L&D CNA position

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Hello! I'm currently in nursing school and have been working as a PCA/CNA on a med/surg unit. It's been wonderful experience, but I plan to pursue a career as a CNM and am always looking for L&D or postpartum experience.

Well! I've finally been called in for an interview as an "OB Care Associate" at a local hospital's L&D floor. Based on the description given, it sounds like a PCA position with a different name. I'm so nervous and excited :)

Does anyone have any advice for the interview? Like general advice of what it's like to work in a birthing center, what sorts of roles a CNA might play, experience or knowledge they might be looking for? I am in the process of getting a doula certification and have the hospital // nursing school experience, but I've never spent much time in L&D or postpartum so I want to be prepared.

Thanks all!

[klone, MSN, RN]

Good luck on the interview! Please let us know how it goes. :)

Every facility is different, but where I've worked, techs in OB do all the typical CNA stuff - fetching water, doing vitals on the postpartum moms, helping to ambulate, emptying foleys. Sometimes they also train them to be scrub techs for C/S. In L&D, their role is typically a lot more limited, as the nurses typically do total patient care, but I've seen the techs in L&D set up delivery tables, are there as an extra set of hands for deliveries, and as I mentioned, they are in the OR for C/S.

[Alikatz08]

Congrats on the interview! Keep us updated!

On my L&D unit we only have Scrub Tech's and they help keep the unit stocked, help us transport patients and retrieve items, clean, and scrub in for C/S. We have a great group! The nurses here also do total patient care. We do have PCAs who help with patients on our high risk Antepartum unit and Post Partum unit which like Klone said, do typical CNA duties. Lovely group as well!

Best of luck!