Nursing on a covid ward while pregnant?

[PullingAtTeeth]

Less of an AIBU but rather has my manager been unreasonable?

I’m 16 weeks pregnant and my normal ward where I work as a nurse has been turned into a covid ward.
My manager and those above said as I am under 28 weeks I could carry on working as long as I wear the relevant PPE which obviously we are wearing anyway.

Low and behold I’ve caught covid and now at home feeling absolutely rotten.

My manager hasn’t conducted a risk assessment with me (she has been rushed off her feet so I didn’t press for one but now wish I had)

Should I have been moved to another ward?

Feeling pretty miffed about how it’s been handled. Absolutely feeling like just another staff number in the NHS.

I had a homebirth (very lucky) a week before the first lockdown and the midwife was 20 weeks pregnant. I was her last birth and she was on desk duty after that, no public contact. This is in Wales but I would have thought you would be in the same position. Hope you make a full recovery soon.

I work on a shielded paediatric ward. Pregnant and high risk colleagues were moved to us. From their own areas. The pregnant ones had to do non clinical from 28 weeks despite that. It's appalling your manager had done no risk assessment though. Mine was very hot on it.

You are not being unreasonable. Hope you feel better soon. I absolutely spat dummy out, when we had two positive patients sat in the middle of the ward. They should have been moved out. I caught Covid a short time later despite going nowhere near them. I'm CEV.

Hope you feel better soon. Rest up and don’t rush back!!!

I work in mental health. In my trust you would have been redeployed to a non covid area and over 28 weeks would be either working from home or on paid medical leave until you started maternity.
The management of covid seems to be the one thing my trust is getting right for a change.

In my area of work it’s only from 28 weeks that you are given protection from Covid as a pregnant worker

Ah sorry posted mid sentence - but we are community based and don’t visit when Covid positive or isolating. There should be a policy.

Pregnancy risk assessment and contact OH and look on your trusts intranet for the covid policy

Hard to keep up with all the policy changes, doesn't seem to be a hard and fast rule any more:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-for-pregnant-employees/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-for-pregnant-employees

It's possible that your employer did a risk assessment without you knowing; maybe based on your previous general covid risk assessment (which I'm hoping that you have had by now, otherwise your trust is really a bit shit!).

She might be rushed off her feet, but it's a bit piss poor not to have a quick 10 minute catch up with you and check that you feel comfortable working in a covid area tbh. Hardly makes you feel like a valued employee. Hope you feel better soon

www.rcog.org.uk/en/guidelines-research-services/guidelines/coronavirus-pregnancy/covid-19-virus-infection-and-pregnancy/#occupational

Just to add, previously as my trust the policy was carry on as normal with patient facing roles and PPE until 28 weeks, then either work from home if possible or take early mat leave fully paid. Two of my colleagues got pregnant last year and were both offered redeployment to an office based role; one accepted it and then other one chose to carry on being patient facing in their normal role, but in a none covid area. But it's good that they were offered a choice. I think it's disgusting how the some pregnant workers have been treated since the start of all this.

Definitely take your time getting better, no rush getting back to work, like you said sadly we're all numbers at work at the end of the day.

Seems to be pretty varied from trust to trust then.
I’ll have to see if I can find the policy on the intranet for my trust.
As above though even if policy is to carry on with ppe it would have been nice for someone to at least check in on me.
Ah well. All I can do is hope I don’t get too Ill with it. crossed fingers and toes

I know a pregnant maternity nurse who has been signed off and is working from home and she's not due until March -YANBU

All managers should do rusk assessments (I’m a manager in the nhs) there are lots of risk factors that should be taken into consideration, ethnicity, BMI, clinical diagnosis of diabetes, pregnancy etc. That then determines your risk score which determines if they move you. Contact your manager and HR team (and occupational health) and request for a risk assessment to be completed. Also advise them your are very uncomfortable with working on a covid ward (in writing) due to your experience of catching covid whilst pregnant and what safeguards can they put in place for you if they cannot move you. Good luck

Also risk assessment should have been done twice since guidelines changed.

