Did you have a Preemie or Pre Term Labor while working? - page 2

1. 
   Mar 26, '01

   Dawngloves-
   I'm in a way disappointed that I'm not making a differential that your area offers, yet relieved that at least SOME L&D nurses are. That's actually quite comforting.
   Sorry if it seemed like I bit your head off, but at work the other day we were just discussing this very thing. I'm sure you can imagine it gets old after having a horrible, horrible day in OB and then someone tells you how fun your job must be because you deliver babies. Yikes! Anyway, thanks for the info - I'll be watching your post to see who else suffered from PTL.
2. 
   Mar 26, '01

   Originally posted by Susy K:
   Dawngloves-
   I'm in a way disappointed that I'm not making a differential that your area offers, yet relieved that at least SOME L&D nurses are. That's actually quite comforting.
   Sorry if it seemed like I bit your head off, but at work the other day we were just discussing this very thing. I'm sure you can imagine it gets old after having a horrible, horrible day in OB and then someone tells you how fun your job must be because you deliver babies. Yikes! Anyway, thanks for the info - I'll be watching your post to see who else suffered from PTL.

   Susy K--LMAO!!! I'm a fellow L&D 'sister,' and after a shift where an out of control patient tried to BITE me, you READ MY MIND!! Whenever somebody says to me (on a bad day), 'oh, your job must be so FUN!' I always want to snap back, 'YEAH!! Delivering dead babies and jumping on EMS stretchers that are flying down a hallway to start a stat c-section on a dead woman are really one of life's rare treats!!' AAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHH!!
3. 
   Mar 27, '01

   Kday-
   Here I thought it was just me!! I was curious, do you get a critical care differential? I really wish we would. Sometimes it just doesn't make sense. I just had a Mag patient today who was highly unstable - still contracting on 4 grams!! and I thought about this post and how I want that differential!
   Oh well - I'm glad that patient didn't bite you. And yeah, the dead babies are a drag..
4. 
   Mar 30, '01

   Originally posted by Susy K:
   Kday-
   Here I thought it was just me!! I was curious, do you get a critical care differential? I really wish we would. Sometimes it just doesn't make sense. I just had a Mag patient today who was highly unstable - still contracting on 4 grams!! and I thought about this post and how I want that differential!
   Oh well - I'm glad that patient didn't bite you. And yeah, the dead babies are a drag..

   Nope. No critical care differential. After all, our job is so 'easy' and all about just standing at the bedside saying, 'push!' I've ALWAYS thought we should get crit. care pay, treatment, AND unit rules. People don't realize how ugly it gets in OB when something goes wrong. Yeesh! I've found that the only hospitals this happens in (crit. care pay and R-E-S-P-E-C-T) are the ones where an administrative bigwig or one of their family members has a baby and they get to see FIRST HAND just how awesome we are!!!
   
5. 
   Mar 30, '01

   I hear ya, Kday, I hear ya. I'm sure we could swap horror stories for hours! Maybe we should start a thread - OB nightmares!!
   
   Our hospital actually started having us report acuity levels about 2 years ago - they said it was to determine if we should get a critical care differential or not - well that was 2 years ago and there hasn't been a change, except in our acuity!! We've been seeing more high risk than ever before. I wish some of these people would use BIRTH CONTROL!!
   
   -seems we've gotten off post here-
6. 
   Apr 1, '01

   Well add me to the list. First time was many many years ago, Worked ICU with heavy lifting loads went into pre term labor at 34 weeks. Lasted to 40 weeks and had a 9.6 lb baby. I had to take a leave of absence, was on bedrest on and off for weeks. I DO think that the lifting and standing on my feet was a major problem. 9 years ago I still worked ICU, 12 hour shifts. Went into pre term again at 32 weeks. Same story. Walked around dilated 3-4 for weeks, had a small baby, who spent 9 days in the NICU. Did work stress play a factor YOU BET! It would be interesting to see if there is a link between nurses and OB problems. I remember coming home from those 12 hour shifts with my legs, etc. so achy I thought I would die. I do have co-workers though that worked till they went into normal labor and walked from the unit to the OB unit and had a baby. They were just as miserable as I was, but managed to last through a normal pregnancy. Maybe I was just a whimp.......
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7. 
   Apr 1, '01

   You were not a whimp!!!! This has been very interesting reading. I began a new job on a busy inpatient geripsych unit (fortunately we all are considerate about whoever is pregnant not being involved with getting control of or even having a patient who is out of control/a risk to become out of control) working night shift and shortly after found out I was pregnant. I lost 12 pounds before they admitted me for hyperemesis and dehydration and was on home IV's for a week, sick the entire pregnancy and on zofran, every month the doctor made me quit the zofran and every month I got sick again. I firmly believe I was as sick as I was because of working nights, now I did not have preterm labor but did work up until 2 days before I delivered and had some difficulties at delivery with meconium stained fluid and dropping heart rate, they got NICU staff in for the delivery but he was fine and still is. I am in a different job now and plan to become pregnant in the fall, will be interesting to see if I am as sick (I know mere chance could be the cause of not being sick as every pregnancy is different but still....)
8. 
   Apr 2, '01

   Case in point, you guys...one of our nurses is 12wks. preggers, and just had to be hospitalized for hyperemesis. Got IV zofran, compazine, multivites, the whole nine. She's been forced to cut down her hours (doc's orders). Here's the kicker...some of the evil b****es we work with have been giving her CRAP about it!! We're labor and delivery nurses, for cryin' out loud!! I definitely think pressure from fellow STAFF to work beyond your limits can cause problems, too. Why are we such jerks to eachother all the time? Man...
9. 
   Apr 2, '01

   Omigod Kday- that is just awful.
   
   How ridiculous.
10. 
    Apr 3, '01

    Originally posted by Tired Nurse:
    They were just as miserable as I was, but managed to last through a normal pregnancy. Maybe I was just a whimp.......
    

    Now what made you a wimp? Working 12 hour shifts in ICU while you were uncomfortbably pregnant? Dealing with PTL, bedrest, a baby in NICU? Maybe you just worked harder than the other nurses?
    
    
    [This message has been edited by dawngloves (edited April 02, 2001).]
11. 
    Apr 3, '01

    Originally posted by 505rn:
    I firmly believe I was as sick as I was because of working nights, I am in a different job now and plan to become pregnant in the fall, will be interesting to see if I am as sick (I know mere chance could be the cause of not being sick as every pregnancy is different but still....)

    Working nights made me sick when I wasn't pregnant! LOL! That is a definate stressor for everyone, especially a pregnant woman!
    

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