Any HRP Nurses out there???

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I am looking for some insight to being a high risk perinatal nurse. What do you like and dislike about your job? What is your case load? How is it different than L&D (my hospital has seperate units for everything), What are some experiences that you have had, what about skills that I would need?

Thank you for your input!!!!

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Specializes in L&D, Antepartum, Postpartum, MB, Special.

My unit does everything but I just wanted to say that caring for the "undelivered" patients can be very rewarding. They are long term and you get a chance to know them and their families better. We end up crying all the time when they leave after 2-3 months. We become extended family. When we staff for "undelivered" pt's we are 1:1 for unstable (usually the first 24-48 hours, 1:2 for stable but frequent/cont efm, 1:3 for very stable nst q4 or qshift.

Good luck

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Specializes in Community, OB, Nursery.
When we staff for "undelivered" pt's we are 1:1 for unstable (usually the first 24-48 hours, 1:2 for stable but frequent/cont efm, 1:3 for very stable nst q4 or qshift.

Where I am, all those pts would still be kept in L/D. Our 'stable' (guess that depends on how you define it) antepartums are mixed in with mother/baby.

Usually we don't give more than one AP to a nurse but lately we've had so many admitted that several nurses end up with 2, along with 2-3 couplets.

That said, we get our APs after they're really stable (and we like it when they stay that way:)). Most of ours are NST daily or BID. Rarely have I seen an NST run TID. Some are even less - like q Mon & Thurs. Depends on what they're in for.

I agree with you, BirthCenter. We get so attached to our APs. They really do become like family and if we come back and one of our long-termers has delivered on our days off, we get bummed. There is one that we are all particularly attached to right now - she PPROMed at 25 weeks and now she is pushing 34. :up: Happy that she's lasted this long and but will miss her when she goes.

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Specializes in OB.
I am looking for some insight to being a high risk perinatal nurse. What do you like and dislike about your job? What is your case load? How is it different than L&D (my hospital has seperate units for everything), What are some experiences that you have had, what about skills that I would need?

Thank you for your input!!!!

Katrina -

I just finished reading your other post on L&D and may be able to answer some of your questions. I've been doing OB for about 20 years now, doing all areas:L&D, PP, M/B, NSY and High Risk Ante. As a traveler I work at all sizes of hospitals - just went from an@30 bed high risk ante unit to a hospital with a total (whole place) of 24 beds!

High risk ante usually has a max of 3:1 patient ratio - and that's if they are stable - sometimes those 3 can keep you running all night though. You will probably have the skills you need to get started there from your orientation in L&D, what will take time to develop is that "6th sense" that tells you which pt. needs extra watching without hard signs. That will come with time and advice from your experienced coworkers. The pace in ante is usually much slower (with moments of breakneck activity if a patient goes critical). You will have much more time to "get to know" your patients - both good and bad aspects - sometimes you will have patients so annoying or frustrating you will need to ask coworkers to trade off for a few shifts (and they you). There will be difficult times emotionally when all the treatments in the world are unsucessful, especially when you have spent days or weeks working with that patient and her family. There will be frustrations with patients who are noncompliant or are in the unit because of their own poor choices. On the other side it can be incredibly rewarding when you see a family go home with their NB, sometimes after years of trying, or even celebrating marking off another week of pregnancy on their calendar and finally reaching the point of viability and knowing that if they deliver there is at least a chance of a live baby.

From what you said of your frustrations on L&D it sounds like this could be a very good move for you and perhaps restore some of your enjoyment of working with expectant moms.

By the way - I hate those assemblyline L&D units also and only take those when I absolutely have to be in a specific place!

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Thank you soooo much for your response. I have actually been out of work for 3 weeks now - had 2 unexpected surguries of my own. I spoke with my boss and she is planning for me to shadow a nurse in HRP when I return to work. I think that will be a good place for me to transfer to. Thanks Again!!!!!!!!

Katrina

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Specializes in Labor & Delivery.

Katrina...Hope you are recovering well from your surgeries! Please let us know how you like HRP. I've also posted my frustrations about working L&D. I think i'd like to try a move to newborn nursery. Anyway..Take care!! :flowersfo

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