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and dont forget to let Anesthesia know you are pregnant as well... in case during induction they need to use nitrous - you can step out.
I was pregnant with my first- continued to do totals and would step out during cementing. I had a good rapport with the attendings and residents and they knew when i'd leave the room and it wasnt an issue.
Remember x-ray exposure during pregnancy should be limited and does accumulate, so watch that. I don't think working in the OR is unsafe for you, you stay out of chemotherapy, cement, and other toxic chemicals. Watch the heavy lifting and let your OB guide you in limiting your heavy lifting cases. While you may not like certain types of cases, you may have to do what you don't like to safeguard your pregnancy. Just a thought.
Try & switch shifts so that you have regular day shifts during at least the latter part of your pregnancy.. it will be better for you..
Maybe your work place will help you with this. I know that our union contract, if the work is deemed unsafe for the employee (by their physician) the employee can request a transfer from their current duties.
maraORRN
1 Post
Hi there! This is my very first post and I have some questions for you all regarding the safety of working in the OR during pregnancy. I'm an OR nurse - I scrub and circulate - and I am 5 weeks pregnant. I have had 2 prior miscarriages within the last 6 months, and have a healthy 7 year old daughter.
I'm taking the normal precautions - not doing totals, wearing wraparound or double lead and wearing a dosimeter.... I can't avoid fluoro or x-ray altogether or I'd be limited to dental, gyn and ent and we don't do those every day! Obviously my co-workers and my OB (who I also work with in surgery) think it's fine. And plenty of women I work with have been pg in our OR......
We have a brand new facility (about 2 years old), and I never worked in the old one, if that makes any difference! I can't find any definitive evidence that my job is inherently unsafe, after taking precautions, but I have worries regarding my recent losses and just wanted to get some reassurance that I'm being paranoid.
Thanks in advance for any input you might have.