Can I handle OB?

jamerss · Sep 21, 2005

Do not even attempt to accept this job!!! If you have to question about handling fetal demise and to even mention ativan- this job is not for you. I am sure you've probably handled post mortem care on the medsurg unit and I don't know how you've handled that

q12RN · Sep 21, 2005

Post mortem care doesnt bother me so bad when the pt is older. I have never dealt with a baby, so I'm not sure that I could handle it. Ativan is something we joke about at work so when someone gets stressed out we tell each other that they need some ativan "just joking". I may infact reconsider taking the job.

Do not even attempt to accept this job!!! If you have to question about handling fetal demise and to even mention ativan- this job is not for you. I am sure you've probably handled post mortem care on the medsurg unit and I don't know how you've handled that

RNKitty · Sep 21, 2005

I work on a unit that does about 200 deliveries a month. I usually only care for a demise twice year. In my 8 hour shift, I have managed not to actually be at the delivery for about 4 years now. I usually manage to get through the shift okay, but end up crying on the way home. Sometimes after a delivery I even have nightmares. However, I'm still able to care for my patients. There is grief support to offer the woman, and I find the nurses who have had a demise or miscarriage themselves give extremely compassionate care. You can always offer to take the hardest assignment or most complicated patient instead of the demise.

I, however, do not do terminations. I have signed a form every place I work stating that I will not be involved in the care of a woman having a termination. Thankfully, I now work at a Catholic hospital, and terminations are not performed.

There are so many wonderful moments in OB. Don't give it up without trying it if you are interested. Good luck.

NurseforPreggers · Sep 21, 2005

Do not even attempt to accept this job!!! If you have to question about handling fetal demise and to even mention ativan- this job is not for you. I am sure you've probably handled post mortem care on the medsurg unit and I don't know how you've handled that

Wow, this sounds quite harsh! Handling demises are not easy, but you know what? .. Its not about you! Its about giving the mother excellent loving care and helping her begin the grief process. Its ok to be sad, its ok to cry. You will be able to handle it, because it has to be done. I think you will be an excellent OB nurse. No one likes demises, but helping the parents begin the healing process can be very rewarding.

q12RN · Sep 21, 2005

Thanks. I am still weighing my options, but I can give it a try and if I dont like it then I only have to do it for 6 months. OB Is what I started nursing for, and now I have a chance to do it. I just pray that God will give me strength to handle any situation that comes my way. Wow, 200 deliveries is alot compared to my small hospital.

I work on a unit that does about 200 deliveries a month. I usually only care for a demise twice year. In my 8 hour shift, I have managed not to actually be at the delivery for about 4 years now. I usually manage to get through the shift okay, but end up crying on the way home. Sometimes after a delivery I even have nightmares. However, I'm still able to care for my patients. There is grief support to offer the woman, and I find the nurses who have had a demise or miscarriage themselves give extremely compassionate care. You can always offer to take the hardest assignment or most complicated patient instead of the demise.
I, however, do not do terminations. I have signed a form every place I work stating that I will not be involved in the care of a woman having a termination. Thankfully, I now work at a Catholic hospital, and terminations are not performed.
There are so many wonderful moments in OB. Don't give it up without trying it if you are interested. Good luck.

q12RN · Sep 21, 2005

Thanks so much for your confidence! You are right! Its not about me and how I feel, I can feel later; it IS about the parents and the baby. Im about 4 months postpartum myself so Maybe some of my feelings are just from that:)

Wow, this sounds quite harsh! Handling demises are not easy, but you know what? .. Its not about you! Its about giving the mother excellent loving care and helping her begin the grief process. Its ok to be sad, its ok to cry. You will be able to handle it, because it has to be done. I think you will be an excellent OB nurse. No one likes demises, but helping the parents begin the healing process can be very rewarding.

SmilingBluEyes · Sep 21, 2005

get yourself to grief seminars that discuss fetal/neonatal death and how to handle families that face this first. Then decide if this is for you.-----it's too much for some. But the joys FAR outweigh the sadnesses, that much I will say. I love my job, despite enduring numerous losses of my own; I seem to be able to relate in a geniune way that seems to help me bond w/these families. There is always an up side.

babyktchr, BSN, RN · Sep 22, 2005

Do not even attempt to accept this job!!! If you have to question about handling fetal demise and to even mention ativan- this job is not for you. I am sure you've probably handled post mortem care on the medsurg unit and I don't know how you've handled that

In the larger scheme of things...handling a demise shouldn't be an "easy" thing. I would never want to become so desensitized that a baby death would become like, say, starting an IV. Some things in life are supposed to be hard, that is how we grow. This is one part. Now, I am not saying it is the best thing about OB, but it also doesn't happen every day. (although, my week last week was to the contrary) As SBE said, there is much more to OB than that, and there are greater joys in OB by far. I have to tell you though, the bonding and level of care you learn to give at that horrible time lead me to become a bereavement counselor at my facility. I don't want to say that I love dealing with those who have losses, but it is a calling to me.

There are many many experiences in OB nursing. Don't limit your experiences because of one aspect.

babyktchr, BSN, RN · Sep 22, 2005

In the larger scheme of things...handling a demise shouldn't be an "easy" thing. I would never want to become so desensitized that a baby death would become like, say, starting an IV. Some things in life are supposed to be hard, that is how we grow. This is one part. Now, I am not saying it is the best thing about OB, but it also doesn't happen every day. (although, my week last week was to the contrary) As SBE said, there is much more to OB than that, and there are greater joys in OB by far. I have to tell you though, the bonding and level of care you learn to give at that horrible time lead me to become a bereavement counselor at my facility. I don't want to say that I love dealing with those who have losses, but it is a calling to me.
There are many many experiences in OB nursing. Don't limit your experiences because of one aspect.

....oh yeah...one of the greatest joys is when a patient that you were with when they had a loss, comes back and has a beautiful delivery of a healthy newborn, and you are there, not once, but twice.

Guess what..??

.....you cry then too!!!

gypsyatheart · Sep 22, 2005

You will never know if L&D's for you unless you try. You are already an RN, you already work in an extremely stressful environment, I believe that you can do it! I took a float position about 10yrs ago, cause of scheduling issues(my own) and ended up working ER/Urgent care, ICU (did not like that too much), GI lab, PACU, etc....really thought I was gonna hate it! But you know what...I actually loved it! I still did shifts in L&D a couple times a month, but learned so much and increased my "world", it is unbelievable. That is the great thing about being a nurse...you have options....explore them!

Good luck, and we are always here to help you through those first few months!

Hello, Ive been a med/surg RN for about 1 1/2 yrs. I just applied for an OB/GYN position. Now that it looks like im gonna get the job I wonder if I can handle it. Mostly..can I handle the losses? I have 4 children of my own and 1 miscarriage and cant fathom a baby born dead. Is there enough Ativan out there to help? How do you guys cope when things go wrong?

q12RN · Sep 22, 2005

That sounds so awesome! Last night I thought about this as I sat with a dying woman. It was so peaceful and cry I did. She looked over to me..not even one of my patients "her nurse was off the floor", she looked at me and says "you're pregnant!..you're pregnant AGAIN!".....now that was quite eye opening since this woman never seen me before. All the girls say Id better test. but back to matters it was a wonderful experience trying to keep her alive til her son could get there....and he did:)

....oh yeah...one of the greatest joys is when a patient that you were with when they had a loss, comes back and has a beautiful delivery of a healthy newborn, and you are there, not once, but twice.
Guess what..??
.....you cry then too!!!