What is a typical day in OB Nursing?

[ratk50]

Hello!

I am giving a presentation on Maternity Nursing soon and am having some difficulty in hearing from a current OB nurse as to what a typical day is like. I am still a student and did ask this question in the student section, but figured a nurse, working in Maternity right now would have the best answers! I am hoping to go into L&D once I graduate. I am a bit older, have 3 children myself and have some idea of L&D, however I had my last child 17 years ago and I am sure things are different now! Any information you'd like to share, I'd greatly appreciate. Along with any resources you might recommend as to finding this info. out. Also...any new grads, in California, starting out in Maternity...would you be willing to share a rough idea of starting pay on this field? Thanks in Advance!

[ashleyisawesome, BSN, RN]

Honestly there is no typical day. There are so many things I could walk into when I start my shift. I rotate between labor, postpartum, antepartum and nursery. I am usually in labor, so I will stick with that.

I could walk in and be assigned to a patient already in labor. I could be rushing right to the OR with an emergency C-section or getting report on one already in progress. I could get a patient who just recently delivered and just finish up her recovery before transferring her to PP. I could be assigned to triage. I could be taking a new admit out and getting her settled in. I could get a fetal demise. I might be baby nurse and go to deliveries to catch baby and preform any resuscitation needed. There might be no labor patients on the floor and I am sitting around waiting for someone to come in. On a crazy day I might do all of those things in one 12 hour shift!