Navigating Occupational Hazards for the Pregnant Nurse
Apr 17, 2018
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.
Read some of the occupational hazards pregnant nurses may face and suggestions for mitigating those risks on DailyNurse.