TexasCourgette

TexasCourgette has 2 years experience and specializes in Labor & Deliery.

Latest Activity

1. Possible 36 week delivery, hospital has no NICU

   TexasCourgette replied to KatiLB's topic in Ob/Gyn

   Per allnurses.com terms of service, we cannot give medical advice or help you make medical decisions for you or your baby.

2. Opening new unit

   TexasCourgette replied to Lamp Lady's topic in Ob/Gyn

   Pie in the sky dream: birthing tubs. But maybe there isn't THAT much equipment allotment left? Wireless Tele with water-safe monitors (even without birthing tubs, you can monitor your patients while they're in a shower if you have the telemetry box ...

3. Postpartum Hemorrhage drills

   TexasCourgette replied to MKS8806's topic in Ob/Gyn

   At my facility, our educator would make jello and put it in ziplocs for drills is visually estimating bloodloss-- we also had drills in which we would weigh pads that had been soaked (water/food coloring), and had to find and use the reference sheets...

4. Documentation

   TexasCourgette replied to rnaturcervix's topic in Ob/Gyn

   At my facility we chart q30 for labor without pit, and q15 for pitocin, and q5 when pushing (regardless of pit or not). We also have an intermittent monitoring protocol for patients who are unmedicated (no pit, or fentanyl, or epidural, or anything),...

5. I need confidence!!

   TexasCourgette replied to missyrad's topic in Ob/Gyn

   Good for you! Know that preceptors don't generally give out that kind of praise very often. She's not crazy, and you're not crazy--you're good at what you do. Does it become less scary? Yes. Absolutely. Like, none of us would be able to survive L&...

6. Your first OB clinical experience

   TexasCourgette replied to LM NY's topic in Ob/Gyn

   There is absolutely a "shock value" that comes with L&D, especially if it's your first obstetric experience. I absolutely love women's health, and knew that going into L&D, and there was still an adjustment period--seeing my first birth was a...

7. Projects in your OB department

   TexasCourgette replied to Janinern84's topic in Ob/Gyn

   We just started offering birth classes at our hospital, and are increasing the number of tours we give per month. Our unit is in the middle of remodel, and we're gaining an LDR from that. In the last year we've added a "birth plan" to our tour packet...

8. Most helpful orientation activity

   TexasCourgette replied to Akayi's topic in Ob/Gyn

   We had lots of "drills" with our educator--she'd make jello and spread it on pads and have us guess amounts to demonstrate how hemorrhages are often underestimated, run mock codes, mock neonatal resuscitations, and role-playing common patient scenari...

9. Vanderbilt admits, what were your stats?

   TexasCourgette replied to cayley's topic in NP Students

   I had a 3.5 GPA, and GRE score of 158 verbal (I think?) and 155 for the math portion (I think? This was back in August, and all I remember was trying to make sure I had over 150 in both portions). I applied to the CNM/FNP dual program. So far I've be...

10. dealing with the death of a baby

    TexasCourgette replied to mslinzyann's topic in CNM

    I can't answer this as a midwife (yet--just got accepted to start in Vandy's CNM/FNP program in Fall 2014), but I've been an L&D nurse for 2 years, and have seen several demises. Most of the demises I've seen have not been intrapartum--a woman co...

11. Question about noisy/open-glottis pushing

    TexasCourgette replied to seemerun's topic in Ob/Gyn

    I think it mainly comes from how uncomfortable it is for the OB/midwife/nurses to hear someone making that kind of noise (and truthfully, I see this most with OBs, at least at my hospital). It's not a societal norm we have, and so people are asked to...

12. What's the craziest thing a patient or family member has said to you?

    TexasCourgette replied to monkeybug's topic in Ob/Gyn

    I once had a dad ask me, immediately following delivery, if we could "put a tracking chip" in his son (for child safety, in case he got lost?). His rationale was that "in the military, they do it all the time, so I know that technology's out there". ...

13. Oncology nurse turned L&D nurse!

    TexasCourgette replied to PeaceLove88's topic in Ob/Gyn

    I'm 9 weeks into my first job, on an L&D unit, and oh my goodness, is there a lot to learn! One of the best pieces of advice I've gotten (after "read everything" and "know as much as you can") is to not be too concerned with being the BEST nurse ...

14. nursing policy on handling infant that is not bathed

    TexasCourgette replied to kms6417's topic in Ob/Gyn

    At my hospital, we actually draw labs when we start their IV/saline lock (the IV/lock is recommended to everyone, even if they're having a drug-free birth, in the event of an unforeseen emergency) and test for these same things the day of delivery. I...

15. Any US-trained CNMs qualified and working abroad?

    TexasCourgette replied to LookingAhead's topic in CNM

    I know in Canada, they require you to be licensed in whatever country you're coming from, and then take a roughly 9-month "bridge" course before registering as a Canadian midwife.