GN on postpartum unit! Advice

Congrats I recently started working on a postpartum unit and I enjoy it very much.

They won't expect you to know much but it is always great to come in knowing a little something and building from that.

Here are a few things you should brush up on:

Postpartum assessment

-Especially how to assess the fundus and what your findings indicate.

Newborn assessment

Common breast feeding faqs

Common PP meds:

Pitocin

Magnesium Sulfate

Methergine

Colace

Lovenox

I think that is a great foundation to build on.

become fluent in breastfeeding support, and make it your personal goal to provide current recommendations to your patients. It never ceases to shock me when I hear some of the "advice" given out by PP nurses and pediatricians about breastfeeding.

Most of your patients will be healthy and stable. You have an amazing opportunity to provide health promotion counseling that can improve the health and well being of this family for years to come.

Read all the information you will be sending home with your patients. Watch all the videos required for them. In general, post Partum is about teaching: self care and infant care. So brush up on all the things you'll need to teach them. Most of the time your patients are healthy and stable, but once in a while someone will hemorrhage, or have a seizure, or throw a clot. So be sure to brush up on what an go wrong too. You will not be expected to know everything when you start, your preceptor will help you with the specifics.

Congrats! I'm a PP nurse and love it...I had transferred from a critical care unit and so the last time I did postpartum was back in '12 during my OB clinical. But you'll be fine. I was given a binder by my nurse educator that was full of info regarding unit protocols, how to deal with a PP hemorrhage, important phone numbers, etc. It has a lot useful information that I keep in my work locker in case I need to grab it.

I also carry a small pocket size notebook if I need a quick reference. I also did some lactation classes, which was a part of my orientation. It made me more confident in assisting breastfeeding moms and provide her with up-to-date and valuable information. i.e. Depo shot and milk supply.

I love PP and most likely will stay here for a long time. Planning on specializing after a couple of years.

My most common PP meds are: Colace or Milk of Mag, iron, and prenatal.

Know your pain meds: ibuprofen, oxycodone, acetaminophen, oxyIR, Toradol, etc. What you can and can't give together. You can put that info in your small notebook.

Good luck!

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