HELPPP!!!

cayenne06, MSN, CNM · Oct 3, 2015

Well what draws you to L&D? I can say that I know a lot of people who think it is all cute babies and happy families. Much like how some people think being an ED nurse is about high drama and exciting trauma.

The lists of pros and cons is very very long. Pro? Being a witness to a life changing event in someone's life. Con? The baby that dies after you gave everything you had to save them (try having your entire forearm inside a woman, desperately trying to keep the baby's head off their prolapsed cord, scrubs soaked with blood, kneeling on the OR table completely under the drap during an emergency c/s). Pro? Caring for a teenage mom and watching her develop confidence in her mothering skills. Con? Seeing parents abandon their newborn in the hospital because of the baby's serious medical problems. Pro? A quiet 2am snuggle with a sleeping noob while mom gets some rest. Con? Calling DCF on your patient for abuse or neglect. Pro? Saving someone's life. Con? Amniotic fluid embolism and a stat c/s under local.

I love L&D, but the highs and lows are hard. The workload can be rough. Hospital policies can interfere in your ability to provide the best care to your patients. And while birth usually goes well, things can go south in a heartbeat, and bad outcomes on L&D are somehow especially tragic.

PrettyRN9 · Oct 3, 2015

Thanks for that !!! What draws me to l&d?? When I was in labor with my son my nurses where kind and sweet and made me feel so welcomed and at home I still remember all of their names and what they look like! I've always wanted to be nurse but I didn't know what type of nurse I wanted to be until that very moment! And also being a mom in generally makes me choose l&d!