Advice for a pregnant nurse?

Question

I am seven weeks pregnant and work in an adult surgical ICU. I work night shift, two 12-hour shifts per week. I would like some advice from other nurses who worked while pregnant and what they did to protect themselves from the bugs and other hazards at the hospital? Thank you!!

Answer 1

Hi there, I worked my way through my last semester of nursing school pregnant. My instructors tried very hard to assign me patients that did not have things like MRSA, VRE, c-diff, etc but that may not be an option when you are employed as a floor nurse. Can you consider transferring to another floor while you are pregnant. The ICU is full of stuff I'd rather avoid while pregnant, even in the first trimester because random stuff made me hurl (ropy phlegm on the trachs, canisters of dark fluid from NG tubes, emesis, the smell of c-diff stool - UGH)

I mean, you can do it. You can use isolation precautions on patients who aren't on isolation, you can gown, mask and glove for your patients but that might really make your patients feel isolated if they are conscious and verbal and they'll wonder why you look like that.

If I were you, I'd carry around hand sanitizer in my pocket and use it constantly too, plus use Vicks under your nose to protect from that horrid smells that just come out of nowhere and make you nauseous. Don't eat at the nurse's station either, unless it's bottled water or something covered, too many germs flying around.

Answer 2

I was working as a CNA throughout my pregnancy, whenever we had a flu or something going around I would treat it like isolation, atleast wear a mask into the room. I worked in a nursing home facility and all my residents understood it wasn't against them that I was trying to protect myself and the baby inside of me. When we had the norovirus going around my unit I used whole isolation procautions, I have not once been sick throughout my pregnancy and I am not on maturity leave at 40wks and 3 days.

Answer 3

I worked night shift 7p-7a around 3-4 nights a week. It wasn't so much the hazards of the hospital that got to me it was the hours. I was exhausted and my immunity dropped. Other than taking your vitamins and washing your hands there isn't much more you can do besides "standard precautions".
good luck

Answer 4

Wash hands wash hands wash hands. And get your flu shot if you haven't already. Your work place most likely already has procedures in place.