Protecting pregnant health care workers from occupational hazards.

The safety of pregnant health care workers and their infants is paramount. The scope and variety of hazards within the health care field is profound and diverse. The occupational health nurse can identify early risks and correct them, as well as provide ongoing surveillance, counseling, and prudent policy recommendations for the multitude of hazards to which pregnant health care workers are exposed. Policy must reflect the real risks taken by these workers every day they go to work, and how those risks will affect them, their immediate families, and future generations.