What's a "typical" day like in L&D?

flytern · Oct 27, 2006

Typical what's that? Depending on staffing, you could be doing 1:1 labor nursing, 3:1 antepartum nursing, of 2:1 labor. At any given moment, your perfectly "normal" laboring mom can crash, which will send you running with O2, IV bags, turning her to her side, calling an OB in, calling NICU for a C/section.....

It is an exciting discipline. You always have to have in the back of your head all the "what if this happens" scenarios so you're not caught off guard.

It's wonderful to follow a patient from admission, through labor, to delivery and see the ear to ear smiles on dads/moms faces and know that you had a small part in their miracles. You don't ever take it for granted either.

Because there is a downside. The unexpected fetal demises, the post partum hemorrhage that turns into a hysterectomy....

And I wouldn't trade it for the world.

:balloons:

nursejenrnc · Oct 28, 2006

Now, Flytern, don't scare the poor girl, let me do that...just kidding! It is a wonderful place to be! It IS difficult to describe a typical day because things do change so quickly. Nearly impossible to plan staffing, often nurses are called in for OT and sent home in addition to some other regularly scheduled nurses all in one shift! Sometimes you start slow and end the shift not sure how you made it, several in on OT and several needing to stay over to get the next shift through! Chaos can start and end in a matter of a couple of hours! It can also last for days on end...

My motto for OB is... FEAST or FAMINE... rarely a nice stable in between... BUT... I wouldn't have it any other way! If you can roll with the punches and adjust to whatever is thrown at you, always thinking about what "could" happen next so you are sort of ready for it... then OB is the place for you! If you like or need stable and predictable, a nice even pace, find a nice podiatry office or dermatologist to work for!

One other thing to keep in mind... if you're looking for teamwork... you got it in OB! If you want to really grow as a person and as a nurse, OB is definitely an environment that nurtures growth! If you want your patients to remember you for really making a difference, whether the situation is great or terrible, OB is where you should be!

Best of luck, choosing your career path, hope my input helps without scaring the pants off you!

:innerconf

babynrsrn · Oct 28, 2006

I agree there is no typical day on OB. We are a small unit and we do it all, L+D, postpartum, antepartum, nursury, special care nursury, and we occassionally have to act as a temporary NICU until we can ship a baby out. Sometimes we each hold all of those roles before our shift is over. I woudn't trade it for anything though. I love OB and everything that it involves.