Working in care while pregnant, advice needed

[GeorgiaP88]

Hi everyone,

im currently 18 weeks pregnant and work in home care, for the most part I’m fine with it (other than working 9-10 16 hour days in a row) but there is one particular lady I have to look after who is VERY large, she is unable to do anything for herself so we have to roll this lady multiple times per call… now when I say she is heavy she is easily 25 stone, possibly more, and I’m worried that I’m going to cause myself or my baby harm.

work have done a risk assessment over the phone and said I can’t roll anyone or move any equipment such as hoists and they also acknowledge this lady is very large and challenging, however I have been told to just ‘see how I get on’…. Which is probably due to how little staff they have who are prepared to go to this lady.

should I, or more to the point CAN I say I can’t do her anymore, I’m already feeling strain in my pelvis & back, or do I have to just grin and bear it? Has anyone been in this kind of situation before?

thank you In advance for any help!

Definitely insist that someone else take over her care. As well as any other people who require care that poses a risk to you.

I'm a nurse in NHS so have been in the same position as you. It is very tough when there is a shortage of staff, but you are well within your right to refuse. Do you have a copy of your risk assessment? They shouldn't go against what they have written and say "see how you get on". If anything happens to you or your baby, they could turn around and say you went against advice, and you wouldn't have a leg to stand on.
When I was pregnant, I got written risk assessments but it was up to me to make sure I wasn't putting myself in harm's way. We had multiple patients who were positive for MRSA, c-diff etc and I just had to ask around for someone else to tend to those patients for me instead, and I would swap them for patients who were lower risk. But a lot of the time the seniors that were on wouldn't have even considered those risks, I had to sort it out myself on each shift.

There is no patient more important than you and your baby.
You demand someone else attends this patient.
It is for management to arrange this.
It is not for your to feel/ be made to feel unreasonable, bad, guilty for looking after you and your babys' welfare.
TELL them.. dont ask!!

In this circumstance you need to be assertive and say no you cannot care for people outside of the normal range. I'm sure there's plenty of slimmer clients you can be allocated to, or those who don't need lifting more to the point