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Nursing is a vocation rife with occupational hazards. On a daily basis, nurses come into contact with sick patients, infectious agents, teratogenic chemicals, and radiation, to name a few environmental risks. Additionally, nurses are constantly on their feet, walking several thousand steps per shift. They are expected to help lift, move, and transfer patients several times per day, and face many potential musculoskeletal injuries from strenuous physical labor.

It is not surprising, then, that many nurses worry about the risks inherent in their daily job descriptions once they are expecting. Many nurses are women of childbearing age, and a pregnant nurse has to take certain precautions to keep herself and her growing baby safe. Below are some of the hazards pregnant nurses may face and suggestions for mitigating those risks.

Infection. Perhaps one of the most obvious risks to a pregnant woman and her fetus is infection. A nurse in the emergency department (ED), for example, may encounter patients sick with potential pathogens, from strep throat to tuberculosis to the flu. A pregnant nurse should follow standard precautions with all patients, and may also wish to wear a surgical mask around patients with a fever or suspected respiratory illness. A pregnant ED nurse may also wish to limit exposure to pathogens by reducing time spent in triage, if possible. Pregnant nurses may wish to avoid taking care of patients with active shingles or varicella zoster infections, as well as patients on airborne precautions.

Pregnant nurses should be immunized against influenza; the vaccine is safe for women in all stages of pregnancy. The live attenuated flu vaccine is unsafe for pregnant women. As an added benefit, flu antibodies are also passed to the fetus. If a pregnant nurse cares for a patient with influenza and later suspects she may have contracted the flu, she should speak with occupational health at her hospital to possibly receive a prescription for Tamiflu. Tamiflu works best when taken within 48 hours of symptom onset.

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Drugs and chemotherapeutic agents. Because several drugs and pharmaceutical agents have known fetotoxicity, great care should be taken by the pregnant nurse when administering those and any medications to patients. Medication preparation is risky, and pregnant nurses may be exposed to hazardous drugs through skin absorption, inhalation, accidental contact, or needle-stick injuries. Sometimes while drawing up medication, the liquid can splash or make contact with the skin. Nurses should at the very least wear gloves while drawing up any medications or handling drugs, and at the most, should avoid handling known chemotherapeutic agents such as methotrexate.

Nurses should also weigh the risks and benefits of continuing their particular field of nursing while pregnant. Cancer treatment drugs, for example, have known effects of infertility, miscarriage, birth defects, and low birth weights. 

Ionizing radiation. Radiation for diagnostic imaging is common in nearly all hospital departments, and nurses are at risk not just of background radiation but also of direct ionizing radiation. Nuclear medicine departments in particular are of high risk to a pregnant woman. Effects of radiation on a fetus depend in part on the dosage of radiation and on the baby’s gestational age. The thresholds of safe exposures are not well investigated, but research has demonstrated an “all or none” effect; that is, significant exposures cause either no effect or a fetal loss. Although dosimeters are used in areas where high radiation exposure is expected, other areas of high ionizing radiation (e.g., the emergency department) are rarely monitored. Expectant nurses should be very aware of their surroundings.

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Stress, physical labor, and shift work. It may be necessary for nurses later in pregnancy to modify their shift schedule or behaviors to help accommodate their needs. Nursing is already a physically rigorous vocation, but add in the fatigue of pregnancy and it can be extremely physiologically demanding. In the first trimester, many women experience morning sickness, which to the pregnant nurse can be debilitating. Later in pregnancy, back pain and sciatica can also interfere with nurses’ ability to continue working until their baby is full term. Additionally, the 12-hour shifts typical for most hospital nurses become more taxing later in pregnancy, and it may be necessary for the pregnant nurse to request a modification to shorter shifts or part-time hours. The best solutions for pregnant nurses are to enlist colleagues for help when possible, to always use safe-lift equipment when available, and to speak up when requiring assistance.

If you are pregnant and struggling to perform your duties, certain pregnancy complications are covered by the Pregnancy Discrimination Act. Pregnant nurses should also be familiar with their state and employer’s Family Medical Leave Act policies and eligibility requirements.

For more information about the hazards to pregnant health care workers, you can browse the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health’s website about the effects of workplace hazards on female reproductive health.

Laura Kinsella
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