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I work at 2 differant hospitals and both require you to work L&D, Postpartum, and Nursery (both smaller community hospitals). Also, 2 other large hospitals that I interviewed at required you to orient to 2/3 units. Very few will only allow you to work one probably due the the unpredictability of the census.
I'm only in postpartum. NICU actually admits the new babies (bathes them and does their first initial assessment) but then they'll transfer the baby when the baby is stable. That will soon change and that responsibility will become ours in the nursery. But we only take care of the mom's and the baby's and the occasional antepartum. As a tech, I can float to NICU, L&D and Peds.
Hey....
It depends on where you work. Mother-baby means that one nurse is responsible for both the mother and the baby which is couplet care. In other words not all the babies are the responsibility of the nursery nurse, only admissions and babies that are still transitioning. Once the baby is "roomed in" with mom they become a set. What ever nurse has the mother has the baby too. There is also a nursery assignment on the same unit. Some days you may be assigned to the floor, other times in the nursery. You rotate between the nurses on the floor. On my unit will also have GYN and Antepartum. Most units are mother-baby because this promotes bonding and continuity of care. In my hospital you are not required to work L&D but we are cross trained to the recovery room and triage, we are required to float if they are short. Hope this helps:lol2:
Renee4christ
201 Posts
Hi everyone! I have seen on some hospital job sites the title of "Mother/Baby" unit and have was wondering if these nurses deal with only the mother and baby, or if you are switched to Labor and Delivery? The only part that i did not like about my OB rotation was the labor and delivery process, but I did really enjoy the aftermath of taking care of the baby and mother! I guess i just wanted to know what you do as a mother/baby nurse:) Thanks in advance