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.
Specializes in Community Health, Med/Surg, ICU Stepdown.
In an ideal world pregnant nurses would get an adequate amount of paid time off before their due date but that is not the case. I don't mind helping pregnant coworkers with more physical tasks and have noticed they seem to really appreciate it and help with less physical tasks in return. We had one poor coworker keep refusing help and she ended up with premature contractions and bleeding, then was put on light duty (basically clerking and auditing). If I can prevent this from happening to others I feel good about doing that.
Yes, some women probably abuse their position when pregnant, as there are lazy jerks everywhere in life. However, maybe you could channel your frustration and aim it more towards the pathetic state of maternity care in this country, where women often don't dare to take off time during pregnancy for actual medical complaints, because it means they will have to leave their newborn go back to work that much earlier. And where they have no postpartum support. And where, in many places, their ability to access and pay for contraception is controlled by a bunch of white males with more power than them.
Mother of 3 here- was lucky enough to have stayed home during my last pregnancy, but worked during the first 2, right up until the days I went into labor. I guess I was also lucky to not have issues, as I never used being pregnant as an excuse to not do something.
It's so hard in this job (floor nursing) to decide who is genuinely unable or unavailable to perform at 100%. There are co-workers who start the excuses, cherry pick assignments, etc. from the beginning of the shift. In the same vein, the new thing that takes nurses off the floor for exhorbitant amounts of time is pumping breast milk. I would never, ever say a bad thing about new mothers pumping- it's great- but for all these Co-workers who refuse patients, refuse admissions, take multiple smoke breaks and don't watch the clock during other breaks, or just have a habit of socializing too much or even sit on their cell phones or the internet, there are a few of us who DON'T sit down very often because we are understaffed and feel horrible for patients who have to wait for assistance or pain meds.
I probably shouldn't have written this post, because I don't have a solution, but I wanted to agree with you and offer that this is a newer occurance on my floor as well.
Solution: how about bosses whipping people into line? I guess you have spoken up but to no avail?
Stop covering for your lazy co-workers. If their patients are in pain, call them to come off of break if they have been gone too long. Get the Supervisor or Manager involved right away.
How is it that they can refuse patients or admissions?
Abusing break time, taking smoke breaks over and above their meal break or other quick breaks - no way I would let this go on. I am guessing, perhaps wrongly, that you have never said anything to them or to your bosses. And by always stepping up to cover for them because you feel sorry for the patients, you are actually perpetuating their ability to abuse you and let the facility keep short-staffing.
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.
Unprofessional to want them to carry their load that they are getting paid to carry? How is that unpro? It's not even insensitive. If they are that frail, they should not be at work.
Their weakness, if they are truly weak, should not require you to do their work. The boss needs to staff properly.
Speak up at work, don't just complain here, or nothing will change.
I don't mean you should be totally uncaring about your coworkers who are pregnant, but it is not your fault, I assume, that they are in a somewhat delicate condition. And if they are at work, they need to work. If they can't handle the work, they need to be on light duty or home.
Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
See! I knew I was doing something wrong! That's why I love nursing, we never stop learning.
First off, why don't you mind your own business? Second, if you've never been pregnant you have no idea what it's like. Third, you've never met EVERY pregnant woman so you can't speak. Fourth, are you even really a nurse??? After you made that comment you have me very concerned.
First off, why don't you mind your own business? Second, if you've never been pregnant you have no idea what it's like. Third, you've never met EVERY pregnant woman so you can't speak. Fourth, are you even really a nurse??? After you made that comment you have me very concerned.
We already have to work short staffed for 3 months while you are on maternity leave...
If the person is entitled to maternity leave, you have no business being resentful. If you are working short staffed, that is not on her, it's on management. There is no reason that those shifts should not be covered, either by PRNs or agency staff if necessary.
You are targeting your ire at the wrong party in this situation.
I'm of the opinion, don't judge a book by it's cover. One never knows the journey one went through to get there and the reason to exercise caution for a small part of an otherwise complex job
A while back I was awaiting surgery and had a temporary handicapped parking permit. People with permanent permits would often roll down their windows to say something as I parked and readied to get out of the car. At the time I limped and walked with a cane and was thankful I didn't need a permanent permit. I was judged based on my appearance sitting in a car. Once I left the car, that all went away.
My point being, you just can tell on first glance what lingers beneath. Granted some do take advantage of a situation, but you can't paint everyone with the same broad stroke.
Actually OP, pregnancy is a federally recognized disability.
Also, at my hospital, IR brings all of our patients back to the ICU. It seems to me you are the one with problems doing their job. The fact you are in a tizzy over pushing a motorized bed to the ICU baffles me.
Yes, some women probably abuse their position when pregnant, as there are lazy jerks everywhere in life. However, maybe you could channel your frustration and aim it more towards the pathetic state of maternity care in this country, where women often don't dare to take off time during pregnancy for actual medical complaints, because it means they will have to leave their newborn go back to work that much earlier. And where they have no postpartum support. And where, in many places, their ability to access and pay for contraception is controlled by a bunch of white males with more power than them.
You win. We can all go home.
Being pregnant is difficult. More difficult for some than others. Your efforts could be better spent supporting health care reform so that women can take time off for pregnancy symptoms that interfere with their work.
.thumb.jpg.b55ddcfa3396d38bb9c1d7e2d94ab854.jpg){kind=small}
LibraNurse27, BSN, RN
972 Posts
In an ideal world pregnant nurses would get an adequate amount of paid time off before their due date but that is not the case. I don't mind helping pregnant coworkers with more physical tasks and have noticed they seem to really appreciate it and help with less physical tasks in return. We had one poor coworker keep refusing help and she ended up with premature contractions and bleeding, then was put on light duty (basically clerking and auditing). If I can prevent this from happening to others I feel good about doing that.