Could I go through nursing clinicals while pregnant?

Question

My husband and I would like to start a family, but I am still in nursing school. I am 21 years old and will start clinicals in January and graduate in May 2009. Is it possible to be pregnant and still get through clinicals? Have any of you done it before? After getting my RN I want to continue education and get my Masters and then go to Medical School, so I will be in school for along time and will not really have a "right time" to have a baby for along time, so I figure now is as good a time as any. IF anyone has adivice or anything I would love it.

Answer 1

I graduated nursing school a year ago. Two of my classmates were pregnant as we ended the 2-year program. One went into early labor (at 7½ months) just prior to the end of the semester. She missed only TWO days of clinical, the last test, and the final exam, and she was not allowed to finish (she had already used up her three permitted sick days earlier in the semester). This was in June. She was not forced to repeat the entire semester when school started back up in September; however, she did have to make up the two clinical days, and take the test and the final when they were given in December, after being away from the school environment for 6 months. It was difficult for her, but she did pass. She now regrets not graduating and going through the pinning ceremony with the group she'd been with for two years.

#1, you can't ever depend on a pregnancy being textbook normal. You might have terrible morning sickness that would slow you down while getting ready for class or clinicals. You could have spotting, or be confined to bedrest for several weeks. Or, like my friend, you could deliver early. There are worse possibilities that could keep you out of the program even longer, such as a miscarriage.

#2, Nursing school is a rigorous program and you need to have your mind focused on it at all times. If you don't, you might not pass.

#3, another option would be to take a leave from the program for a semester or two, if your school allows it. This way, you don't have to worry about doing both at once, OR losing your place in the program.

#4, you are 21. Although there is never a "right" time to have a baby, you have at least 15-20 years to start a family.

#5, if your eventual intent is to go to medical school, I don't recommend getting a BSN and MSN first. It is very time-consuming and expensive. If you want to be a nurse, be a nurse! If you want to be a doctor, finish up the program you're in, and go to medical school. Don't waste time (and take other people's slots) going though nursing programs for ten years, and finally end up in medical school What's that, something like eighteen years of post-high school education?

#6, as a pregnant mother, you are going to put your baby first, of course. So whether you're in nursing school, medical school, or some other school, you're not going to want to expose yourself to anything hazardous. This could be chemicals, infectious disease, or patients in isolation. It could also be mental health patients who can turn violent without warning; it could also be a clinical rotation in the emergency room, where someone in pain is flailing around uncontrollably, and you just happen to be in the way. Healthcare professionals have the potention for exposure and/or injury every day. If you are already a nurse when you get pregnant (lots and lots of women are), you can shoose a position in a less-dangerous area (say, newborn nursery or patient admitting). But when you are a student, you cannot pick and choose your areas of clinical rotation.

All that being said, good luck to you from a nurse, mother, and former nursing school student.

Answer 2

Clinicals are very strenous and physically, as well as mentally challenging. At the same time, the first three months of pregnancy causes you to be overwhelmingly tired. No way around it.
Why don't you wait until you actually know what your in for as far as school goes. It will be extremely difficult to finish nursing clinicals, and school while pregnant. Not to mention all the germs and bacteria you will be exposed to. Plus, if you are able to make it through, you will of course want to stay home with your new baby. This is natural of course, but where does that leave you as far as your RN?
I tried this many years ago, and as you can tell, it was too very overwhelming. I never did make it back to finish my nursing. To this day, even though I don't regret having my son, and then two more; I really wish I had waited until I had my degree.
I wish you luck in whatever you decide.

Answer 3

I am a mom of two and also get overwhelmed. You've got the basics out of the way and that's a huge part of it, but the clinicals will be stressful and if you're around sick people during your pregnancy you may be forced to miss school anyway. I'd say take this semester off. It's not only best for your baby, but it will most likely save your grades! You need to put all of yourself into your schooling if that's what you want for yourself and it wouldn't be fair to your child or your body to be focusing completely on school and overwhelming yourself. You're young and you can go back next semester or even next year. Like I said, you've got a lot of it done, so take a small break to have your little one and go back when you can devote all of yourself to school again. Aside from that, if you were doing clinicals and you got sick and something terrible happened, you'd never forgive yourself. Take care of your family first. The school will be there when you're done! Congratulations and Good Luck! P.S.- I would find out from your school or teacher what the provisions for the nursing clinicals are...you may not even be able to do clinicals pregnant due to health/safety issues. If you weren't allowed to attend during pregnancy, you would be able to skip this semester without having to feel bad or regret anything later on down the road. Talk to your husband about it and you'll surely come to an agreement on it all. Take care!

