questioning postpartum nursing? - Page 2

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  1. Jun 18, '09 by
    in respect to all you post partum nurses, could you please tell me if you use "BUBBLE" and the REEDA scale for assessing and documenting on your moms? I am working on changing our documentation and see the above referred to in text books but would like to know if indeed it is used in hospital documentation records.
  2. Jun 22, '09 by
    If you love your job, that is good enough

    Before I was accepted into nursing school, I worked as a cna in L and D ...KNEW this is what I wanted to do..unforeseen circumstances forced me to transfer over to SNF where I was miserable. Was accepted into nursing program and I got my LPN then RN license, the entire time I stayed with agency/ltc/snf because it is what I knew. It was a mistake..a few months after getting my RN license I'd had enough and quit for EIGHT YEARS.

    Am now returning (getting my license back in a week) and I've been debating about what to do..going back to ltc would be easier with my experience and there are probably more flexible options but I know I would not enjoy the work..so I'm holding out for L AND D. I live in Hawaii and love it here but am willing to move to the mainland to get a job in L and D if I need to..won't make the same mistake again

    So if your calling is pp and you love it, don't worry about what you are missing.
  3. Sep 23, '10 by
    PLEASE can we switch jobs?!?!? I will trade you ANY day to do what you do. I am the exact opposite. I am a cardiac nurse and I deal with the sickest patients at the end of life. Antiarrhythmic gtts, frequent monitoring, blood transfusions, chest tubes, all kinds of drains, coding pts, insulin gtts, dressing changes, hemodynamic instability, physical and chemical restraints, enteral/parenteral feedings, etc. I am done and working hard on getting into your area of care.

    On the flip side, if you ever want a taste of what I do, try telemetry, step-down, progressive care. You will NEVER, EVER be bored. Ever.

    Quote from kgregoRN11
    Hi everybody! I have been a postpartum nurse for the past year and a half, and I absolutely love it. Not only do I love my job, but I love where I work and the people that I work with. However, I do find myself getting a little bored sometimes looking at the same old breast or perineum. I sometimes think that I am less of a nurse because I only do mother/baby nursing. I don't start IV's, take care of really sick patients, or exercise my critical care nursing skills I learned in nursing school. I mean there is the occasional PPH or PIH, or TTN in baby's, but I bascially take care of healthy patients. Does anyone else feel this way in mother/baby nursing? Should I switch positions even though I love my job to be more challenged as a nurse? Just wondering what people think...
    mimilinda77 likes this.
  4. Sep 25, '10 by
    Quote from AngelNurse2b
    PLEASE can we switch jobs?!?!? I will trade you ANY day to do what you do. I am the exact opposite. I am a cardiac nurse and I deal with the sickest patients at the end of life. Antiarrhythmic gtts, frequent monitoring, blood transfusions, chest tubes, all kinds of drains, coding pts, insulin gtts, dressing changes, hemodynamic instability, physical and chemical restraints, enteral/parenteral feedings, etc. I am done and working hard on getting into your area of care.

    On the flip side, if you ever want a taste of what I do, try telemetry, step-down, progressive care. You will NEVER, EVER be bored. Ever.
    Angelnurse- I am in your exact position. I am ready to switch too
    mimilinda77 likes this.
  5. Oct 12, '10 by
    I am switching from NICU to PP. I think it is a great fit for me. Do I miss the adrenenaline rush of jets, gtts, and surgery? Sometimes. But, you have to be diligent in monitoring for pp complications. My unit also monitor's high risk (but 'stable') iup's. And, it is at a med center; so we have a lot of pts with interesting health histories. What type of hospital are you at?
  6. Oct 18, '10 by
    Quote from AngelNurse2b
    PLEASE can we switch jobs?!?!? I will trade you ANY day to do what you do. I am the exact opposite. I am a cardiac nurse and I deal with the sickest patients at the end of life. Antiarrhythmic gtts, frequent monitoring, blood transfusions, chest tubes, all kinds of drains, coding pts, insulin gtts, dressing changes, hemodynamic instability, physical and chemical restraints, enteral/parenteral feedings, etc. I am done and working hard on getting into your area of care.

    On the flip side, if you ever want a taste of what I do, try telemetry, step-down, progressive care. You will NEVER, EVER be bored. Ever.
    I am on the same boat, I want to trade(get away from a crazy, busy med-surg unit)...I do anything to get a POSTPARTUM job right now! sighs
  7. Nov 4, '10 by
    I say just work where you enjoy most. I feel like a "real nurse" even though I would have to find look up the procedure and probably call med/surg to help if I had a PICC line. I have spotted subtle signs in newborns and gotten them higher level care before they crashed, I have handled PP Hemorrhages and anaphylactic reactions and saved lives. And I have had patients ask for me back for their second baby and gush to their friends that "this is the nurse that taught me how to do everything and basically keep my baby alive.
    I have also had nursing coordinators float our CAs because med/surg needed one ( I guess she thinks we sit around and knit and clip coupons while the moms take care of their babies) and I have had a doctor ask me "why did you switch from skilled nursing to almost retirement"
    But we have our own professional organization and conferences and certification - so . . . Any way I guess It's just a matter of what makes you happy
    karrie8o3 likes this.
  8. Nov 13, '10 by
    I am also in a similar position of looking for a challenge outside of postpartum nursing. I enjoy it but have to admit that after several years of it I now get bored. Also with the job situation the way that it is, I was a little worried to see that I didn't feel "qualified" for other jobs because I am now rusty with some other skills such as starting an IV etc. I know that you receive training no matter where you go but I can't help feeling less prepared than I would like.
  9. Nov 14, '10 by
    I have been a med surg-tele nurse on a PCU and am now in the process of transferring to mother baby department.
    Many of my peers think it's bizarre that I want to transfer to this area...but my 33 years on this earth have taught me to live for myself and to work towards my own goals. That being said, I have also learned to appreciate the journey towards my destination. My 3 years of med surg have given me "skills", but I needed to make some serious decisions. I felt the stress, and the imminent danger of "burnout" was getting close on the med surg unit, so after talking to a professor-mentor, I had the breakdown that needed to happen to refocus me on my career path.
    I am currently pursuing my master's in nursing, and am working on a breastfeeding project related to interpersonal peer support in the hospital setting. I had to ask myself the question, "Why did I want to become a nurse?" I then had a flashback to the day I got accepted into the RN program...I was an aesthetician working in a spa. I remember thinking at that time, "Yay! Now I'm on my way to becoming a women's health nurse practitioner!" I wanted (and still do) to be in practice with a family doc and do cosmetic procedures as well (fillers, restylane, botox, etc.). I have always been fascinated with making women feel good about themselves and empowering them. I am also a very strong advocate for breastfeeding. Additionally I am fully bilingual, Spanish-English, and our post-partum patients are primarily hispanic. It seemed painfully obvious that I needed to make a change. And I now feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders and I am excited about revisiting my original passion!
  10. Guide
    Nov 19, '10 by
    Congrats on your transition. Good that you were strong enough and aware enough to make the changes. Sounds like you will be a real asset to your new unit.