Isn't this a bit shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted. OP has tested positive and hopefully will be one of those who are asymptomatic or very mild symptoms.
It is also possible on her return that she will be at a far lower risk than many of her colleagues particularly the older men.

You are just a number.

Your colleagues probably care but no one any higher does.

Get well soon.

It’s is absolutely shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted.
I don’t know if a risk assessment has been done behind the scenes without me being consulted.
They do know that aside from pregnancy I have no other health condition. We did have a covid risk assessment done in April ish time so they could have referred to that.
If it has been done i certainly haven’t been told.
I suppose what I was asking is - does your NHS trust allow pregnant women under 28 weeks to work on a covid ward specifically?
If so - I must admit I’m really surprised. Not trying to be precious or anything. I’m just surprised they’d take the risk of a pregnant person becoming severely unwell....

I’m currently 19 weeks pregnant and my manager did a risk assessment with me at about 5 weeks! Pregnant nurses in my trust can’t work on any covid pathway and cannot care for any patients with covid -19. Fortunately we do not care for covid patients on my ward as we are a chemotherapy ward. I think it’s pretty appalling that you have been expected to continue working with covid patients. Have you read the government guidelines ? www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-for-pregnant-employees/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-for-pregnant-employees and have you spoken to your union? A risk assessment is a legal expectation of an employer when you become pregnant as there are a lot of risks to pregnant nurses within the healthcare environment. Take as much time off as you need and don’t be afraid to challenge your employer. Remember your health and the wellbeing of your baby come first. Unfortunately as a nurse within the nhs you will often just be treated as a number and people will not go out of their way to look out for you when you are pregnant.

Thank you Ladyladylay1990 that’s really helpful.
I’ve had a bit of a dig about and it seems to be the case in my trust that if they’ve supplied the required PPE (which they did) pregnant ladies under 28 weeks can care for covid patients.
Unfortunately I think the PPE doesn’t do enough. For example unless you are carrying out an aerosol generating procedure you just wear the standard surgical mask and a visor. I don’t think this is adequate against the new strain which is more easily transmissible.
I think the PPE guidance needs updating with the new strain about ...

I'd be speaking to the union. The NHS is notorious for treating its workers like absolute trash and this is before covid too. I think any pregnant worker regardless of gestation should be removed from the floor totally. We are not allowed the vaccine and it is a new disease which frankly they know fuck all about.

Hi there @PullingAtTeeth. I was just wondering if you had any updates? I’m in pretty much the exact same boat. I’m on annual leave at the moment but when I go back will be 16 weeks pregnant. I told my ward I was pregnant at 6 weeks and have requested my pregnancy and covid risk assessments to be completed on multiple occasions but nothing done so far. Up until recently we just cared for the occasional positive patient in a side room so if they where on my team I would just ‘swap’ a patient so I could avoid the positive room.

However I have just found out my ward is being changed to a full red ward. So fully covid. I have checked the policies extensively and it basically says I shouldn’t be working without a risk assessment. That under 28 weeks strict social distancing should be followed (impossible on a ward), and caring for covid/suspected covid patients should be avoided (I can’t avoid them if we are a full red ward). They can reduce this risk by redeploying me temporarily to another ward (amber or green) but I get the feeling they are reluctant to do this. It’s causing me a lot of anxiety at the moment and I don’t know what to do. I rang HR but all they where bothered about was the trust covering their back by doing the risk assessments. I tried to ring Occy health but surprise surprise no answer. Work force advisory service just reiterated that covid patients should be avoided but offered no advice on how to avoid them if they are all positive!

If I where not pregnant I wouldn’t think twice about being on a positive ward. And I have cared for covid patients over the last year. I would tighten my mask, shove some gloves on and crack on. But things have changed now. I have more then just myself to think about! I’m supposed to be enjoying a week of well earned annual leave but I have spent the last few days just worrying about what I should do and trying to figure out what the very vague guidance means!! X