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.
I was out for around 7 months, with surgery and cancer treatments, I used my accumulated leave the entire time, although towards the end I was only submitting the minimum number of hours to keep my health insurance active.
They tried to tell me I hadn't worked enough hours in the previous year to qualify for FMLA. Short something like, 40 hours. I asked, did you count the 48 hours I just did a few months before on jury duty? Because the hospital paid me for it! (union contract). I did not willing miss those hours, I was required to by law. They tried to say no, but I raised a stink as did my director and manager, and HR gave in.
Most HR folk should be put adrift in a small boat in the middle of a hurricane.
Gary Ray you have responded in the most mature way to being skewered than I have seen in a long time. That says much about your character and I'm sure I would enjoy working with you.
We can't transfer to ICU without two people. One has to be a nurse the second can be a tech or security in case the patient codes on the way. So I can't see that ever being an issue with us.
I agree with the poster that stated lazy people will always find a way to be lazy.
I also agree with the person that stated you don't know what health problems the other nurse might have had. She might have a very good reason she couldn't push the cart. However, I'm not sure that if she can't push a cart she should be at work providing hands on care. In an ICU there are a lot of people that need rolled or assisted in other ways.
GaryRay I wanted to jump on the "good for you" bandwagon. There isn't a person on this planet who knows it all; we all have things to learn. Myself included. On an anonymous internet forum with attitudes so unteachable that Flounce Bingo was inspired.... it is really really refreshing to see someone admit that their thinking was possibly flawed, and that they took criticism in the constructive spirit in which it was intended.
There is a time limit for light duty. They won't let you stay on light duty the whole pregnancy until you have the baby they make you go on disability after your light duty limit is up (just where I work anyway). My advice to the OP would be to have a positive attitude and focus on your work. :)
I have another perspective. My wife prefers I have a beard, this makes my only option for airborne isolation a PAPR. That precludes me from accepting that assignment because I am unable to assess with the hood on. I felt guilty that my coworkers had to take the assignment until one woman spoke up and said that this is my payback for all the pregnant nurses I have and will help. Took away my guilt and made me realize that we all may need a little help from time to time.
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There isn't a person on this planet who knows it all; we all have things to learn. Myself included. On an anonymous internet forum with attitudes so unteachable that Flounce Bingo was inspired.... it is really really refreshing to see someone admit that their thinking was possibly flawed, and that they took criticism in the constructive spirit in which it was intended. 
Kooky Korky, BSN, RN
5,216 Posts
Most HR folk should be put adrift in a small boat in the middle of a hurricane.
So glad you won.