Working in healthcare question

Kwest1007

I am a per diem physical therapist and I work in a few skilled nursing/LTC facility and I'm concerned about one of the facilities infection control (my primary building) Has anyone been told not to work with specific precautions.. C-diff; mrsa; etc.? Some buildings are great and keep me away from all the exposure but my primary building doesn't even think twice about it. I tend to be getting all the special precaution patients and I'm also tending to get the excessively heavy lift patients at this building as well.. More than I'm comfortable with. I'm worried to say anything since I'm per diem and I need to work. I used to work full time there and I feel like since I've left that role, they aren't always considerate of me. Any advice or others experience?

alexandrae90

Hello, I work as an RN in an inpatient rehab..manys of my patients are on isolation precautions. I think as long as you follow protocol and infection control standards you should be fine. There are very few assignments I've been pulled from ..usually only the cmv or shingles patients . just make sure you are conscious of your hand washing and equipment. Also ask your ob their opinion. Good luck

Saratiff

alexandrae90 said:

Hello, I work as an RN in an inpatient rehab..manys of my patients are on isolation precautions. I think as long as you follow protocol and infection control standards you should be fine. There are very few assignments I've been pulled from ..usually only the cmv or shingles patients . just make sure you are conscious of your hand washing and equipment. Also ask your ob their opinion. Good luck

All of this. But I don't turn patients if I can avoid. If they are heavy patients I have someone there to help them stand up. The strain can cause spotting so just be careful . Nothing is worth the baby.

In emergency situations I let most of those reservations go like boosting and turning to get on a back bored and I still do chest compressions. But the day to say stuff when there are others are let them do it.

Bailey1823A

You are fine to come in contact with anything but airborne (obviously following proper precautions). You should not take care of patients with suspected meningitis chickenpox shingles or tb. Also as long as your are having an uncomplicated pregnancy and your dr hasn't put you on restrictions you should still be able to boost and assist with patients since your body is used to it. I work L&D as a nurse and sometimes hold a dead leg for hours while the pt pushes. I also have to turn and reposition mom especially if baby is having drops in heart rate and sometimes it has to be done quickly. Just make sure you are using proper body mechanics and if anything hurts then stop. Good luck.

nursekatie47

I took care of little girl with a trach and MRSA in her home when I found out I was pregnant with my daughter. I was just part time (it was a second job), so I requested a different assignment. They had no issue changing my assignment and understood why I didn't want to risk it. My old work would give many of the pregnant RNs heavy assignments, so we all went together and complained and that stopped really quickly (I worked in the Pediatric ICU, so they could easily accommodate us). This time I will likely be on modified duties until who know when because I hurt my foot at work just before I found out I was pregnant and it's getting worse instead of healing. The initial X-rays (before I knew I was pregnant), showed no break. The specialist I saw 2.5 weeks ago wanted to to get an MRI (which research shows is safe in pregnancy, but my local hospital system won't do the MRI. So I won't be dealing with heavy patients or precautions much at all until after baby comes I bet. One perk to the whole foot issues is that I haven't worked a night shift since January 1!

AmyB421

I'm also a per diem physical therapist and I've learned you really have to speak up. Some managers aren't aware of any potential restrictions with lifting etc that come along with pregnancy. I think if you're nice about it and explain why you're uncomfortable they shouldn't have a problem with it. I used to manage prior to having my first child and I can say I never really paid attention to which therapist had which patient--I was usually just trying to make numbers work.

asamela34

I have been having a lot of disagreements with people on my unit about working with precautions while pregnant. My supervisor had assigned me several iso patients, (flu,c-diff,mrsa) and expected me to go and work confidently with the patient. I had stated that I felt highly uncomfortable working in an iso room and didn't want to risk my unborn child's health, and they showed no concern at all. In a matter of fact, told me if I felt it was an issue I needed a doctors note stating I shouldn't be in an isolation room. Now this is a nursing facility I work in, with many experienced nurses and health care workers, you'd think it's common sense not to endanger an employees unborn childs health. Same with lifting, turning, boosting ect..They expect you to do the same as you did prior to becoming pregnant. But the thing these days is that it's whatever is best for the unit to help the unit run as smooth as possible is what the supervisors look for and care about, not the well being of employees. One of the many reasons I am just starting to realize healthcare isn't for me anymore..

laurasuzanne2006

I'm perfectly fine caring for mrsa and Cdif patients. I don't take respiratory ISO nor shingles etc

Saratiff

I have just avoided shingles and flu. Everyone else is fair game. I mean I prob am already covered in MRSA and as for cdiff? I have been so freaking constipated that I may not mind some diarreah. I'm joking but am I? Lol

mommyrn2010

i work on a med/surg floor RN. I  don't take c.diff, TB, rubella, suspected meningitis or shingles patients. I have no problems taking MRSA patients just gown up and use basic standard precautions. Luckily the charge nurses are pretty understanding. I do lift patients if they are of average size but obese patients no unless its some type of emergency i will quickly grab someone to help. in the first tri i had a little spotting from subchorionic hematoma so I DID NOT lift at all doctors orders. I  would just explain i have some lift restrictions to my patients and they would be fine waiting. 

laumannte

I work at a RN on a medical/oncology unit, the only time I have asked for a different assignment is when I was assigned to a patient with a recent diagnosis of shingles. I do ask my colleagues to give biohazard medications for me, and when patients on biohazard precautions ask me to empty urinals/clean up bodily fluids I just explain that due to their medication I can not but that I will find someone who can. They are usually very understanding of this.

angiet727

I worked as a RN in Icu, and recently switched departments to case management. My manager said it was fine for me to work with Cdiff patients and I did not agree with her. I was recently on antibiotics for UTI and it's not worth it at all to me to risk getting fricking Cdiff. That could really hurt my baby. Mrsa is ok with me as long as it's not in the sputum. But yea def no airborne or droplet for me. I just didn't want to risk it. But there were a couple of times during this pregnancy they tried putting me with Cdiff and I got upset and I had a lot of friends on my unit and we would swich assignments. So you Def have to speak up, Bc sometimes people just don't care or they don't know!