Do not like L&D!!

Specialties Ob/Gyn

Published

I've been working as an LDRP RN (Labor & Delivery, Recovery, Postpartum RN) for 1 year and I can not get over the stress and anxiety. It is becoming painfully obvious that I was not cut out to do this. I don't mind the postpartum part because the mom is already delivered and it is not as stressful. I'm thinking about applying for postpartum jobs but I'm still anxious about it. I work in a tiny rural hospital and we do everything from admission to discharge. I am not sure how seperate L&D/postpartum units are like in bigger hospitals. When do postpartum nurses take over? Do postpartum nurses recover the patient after lady partsl births and c/s? Or do the labor nurses do that? Most hemorrhages I see are immediately after birth and I can't see how it would be safe to transfer the pt out immediately after birth.

Any postpartum nurses out there that can tell me in detail what your job is like?

Thanks!!!

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Specializes in L&D.

In the hospitals where I've worked, L&D recovers Mom and babe for the first 1-2 hours before sending to Post Partum.

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Where I work the moms are kept in L&D for 2 hours after delivery. However, sometimes when things are busy they may pull a postpartum nurse to L&D to do recoveries. Of course, the recoveries are done in L&D and their staff is always nearby in case of any complications.

What my postpartum job entails: Assessments, pt education, pain management and LOTS of breastfeeding support. I work nights and that tends to be the prime time for breastfeeding meltdowns. Sleep deprivation, hormonal changes, and a baby who wants to cluster feed can really send a mom over the edge. Or baby is sleepy and does not want to eat and mom is worried the baby will starve to death. It helps to educate the parents in advance about what to expect from the newborn during the first 48 hours.

Pt education can also be a challenge due to time constraints and the abundance of visitors many moms have.

Also, we do a few newborn tests...hearing screen, transcutaneous bili checks, pre and post ductal O2 sats, required blood tests. And again, that can be difficult to get everything done when that abundance of visitors in mom's room are there to see and hold the baby.

I am sure there is much more, but I am getting a little tired and need to go to bed soon. Whatever you decide to do, I wish you the best!

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Specializes in L&D.

I work L&D. I'm in a university teaching hospital with a separate PP. We usually recover our patients for 2 hours, usually longer if PP doesn't have an open bed. PP or even Nursery may be a better fit for you.

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At the hospital I was at it was 1 hour. Sometimes i found it ridiculous because some of the women didn't even have their legs yet )epidural( and they were still sent down. If ur patient wasn't gone an hour after delivery, sit back and watch as all the nurses give you dirty looks and talk about you and how lazy you are. Lol so glad I'm out of that toxic environment. I moved on and I couldn't be happier. :) as far as mother baby you could have up to 4 couplets at my hospital on a busy day. Very much laid back. Alot of teaching. But you still have to watch mom closely for hemorrhage. Infected incision etc

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I work in L&D with a separate pp. Moms stay with us at least 2 hours after delivery. We do skin to skin for the first hour, then after that all of the baby assessment gets done, mom gets up, etc. Mom and baby then go to PP room together, and RN takes over care for both.

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I forgot to mention that PACU recovers the c/s then PP takes over after.

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OP, I felt the same as you did except I worked in the ICU and ER. It was super stressful. Now I'm in PP and I love it. PP can be very busy at times. Sometimes I have 4-6 couplets. I have moms who are diabetics, have HTN, require transfusions, and other medications( antibiotics, pain medicine, toxolytics, and etc). We also take antepartums as well who can be ticking time bombs. I take care of babies ofcourse and which they require labs, medications, IV antibiotics, phototherapy, chems and so much more.

My day consists of assessments, teaching, breastfeeding assistance, documenting, admissions, discharges, and handling emergencies.

You have to always be astute and have great assessment skills. Especially with infants because they cannot tell you how they feel.

Even though it is crazy busy at times, I love my job. It has days where it is stressful but it is totally different from the kind of stress I felt when doing critical care.

I think you should apply for postpartum jobs, I think that may be a better fit. You'll love it.

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OP, I thought I would be an L&D nurse too, and love it. I spent 1 day in the L&D dept at a hospital that does 400+ deliveries a month and realized the pace was too frenetic for me. Then I did my preceptorship on a PP unit and realized THIS is where I would thrive. It's taken me 10 months to get a position at that same facility, in that same unit, but so worth it. Not all units are dysfunctional, though. At my facility, L&D is separate from PP, and the moms/babies stay in L&D for roughly 2 hours. Then they come to us, and we are rooming-in but also have a Level 2 NICU for those that need the extra care. The RNs on PP work well together, function as a team, and help each other. crazy&cuteRN is right....lots of teaching (which I happen to LOOOOOVE) and breastfeeding support, along with the assessments. I like the idea of getting to spend extra time with my patients but that doesn't always happen. I'm not a fan of staying in a specialty that you're not passionate about, because life is too short to be so unhappy. :no: You worked HARD for that license, and you ought to be getting what you perceive as a valuable return on your investment. I think you'd enjoy the pace in PP, and since you've got L&D experience, that would make you a real asset on the unit. Go for it! :up:

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