coming into contact with mrsa when pregnant

[gangofgin]

hey, i as just wondering if anyone knows how harmful this could be, or if it is.
i worked in care homes for a few years and when working with people who are pregnant they got advised not to deal with patients that had mrsa.
i have been offered a job through my agency working in a rehab unit starting monday, i was already a bit iffy about agreeing to it because ive had bad sickness and didnt want to let them down but it turns out my agency agreed for me to do it, so i said id give it a weeks trial.
since then my agency have told me that i'd be best not letting the place im going to be working at know that im pregnant, as it might effect any work they offer me in the future. but i thought, lots of these people in the rehab unit would have just come out of the hospital and theres a huge chance a lot may have mrsa.

 

[smile]

mrsa is not like a cold and you don't "catch" it in the same way. "SA" is a normal skin bug that lives on all our skins but some of the bugs have become resistent to some antibiotics over time (which is why doctors don't give antibiotics unless they are needed and tell you to complete the course).

MRSA is one of those bugs and i thin the latest figures where 1/3 people have it in their noses in the community - even if they have never been to hospital. It is only a problem if you have a large wound or during operations - if normal bugs get into a wound it gets infected and you need antibiotics - if your body cannot fight the bug even with the antibiotics you get sick and some people die.

With MRSA there are less antibiotics to choose from which is why it is a worry. Wash your hands and cover any nasty cuts with a plaster and you won't have any problems in day to day life whether you are pregnant or not. Think of all the pregnant doctors and nurses

 

[gangofgin]

they are elderly, yeah.
ive considered doing the same with just leaving the agency while im pregnant and doing a bar job or something, then going back after.

im only staying in blackpool for another couple of months though and i doubt id find a job that would take me of for just 2 months and especially out of season. i cant afford to not work at all for the 2 months. i might just carry on and do my week trial with them, and then decide if its suitable after. my backs already hurting at the thought of leaning over beds!

 

[tots hope]

That is an interesting one about MRSA - i might ask at the hospital when i go on thursday just to make sure. I work with people within their homes and an always getting colds and coughs from them, might have to be more careful now though. will let you know what the hospital say when i go x x x

 

[emma28]

I worked for Prestige Nursing Agency during my last pregnancy, and they had to do a RA assessment before I could go into any care home, hospital, whatever.... You are within your rights to refuse to work where there is MRSA. And you should definately NOT be bending over beds or doing ANY manual handling whatsoever. Stand up for your rights....it's just the law, and agencys, whatever they might try and fob you off with are not exempt. The company I work with now have put me off on full pay rather than risk anything happening. They got an outside company in to do an assessment, and you'd be suprised what can put your baby at risk during the early days..

Feel free to pm me if you want....and good luck

 

[emma28]

since then my agency have told me that i'd be best not letting the place im going to be working at know that im pregnant,

 

[nathanmum]

sorry but i think this is a bit OTT and misinformed.
i am nurse(and infection control link nurse) that works with MRSA everyday im probably covered in it but im not bothered cos the chances of it causing a serious problem are minimal.
ive had my risk assessment and not once was it suggested that i should not look after these patients-id laugh if it was as this would be ridiculous.
and it is fine to participate in manual handling as long as you use the correct equiptment for the job, thats why its there to make it easy on you
sorry but there is no reason you cannot continue to work as a nurse or hca when pregnant, yes there are situations that i would avoid ie violent ones, but MRSA CDIFF and other infective patients are not one of them.
hillarious

 

[nathanmum]

yeah ive moved many a hoist- if its that difficult there should be two of you to manoever it. i dont see my job as any more risky now im pregnant and nothing winds me up more than pregnant people that come on to shift and do nothing cos theyre pregnant??
if you dont wanna do the job then fine, gonna have to agree to disagree i think.

 

[lisa&alex]

not exactly answering the question but after reading this.. all i have to say is.. mrsa and other super bugs get passed on easily...perhaps its attutudes such as .. they arnt that bad.. or they dont cause that much harm that causes the bugs to be passed on?

not saying that nathansmum doesnt wash ehr hands or anything.. but obviously when a care home or hospital ward gets struck with a super bug.. its quite obvious that somethings going on...and its to do with peoples attitudes.

 

[EllieG]

I am a nurse and a student midwife, I have worked in elderly care for 10years and in my pregnancy worked on scbu where there was mrsa, and on delivery suite where i had to manouver into many a difficult position and spent 14 hour shifts on my feet. Just be careful, use your common sense and universal precautions and you'll be fine. If you are concerned talk to occy health

 

[tots hope]

One of the main aspects of my job is a moving and handlng advisor. I go in to peoples homes and advise carers and also i go into a lot of the care homes within the town i work in and i have to instruct them on safe guidance on techniques.

If you are doing personal care on the bed you should (legally!) be working with someone so you could always ask them to do all the transfers and you do the personal care. As for using hoists and slings we are quite lucky in that most of ours are celing track hoists so they are a lot easier to move. Ask your employer to do a risk assessment.

