor. I clocked out at 0730, was admitted to a labor bed, checked and found to be 6 cm, and gave birth 4 hours later. How BA was that??
I worked a 12-hour overnight shift while in labor. I clocked out at 0730, was admitted to a labor bed, checked and found to be 6 cm, and gave birth 4 hours later. How BA was that??
Awesome! I had all 6 of mine at home, that's pretty BA too!
AceOfHearts<3
916 Posts
You don't know me and I DO push those beds. I'm a critical care nurse and we have motorized beds too- they aren't novel to just YOUR hospital. I work in the ICU and fulfill all my job duties- I have no problem grabbing the crash cart and have many times. I also don't go pushing those beds on my own when I don't have to. It doesn't matter WHAT reason she gave that you think is bogus- it's not bogus to the nurse and you don't know her entire medical history so butt the hell out- it's none of your damn business. Needing help with the bed HARDLY means she can't do her job.I
I'm in pain everyday at work from an injury. I don't use that as an excuse and fulfill all duties of my job- I turn, transport, etc. all my patients and others patients. I don't ask for special treatment or avoid helping others because of it. I absolutely take advantage of all my resources, which includes transport, lifts, etc, to avoid putting unneeded stress on my body. In an emergent situation I wouldn't hesitate, but picking up a patient from IR (in most cases) is NOT an emergent situation.