Answer 4

I'm in nursing school right now and just took the summer off to have my baby, so I was pregnant. It really depends on your school because some won't let you if your pregnant, most have restrictions because of the liability, like weight restrictions and no working around hazardous materials or potentially dangerous situations (like psych wards or ERs). And if your taking any anatomy and physiology classes or anything like that you need to make real sure not to be around fermaldihyde because it can cause serious mutations in the baby. And you can't miss clinicals if you have morning sickness or end up being on bedrest. So you might end up losing your money and having to do it over again. You can defenitely do it but it's not gonna be easy

Answer 5

Yes, you can go through nursing clinicals while expecting. Let your profs know that special care needs to be taken when xrays or other potentially hazardous events are occuring.

Pregnancy is not suposed to stop your life, it is meant to be a joy. Continue with what you are doing and go get preggers!
One thing you need to be aware of is you do not graduate until may '09, which means if you became preg now you would be having your baby during school. Ask a guidance councelor what options you might have to continue your education if you were to give birth during a term! there may be no problems, but some schools require you to deffer for a semester or year due to absences from class. (this is the reason i have postponed going back and getting my RN after already receiving a BS in natural science... they don't want me to be giving birth during the semester)

Good luck

Answer 6

I've been through nursing clinicals and would NOT recommend making any major changes in your life right now....you need to put your focus on your training, because it's going to require lots of studying and a ton of time on your feet, which isn't good for a expectant mother. Did I mention stress? Being pregnant is a beautiful, fulfilling experience, but you won't be able to focus on it and enjoy it if you're struggling to make it through nursing school. Do yourself a favor--wait until after graduation, honey! :)

Answer 7

I just graduated from nursing school. I was in school with several pregnant women. The issue was when you're pregnant you really hinder your patient experiences. You won't be allowed to care for anyone who is in isolation precautions, for example, and unfortunately many of the good "learning" patients are in isolation for one reason or another. In talking to some of my classmates who were pregnant, they regretted getting pregnant because they felt as if it compromised their clinical experiences. In addition, it is very, very hard to go to school and raise a family all at once. If you do indeed want to return to school to get your masters in nursing, you have to practice as an RN for at least one year, maybe. The exception would be a minority of colleges may take one or two students into a master's program right out of nursing school, but you have to have a BSN and this really is like one or two schools in the country. Most schools want you to have at least a year or two experience in a critical care or ER setting (though that depends on what you want to get your master's in). My other question to you would be why would you want to get your masters and then go to med school? You can apply to medical school from undergraduate nursing school provided that you complete all of the science and math core courses (physics, calculus, organic chem, etc.). This is a tough decision for sure, and I have known people to go through school whicle pregnant and they successfully completed school. It's just if you have never had a child before, you don't know what it is like to experience the hormonal changes and God forbid if you had a complication and needed to go on bedrest or something you'd be putting your education on hold big time. I would talk it over with your husband, instructors, doctors and see what they think. You're only 21... you have lots of time for kids, but if it's something you have your heart set on right now, then good luck to you.

Answer 8

There were a lot of pregnant women in clinicals when I was in school. Nurses work when their pregnant. Doctors work when their pregnant. The school has no right to hold that against you, but they probably will not embrace the idea.

Answer 9

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Answer 10

You can if you believe .

I did . When I was studying for my professional degree course , moreover it is a distance learning course , my first son was 2.5 years old. And I was 5 months pregnant with my 2nd baby .
After the 1st son sleep , I finished all the house chores, I have 1 hour to study before I sleep . The next day I woke up at 4 am to study , by 6 am , i washed clothes , hand wash my son's clothes. then off i go to work in office . after knocked off at 5pm , picked up my son from babysitter , ate dinner and back home.

Played with son, house chores, laundry , etc , study 1 hour before sleep . Very tough , by the time i passed my final exam. my second child is 1 year old.

all through these , my husband & I have mutual agreement and support from him. especially come exam. times , he looked after the kids the whole nights so that I have more hours for revision .

Time become very precious to me, each lunch break I spend 45 min. to study too. Think of it , its by God's grace I got through .
Work , study , families . Woos , , but worth it .

You can too. Hope this encourage you.