I have spoken to my boss about doing moving and handling and they will probably take me away from doing this part of my job.

I know at work i have the moving and handling book (its like the Bible of moving and handling) so maybe i will look this up and see if it says anything different. If anyone wants a copy of what it says about moving and handling and pregnancy i am more than happy to send you a copy so that you can show emplyers if they are causing you hassel.

 

[emma28]

sorry but i think this is a bit OTT and misinformed.
i am nurse(and infection control link nurse) that works with MRSA everyday im probably covered in it but im not bothered cos the chances of it causing a serious problem are minimal.
ive had my risk assessment and not once was it suggested that i should not look after these patients-id laugh if it was as this would be ridiculous.
and it is fine to participate in manual handling as long as you use the correct equiptment for the job, thats why its there to make it easy on you
sorry but there is no reason you cannot continue to work as a nurse or hca when pregnant, yes there are situations that i would avoid ie violent ones, but MRSA CDIFF and other infective patients are not one of them.
hillarious

OOH!
Seems to have kicked off a bit.
I might be OTT and misinformed but when an ouside proffessional tells me and my company that what I am doing puts me and my baby at risk, then I am going to do whatever it takes to get rid of that risk. My last baby was born at 32 weeks and in intensive care for a month. There is no way I am willing to chance that again, regardless of what other people think.
It was put im my RA that twisting was one of the worst things I could be doing and I must need extra trainig or something as I can not use a hoist without twisting myself. Have you ever used a hoist at all?
Working for an agency, (if you ever have??) I was told it was my choice to go in or not if it was known they have an infectious disease incl MRSA.
Of course I am aware that basic PPE minimises the chance of infections and obviously have had infection control training. Given incidentley by someone who drives a desk, not who works on a floor/ward. It must have been good though, as I was checked at the beginning of my pregnancy, and came back clear.

 

[nathanmum]

yes i use a hoist most shifts i work and dont have to twist or contort my body to use it. i dont see why you are twisting?

as for attitude to MRSA it is a problem but if you read the papers and get your information from there it is grossly inaccurate and exagerated.
my hygiene is meticulous always has been. the reason it is so common is because its everywhere gyms supermarkets stop blaming nurses for spreading it around.
as i said before i disagree that pregnancy stops me doing my job i do everything i done before.

 

[paradysso]

when i was a student nurse i used hoists whilst pregnant and never had to twsit about, if trained properly to use one, you shud suffer no pain etc as hoist does every thing

but inregards to mrsa, i would do minimal things like take in a dinner tray or some thing but i refused to be hands on with the patient, i think its your own preference really.

 

[lisa&alex]

im sorry but i believe that drs and nurses and carers pass on a hell of a lot of bugs from patient to patient.. when my nan was in a few months back.. nurses would come in and not wash or alcohol their hands and she was supposed to be in isolation...

and as i said not saying you dont wash your hands.. i ment that in general it seems when a unit has to close dut to a superbug, tummy bug, etc.. etc.. somethings going on isnt it.. and its not coz someone picked it up in a supermarket.. its because of poor hygine..

 

[emma28]

im sorry but i believe that drs and nurses and carers pass on a hell of a lot of bugs from patient to patient.. when my nan was in a few months back.. nurses would come in and not wash or alcohol their hands and she was supposed to be in isolation...

and as i said not saying you dont wash your hands.. i ment that in general it seems when a unit has to close dut to a superbug, tummy bug, etc.. etc.. somethings going on isnt it.. and its not coz someone picked it up in a supermarket.. its because of poor hygine..

And think how many people you see in the supermarket wearing thier healthcare uniform

No wonder bugs are on the up!!

 

[chezzabell]

sorry but i think this is a bit OTT and misinformed.
i am nurse(and infection control link nurse) that works with MRSA everyday im probably covered in it but im not bothered cos the chances of it causing a serious problem are minimal.
ive had my risk assessment and not once was it suggested that i should not look after these patients-id laugh if it was as this would be ridiculous.
and it is fine to participate in manual handling as long as you use the correct equiptment for the job, thats why its there to make it easy on you
sorry but there is no reason you cannot continue to work as a nurse or hca when pregnant, yes there are situations that i would avoid ie violent ones, but MRSA CDIFF and other infective patients are not one of them.
hillarious

I dont see how people are being OTT or musunformed, i also work in the care sector and in my 1st pregnancy got medically suspended due to manual handling and infections, at the end of the day if people are adviced not to do certain things while pregnant, then how is that being OTT and would say its looking out for the welfare of ur baby!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was one of those woman who went to work when i was pregnant with Alastair and people would run around after me, not so much cos i sat on my arse but cos they wanted to look after me, is that a bad thing. If anyone got pregnant who i work with i would bend over backwards to look out for them at work. Jesus glad i dont work with some of u guys!!!

You every job in the care sector is different, if u seat behide a desk and do nowt, then course ue job is easy and u can work all through ur pregnany, if ur on ur feet 14 hrs a day then i think you need to take it easy.

 

[paradysso]

well said!!!