Some advice please ladies!

[Ebonyx]

Hey everyone
So I’m a dental nurse working in a busy dental practice. Before I announced to my manager that I was pregnant we were all allocated with certain dentists which we work with all the time. The dentist I’m working with, her surgery is up a flight of stairs and the patient waiting room is down the stairs. Which means I am walking down the stairs to collect the patient and back up again taking them to surgery.. I am doing this every 10 minutes. Now I am the only nurse who has been put in this position. I’m getting really really tired with this and I feel like I cannot do it anymore, I’ve been doing this for the past 3 months. Am I right in asking my manager to be changed to downstairs? I don’t want to seem like I am expecting special treatment as I’m pregnant but I’m absolutely shattered. Thanks everyone.

Hello
Have you had a health and safety chat/assessment yet? By law they should have one with you in each trimester and they do have to make sure you can do your job without risking yours or babies health, for example they could make sure you work downstairs.
You have every right to discuss this, the stairs will keep you fit, but depending on how far along you are it might not be good using them so often, you must be tired!

Thanks for the reply LadySray 😊
I was supposed to have a risk assessment and meeting with my managers but they haven’t got round to it yet. I’m 20 weeks. That’s true that the stairs can be good exercise but this much and I’m going home exhausted after a 8 hour shift. I will definitely mention this as soon as they do my assessment! Thanks x

You're welcome! They can really get into trouble for not doing risk assessments so they will appreciate the reminder! Good luck x

Hello @Ebonyx 👋 fellow dental nurse here!
Luckily for me we have no stairs in my
Practice but if I was you I would just ask to swap dentists - the worst that could happen is that the pm just says no!

I’m only 4+3 - how have you been coping with the job during your pregnancy?
Xxx