Community› The Bump Month Clubs› June 2012 Moms
June 2012 Moms
New Discussion

Am I being selfish?

bridetobe6411bridetobe6411
in June 2012 Moms

Obviously I have a lot on my mind....3rd post tonight. Anyways.....this is kind of long so I'm sorry in advance if you are bored with it Wink

I am a RN working the night shift on an acute inpatient rehab floor. This means a lot of helping patients up to the bathroom or bedside commode during the night. Once I hit my 3rd trimester I got definite lifting restrictions from my MW. My boss was fine with it and said that we could work around it. I can help with patients, but I can never be the main person transferring a patient. There is also a very heavy patient on the floor (as a lot of them are), but this one has MRSA.

Now my dilemma comes in here. Sometimes when our census is low, we only have 2 nurses and one PCA (patient care associate, basically a CNA) on the floor. So this means that if the other nurse and PCA are in helping a patient, then I am answering call lights by myself. Since I can't lift the heavy ones, a bedpan will have to do. This is where my boss now has changed her mind about my lifting restrictions and her being ok with it. I completely understand that we have to be safe with the patients and I have to be able to do my part, but my boss now refuses to give us extra help when I am working. I am not asking for special treatment, just more help (since she ok'd my restrictions from the beginning and knew we would need extra help). My manager and unit director have talked to me and now have decided that I have to talk to my MW and see if she thinks I can lift, and if not, take my FMLA early. They are also saying that I have to take of the patient with MRSA, which makes me extremely uncomfortable.

Oh, did I forget to mention that this past Saturday I went into false labor? Yeah, 2 hours worth of somewhat regular contractions with increasing strength. And then nothing, nada, zilch. I have had random contractions since then but nothing regular.

So now, I have to decide if I want to take my leave early or work the rest of the 4 weeks until my due date. My DH is totally ok with my stopping work early, even though at PT I make double what he does at FT. He will be working overtime so we can make ends meet, but he does not want me putting the baby or myself in undue danger.

So there it is, a peek into my dilemmas....any advice on these fun issues??

Report Reply to Post

Re: Am I being selfish?

  • IJCORDOVAIJCORDOVA
    you are not being selfish.  Remember baby comes first. I'm an RN in  a busy medical floor, I  keep getting MRSA patients and they keep putting me out of ratio all the time. I ended up leaving work at 36 wks, I did not want to risk my LO health due to all the stress i was under.
    Report Reply
  • Loading the player...
  • MrsL1022MrsL1022 member
    You are not being selfish in the slightest. I am not a nurse but MRSA + Pregnancy would have me heading for the hills. It sucks that they are no longer willing to work with you and give you extra help after they said they would. If you and DH can make it work I say dip out now and enjoy the rest of your pregnancy worry free. Sorry you are dealing with this. 
    Colin Patrick-7/14/08 Lilypie Fourth Birthday tickers imageimageLilypie First Birthday tickers
    Report Reply
  • caeraRosecaeraRose member
    You are absolutely not being selfish... remember that if you do hurt yourself lifting, you'll have to deal with that injury for quite awhile. I pulled a muscle about 2 months ago working in the garden because I ignored my OB when she told me my weight limit on lifting... I still have that pulled muscle and it makes it hard to walk and sleep, and it probably won't heal until after I have the baby.
    Anniversary Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker Photobucket
    Report Reply
  • Michelle164Michelle164
    If you have a note from your MW, they can't make you do something against it AND they can't punish you for it. I believe (?) that you are covered under the ADA in this case. I understand that it can be inconvenient for them and for scheduling purposes, but that is not your issue. Also, you MW can right a note that you can't be in contact with patients with MRSA, etc. I would check with your HR dept.
    IAmPregnant Ticker
    Report Reply
  • christinakpricechristinakprice member

    I am an RN on an Ortho Surgical unit and thankfully my director always gave us extra help or I would take a lighter load.   Still, everything got to be too much and I quit working and started my FMLA at 37 weeks. 

    The only pts that I would not take were the TB isolation, shingles or meningitis.  MRSA, VRE and CDIFF are all acutally Ok and pretty risk free if you observe your isolation precautions.

    If you can afford to stop working, it will be sooo worth it, you will be back to the pushing and pullingon pts sooner than you think.

    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker~ Diagnosed with PCOS in March 2009. Taking Metfomin for insulin resistance and irregular cycles/ovulation. Had healthy baby girl in Jan 2010 via C-Section (HTN and Breech Presentation).
    ~ Miscarry at 8 weeks with D&C in May 2011 (low progesterone).
    ~ Had a healthy baby girl in June 2012 via C-Section (on prometrium to sustain).
    ~ Surprise pregnancy at age 40!  Baby boy due April 26, 2021 (took prometrium to sustain once pregnancy was confirmed, 3rd C-Section planned).  
    Report Reply
  • bridetobe6411bridetobe6411

    Well here's an update:

    MW agreed with me. If I am getting too uncomfortable, then I should stop. I just need to figure out the finances and stay on a strict strict budget. I let my boss know and I'm done working! Yay! And I hope to not be working for the same boss when I come back. I will be job searching my butt off during maternity leave...I hated my floor anyway. Thanks for the advice ladies!

    Report Reply
This discussion has been closed.
Choose Another Board
Search Boards
"
"