Working as a nurse and pregnancy

1 I have a dilemma. I am 13 weeks pregnant and am currently working full time. I need to move back home to be with my family. I found out that pregnancy is not considered a pre existing condition due to hipaa laws. I'm worried that no one will hire me if they know I'm pregnant. I currently do not look pregnant because I have lost 15 pounds due to hyperemesis, which is improving. I just need to go home. I just don't know what to do.
No one needs to know you're pregnant until your water breaks. If you need to go home, go home. Put on a pretty face & flattering clothes for interviews.Best wishes and congratulations!

I was about 3 months pregnant and still in school when I had my first interview. I of course didn't say a thing. Had my 2nd interview (same place) a couple weeks later, still didn't say anything. I wasn't called and hired for another 2 months after that....so I was almost 5 months pregnant. The nursing director called me to offer me the job and I felt the need to tell her, so I did. She said she would get back to me. @@ She called back about 10 minutes later and said it was ok. @@ Of course it was ok, otherwise the hospital would be named after me, lol. My babe is now 10 months old and I'm still working, part time now though. It can be done! I just wouldn't say anything right away....not something you want to bring up during the interview. Congrats and good luck!

Apply for jobs, interview, and get a job close to home if that's what you need right now. Once you start your new job, let them know you're pregnant for safety reasons (no TB patients, for instance). You certainly don't have to let them know at all, but it would be a good thing to let them know so they can plan for your maternity leave, too, and as long as you plan on coming back after maternity leave, it's not a big deal. Problem is, you won't have FMLA since you won't be there a year....not quite sure how that works. Surely, pregnant women are protected somehow?

I was 5 months pregnant with my first child and very open and honest and got the job anyway. With my son, I was 2 months when I interviewed at the hospital, the manager told me congratulations and told me I could start in 2 weeks. They cannot NOT hire you because you are pregnant. But, you will start on the wrong note if you are not upfront and honest from the start, in my opinion.

Unless they ask, don't volunteer information. Years ago, I oriented a RN from a registry who was hired to work weekends. When she was scheduled for her first shift 3 days later, the registry called and said she was in labor and wouldn't be in. I never knew she was pregnant! Ha! When I was pregnant with #2, I was 8 months before anyone realized that I was pg and not getting fatter! You'll be fine.

Quote from ShayRN They cannot NOT hire you because you are pregnant.

Quote from ShayRNI was 5 months pregnant with my first child and very open and honest and got the job anyway. With my son, I was 2 months when I interviewed at the hospital, the manager told me congratulations and told me I could start in 2 weeks. They cannot NOT hire you because you are pregnant. But, you will start on the wrong note if you are not upfront and honest from the start, in my opinion.

I wouldn't tell a soul until you are hired.. You aren't very far along.. You can always act like it is a SUPRISE to you as well. Congrats regardless!

Quote from KelRN215Officially and legally, you are correct. An employer is not allowed to discriminate on the basis of pregnancy. HOWEVER, it would be very difficult to prove that pregnancy was the reason you were not hired if there's an applicant pool full of equally qualified nurses.

I am glad my managers didn't feel that way. I am one of the hardest working people you will ever meet, the last time I called off was in 2009, when I had pneumonia. I also worked both jobs until the day before I delivered and only took 7 weeks of maternity leave. In the mean time, if they hadn't hired me because of the pregnancys, they would have missed out on a pretty darn good nurse. Besides, there were about 6 other girls younger than me that were hired all at the same time, within two years they were all starting their families. I think someone being pregnant is a pretty crappy reason to not hire them.

Quote from loveishopeI have a dilemma. I am 13 weeks pregnant and am currently working full time. I need to move back home to be with my family. I found out that pregnancy is not considered a pre existing condition due to hipaa laws. I'm worried that no one will hire me if they know I'm pregnant. I currently do not look pregnant because I have lost 15 pounds due to hyperemesis, which is improving. I just need to go home. I just don't know what to do.

I would wear something that didn't show my bump, and I'd keep my mouth shut about it. Of course, they can't legally discriminate against you for the pregnancy, but that doesn't mean they can't find another reason not to hire you if they know you are pregnant. I would worry about maternity leave, though. 27 weeks is not a lot of time to bank up sick leave (assuming you go all the way to 40 weeks) and you won't qualify for FMLA. I knew I wouldn't have enough PTO (I have a chronic illness that caused me to miss a fair amount of work) so I got short term disabiltiy insurance. That might have a preexisting condition clause, though. If you are confronted about it as one of the prior posters was, I'd say I had no idea. Haven't they ever seen "I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant" on TLC?