is labor and delivery and OB really a specialty?

Specialties Ob/Gyn

Published

i worked a different floor the other night and found it interesting that the nurses I worked with thought L&D/OB was not a specialty area at all. they said all we do is hold babies and play nurse. Now I beg to differ but i think it is a specialty area . How about you? have you ever had other nurses tell you something similar to that?

DAYRAY it was a med surg floor. hows it been going ray.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

NO DAYRAY! Please don't start the med surg is easy anyone can do it stuff! PLEASE....

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in cardiac, diabetes, OB/GYN.

This matter has always interested me and , at first, I would buy into other area nurses attempts to downplay what we do. Interestingly, we train for all areas of the hospital, and can not only care for, but triage, scrub, circulate, recover ( which means knowing cardiac care, med/surg as well as a whole other host of specialties), retrieve, and deliver infants, if needed, monitor psychosocial, emotional, tragic circumstances every single day,evening or night AND while we are holding, feeding, changing babies who may or may not suddenly crash both in and out of the uterus ( did I mention while they are in the uterus we can't see them so have to troubleshoot and expertly care for a person we can't even see other than some tracings on a fetal monitor, which only WE know how to decipher)...A well infant can crash at any time. So can a mom. SO THEN we have to rapidly intervene in the way of treatment and arranging transfer if needed, either by ambulance or helicopter to a hopefully, near facility..That might mean the moms who have strokes, emboli, pih, dic, massive infections (and those are the "normal" moms, ie the ones with few, if any risk factors)...Lets include the pregnant cardiac moms, or the ones with severe diabetes, pylenonepritis, HIV Hepatitis, syphilis, condyloma, GBBS, or any combination there of...How about the domestic violence people with restaining orders or those who should have them but don't, so YOU deal with the abusive spouses also....

Why is it NO ONE ever floats up to delivery, post partum or the nursery without complaining, yet they expect us to welcome them with open arms...If it is so damn easy where we are, why aren't THEY lining up to hang out with us and do "nothing."

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Originally posted by at your cervix

We once had a nurse that came from a "specialty" area because she said that it was "too stressful" and she needed an easy relaxed job. First day on the job we did a crash section. She quit on the spot saying that ob was much more stressful than icu or er. I loved it, especially because she had been warned but wouldn't listen to us. It was GREAT!!!!!

Yes...I've seen MANY ICU and ER nurses who come to L&D for various reasons. I've yet to see one stay! They all have said that it was too stressful!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

OK. I confess.

I SERIOUSLY could NOT do what you guys do. I am a smart person, a kind person...but you guys in L&D/OB have it all over me. I recognize that you have specialized knowledge, training, and experience that I don't have and, as yet anyway, don't want. So PLEASE don't float me there unless all you want is an observer.

Like I said to one of my kid's kindergarten teachers: "For the next 8 hours of the day, if you take care of my kid; I'll take care of your gramma. Deal?"

:D

My goals are LTC, MS/Tele certification....and if I survive that, on to ICU or ER. And Kudos to you nurses who can do L&D/OB!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I think you are amazing that you do L&D straight out of school. In Australia no-one is allowed to deliver a baby unless they have post-grad qualifications, so if that doesn't make it a specialty, I don't know what is.

Actually, come to think of it, it may be the ONLY specialty where you aren't allowed to work there with only RN qualifications. And that's about as specialised as you can get!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in cardiac, diabetes, OB/GYN.

Well, in the old days and before these nursing shortages, you DID have to have more specialized background or rather, generalized background before being accepted into a specialty area. Now adays, they just need staff, and many managers feel it is easier to train a new grad to their way of doing things vs reteaching someone who may do things another way..They need bodies ( nurses) asap....

Up Vote Up Vote ×

now a days its the warm body syndrome. they put nurses in L&Dbefore they are ready.IMO anyway

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

not where I work; they do internships for months before turning em loose. depends on where you work, Mark. I am sorry to see it happening where you are. That is a dangerous thing, IMO. Anyhow, how are you these days, Mark??????

Up Vote Up Vote ×

diong fine hope you are to Debbie.things just been kinda slow here lately been getting put on call a lot. making me have to pick up extra shifts with agency:(

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

argh I know all about LOW CENSUS situations. Hope things pick up for you soon! Take care now!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I actually left L&D and went to ICU because L&D was so stressful, but I was bored and returned to L&D...12 years and going now..not mention the 8 in nursery prior to that. Give me a PIHer on mag any day over a COPDer! Work in a level III teaching hospital. We GET all the transfers. I love it. Not only are we a specialty area, we get critical care pay! Where else to you get two

(or 3 or 4 or 5) patients at the same time for the price of one!?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment