A nurse who is three months pregnant is caring for an HIV-positive patient. What should she do?

• A. Request reassignment to non-patient tasks
• B. Work as normal
• C. Take a leave of absence
• D. Refuse to care for the patient

Answer: (B)

Infection control and safe care for HIV patients while pregnant. HIV is not transmitted through routine patient contact, and a pregnant nurse can continue caring for HIV-positive patients as long as standard precautions are followed. Standard precautions mean treating all blood and bodily fluids as potentially infectious and using gloves, gowns, masks or eye protection as needed, along with meticulous hand hygiene and safe needle practices. The nurse’s pregnancy does not by itself create a reason to stop caring for such patients; the risk to the fetus from occupational exposure is extremely low when these precautions are in place. If the nurse feels uneasy, she can discuss concerns with a supervisor, but there is no medical or ethical requirement to change duties or take leave solely because of pregnancy. Refusing to care for the patient would not be appropriate in a professional setting.