LPN role in OB

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Specializes in Mother-Baby, Rehab, Hospice, Memory Care.

Hello,

I am an LPN and was just hired at my local hospital's child birth center. This will be my very first job in OB, which has been my dream to work in since nursing school. I have just under a year of nursing experience and feel so fortunate to have this opportunity, which I previously thought I would need my RN to even get started in it. Apparently the LPN position in the birthing center is brand new. From what I was told in the interview is that I will be working with the RN's by assisting with assessments, meds, paperwork, etc. and also scrubbing in for all the C-Sections. The nurse mananger did make it clear that she did not want me to be just a "tech", but to function as a nurse, using the nursing process etc. I'm really excited about this, but I just wanted some advice about what to expect and so on. I'm also curious if any of you out there work with LPN's or are LPN's yourself in OB. Thanks for any input!

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Specializes in Family NP, OB Nursing.

Congrats!! :yeah:

We have an LPN working in our unit, she usually takes mom/baby couplets or babes, depending on the census. She's great at assessment (I trust her judgement over some of my fellow RNs). She has her IV certificate so she can start and maintain most IVs. She attends deliveries and has her NRP certificate. She can't assign APGARs or do initial assessments on moms or babes.

She usually assists with outpatients by getting the VS and putting them on the monitor, she can even do SVEs as long as the initial one is done by the RN. She assists with labor/nursery admissions and yes sometimes she does to "tech" work, but so do the RNs since we don't have any techs.

After she started working for us she decided she loved OB so much she is now going back to school to get her RN so she can take care of laboring pts (The hospital is paying 100% of her schooling in exchange for future guarenteed service).

Only advice I have is learn everything you can, Kat has helped me out on more than 1 occasion by simply seeing "something funny on the EFM strip". She has been willing to learn anything anyone will teach her and it has made her invaluable to our unit.

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Specializes in NICU, High-Risk L&D, IBCLC.

The LVNs that I work with in L&D have similar duties. They scrub for C/S, prepare patients for C/S (shaving, starting IVs if they are certified, etc.), and set up/break down delivery tables for the vag births. They are fantastic!

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Specializes in High Risk In Patient OB/GYN.

We have no LPNs here-but good luck! :)

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

We do not use LPNs in L/D at all. LPNs, do, however, care for postpartum moms and couplets.

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Specializes in L&D.

We have 2 LPNs that work on our OB floor, but are not allowed to work L&D, only post partem. Good luck to you though!

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Specializes in Nursing Home/Subacute/LTC.

I am so excited to read everyone's post because this is the type of Nursing Job I want to do. I will start LPN school in May and then RN after I have at least 2 years LPN experience.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

Yes you may, but most LPNs do not work in L/D. Because, most L/D units won't use them. I would go for my RN if L/D were my goal; as a matter of fact, that was what I did.

Good luck whatever you do decide and what route you choose.

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Specializes in Mother-Baby, Rehab, Hospice, Memory Care.
Yes you may, but most LPNs do not work in L/D. Because, most L/D units won't use them. I would go for my RN if L/D were my goal; as a matter of fact, that was what I did.

I would second that. LPN's in L&D and PP are rare. I feel extremely fortunate that I got this job, there was A LOT of competition. However, I will not be taking any L&D pt's. I will be taking stable relatively non complicated PP moms and babies.

Go straight for your RN (if possible), if you want to do OB. I start going back to school next week to finish my prereq's to apply to an RN program!

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We use LPN's on our unit. We have 1 on every shift. We are a small unit and aren't separated by L+D, PP, nursery. The RN's do it all. Now our LPN's take couplets, they scrub in for any c/s. They "catch" babies and can do the initial assessment, apgars, admission etc. But an RN must assess mom/baby every 24 hours.

Our LPN's do not take care of baby's with IV's nor do they do anything for labor/outpatients besides showing them to a room.

We do not allow our LPN's to even hook up our outpatients on the EFM b/c who knows when the RN will be available to review it. So a patient could be having decelerations and the RN might not even know the person is on the monitor.

Having said all that we LOVE having our LPN's. When we are busy with labors and have a few couplets we know that the LPN is free to take them and give them good care. She won't have to worry about being "free" to take outpatients that may come in during the shift. And the RN's can focus on their labors.

Good luck with your job!!! I hope you love OB as much as I do!!!

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