Posted by My OB said WHAT?!?.
Posted by My OB said WHAT?!?.
“…I Can’t Lift Anything That Heavy!”
“I have a sore shoulder, I can’t lift anything THAT heavy!” – L&D Student Nurse assisting in a transfer of a new mother from the operating/recovery room back to her hospital room after an unplanned cesarean.
True, but you shouldn’t have been sleeping during the class where they taught you that you don’t actually have to lift anyone, especially alone.
There are two people working together, more often it’s four, and sometimes even six. And you don’t lift, you sort of slide.
Also, from experience, it’s not as heavy if you care…
[Reply]
pittsburgh mama Reply:
November 13th, 2012 at 2:10 pm (Quote)
Of course there’s nothing in here about how the nurse’s shoulder was injured, but my mind went immediately to workers’ comp or light duty requirements (my husband deals with this all the time in his job, probably why I thought of it.) Even if her shoulder injury wasn’t sustained at work, you’d think a medical note…which she should know how to get considering she works in medicine…would mandate “light” duty if she’s truly not capable of performing all of the functions of her job.
[Reply]
Sheva Reply:
November 13th, 2012 at 2:39 pm (Quote)
Agreed. But sore shoulder doesn’t mean an actual injury. Sometimes my shoulder hurts when I sleep on it funny. That doesn’t absolve me from doing my jobs. And if she truly can’t do her job, she should have called in sick, not made the mother feel like she was “so heavy”.
[Reply]
pittsburgh mama Reply:
November 13th, 2012 at 2:43 pm (Quote)
That’s a good point that she may not even really be injured at all. But if she really is, you’re right – call in sick, or if it’s going to be long-term, get a note to do other things until you’re fully recovered.
[Reply]
This is mine. This student nurse was an incompetent idiot. Even the doctor got fed up with her at one point! I wasn’t particularly big at the time (average weight for height pre-pregnancy and had gained a total of 28lbs during the pregnancy). After this statement she decided that she could in fact lift me (with the other nurse) and then almost dropped me, right before she tried to strangle my with the IV line because she didn’t listen to my husband who had pointed out that it was across my throat! She later told me it was her last shift as a student nurse before she graduated!!!
[Reply]
pittsburgh mama Reply:
November 13th, 2012 at 3:42 pm (Quote)
Blah, I take back all the potential excuses I posted earlier. Someone just didn’t want to work on their “last day” (which was actually before her “first day” – what did she think she was going to do during her, you know, career?)
Sorry you had to run into this crazy lady.
[Reply]
road2vba2c Reply:
November 13th, 2012 at 6:10 pm (Quote)
GAH! I can understand if it was her FIRST day… the poor patients this woman is going to be in contact with…
[Reply]
I cannot believe she said this to a patient! Pregnant women are self conscious enough about their weight that they don’t need some moron making them feel worse! I HATE when my patients say they are “fat”. I think pregnancy is beautiful!
On another note, I have a bad back. I will not lift patients or hold legs for pushing. There are ways around this! You just have to be careful!
[Reply]
this is probably irrelevant but here in Australia we as nurses are not actually allowed to lift patients as it violates occupational health and safety requirements we means we wouldn’t be covered under work cover (accident insurance provided by the goverment). but this student was being (as my husband puts it ) a bum.
[Reply]
« “He Failed The Hearing Test But Had A Big Poop!” Next Post
“Honey, You’re Gonna Tear, But I’ll Stitch You Up Real Good.” »


1. You need to find a new profession.
2. No, um, nope that’s it. Just the first…
[Reply]