[Elenaster]

After feeling the crispy-fried burnout of working very high acuity ICU, I've been looking into a job in OB/GYN recovery. It's a weekend position, which is what I work now, with some call thrown in. I'm assuming since it's weekends only, there won't be any scheduled cases and my patients will be mostly c-section recoveries, which I have a lot of empathy for having had two myself.

What do you think about this position? I've always thought I would like working with the L/D/R population and this may be a good place to start, but I'm a little afraid I might get bored compared to what I'm used to.

[cabbage patch rn]

Are you talking about a post partum/post gyn surgical floor? Or an actual unit that recovers these patients after delivery/surgery and then sends them to a floor? I think you would find it rewarding, especially if you like the teaching aspect of nursing. The pace is much slower than ICU I would imagine, but overall a much happier place to be. If you find yourself bored, ask to cross-train in L&D, study and become certified in a childbirth educator or lactation consultant certification course. There are so many things you can do to learn more about this area and become a more skillfull practioner. Good luck with whatever you do!

[Elenaster]

Originally Posted by cabbage patch rn

Are you talking about a post partum/post gyn surgical floor? Or an actual unit that recovers these patients after delivery/surgery and then sends them to a floor? I think you would find it rewarding, especially if you like the teaching aspect of nursing. The pace is much slower than ICU I would imagine, but overall a much happier place to be. If you find yourself bored, ask to cross-train in L&D, study and become certified in a childbirth educator or lactation consultant certification course. There are so many things you can do to learn more about this area and become a more skillfull practioner. Good luck with whatever you do!

Thanks for your reply. I'm afraid I worded the "I might get bored" part of my op rather badly. What I mean is, I may get bored if it's very slow. If I have a steady stream of patients to recover and then take to their rooms all day, I'll be perfectly fine. However, if there's alot of sitting around waiting for something to happen, I don't think that would be for me. I like to busy at work, just not completely overwhelmed.

The area I'm talking about is like a PACU for OB/GYN patients. The hospital has a Women's Care Center, and part of that is their own OR/PACU.

[SmilingBluEyes]

You MIGHT get bored. I know I much prefer the busy-ness of labor and delivery to GYN surgical nursing by a long shot. But doing GYN here and there really DOES keep me from getting burnt out or bored. I do enjoy it now and again. That is why I like my mixed floor; we get to do a bit of everything.

[CA CoCoRN]

Originally Posted by Elenaster

Thanks for your reply. I'm afraid I worded the "I might get bored" part of my op rather badly. What I mean is, I may get bored if it's very slow. If I have a steady stream of patients to recover and then take to their rooms all day, I'll be perfectly fine. However, if there's alot of sitting around waiting for something to happen, I don't think that would be for me. I like to busy at work, just not completely overwhelmed.

The area I'm talking about is like a PACU for OB/GYN patients. The hospital has a Women's Care Center, and part of that is their own OR/PACU.

Some days in OB recovery there is a steady, neverending, horrendous number of pt's...other days there may be one. Or none.

We do our own sections and our own recovery...and the RN-II nurses rotate through that assignment. On the days when every laboring pt turns into fetal distress or other issues, we can grow to hate it. The most c/s we've had on days, I think it was a record, was 10. In one 12 hour period.
Why don't you go shadow the OB PACU nurse on the weekend/day and see if you like it.