LPN's in OB?

Nurses LPN/LVN

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I am going to be graduating in May and I have always dreamed about working in OB. I was just wondering if LPN's worked in OB or not and if so what their job consists of?

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

There were LPNs on the Labor and Delivery floor where I did a round of clinicals. Most of them had worked there for quite some time and I'm not sure if they hire new grads but their duties were almost the same as the RNs from what I could tell. Depends on the hospital I would imagine. Good luck.

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I've worked postpartum. The only difference in PN and RN's jobs were RNs did all the IV meds (which very very few and far between) and they also did all the Vit. K injections on the infants.

Same patient load, physical exams of Mum and babe, teaching , etc.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

Can LPNs work in OB? The answer to that question is yes.

Do LPNs typically work in OB? The answer to that question is a resounding "no".

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

In my area a few hospitals hire LPNs in their childbirth centers and Mother-Baby units. My hospital hires many LPNs in the Mother-Baby unit where I work. We have basically the same job as RNs, only with a few limitations due to our scope of practice and certain regulations. I have never seen an LPN working Labor and Delivery though. You can also find jobs in OBGYN offices or clinics. I also loved the OB rotation during clinicals and love working in OB.

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

To answer you question of what my job consists of...

I normally have 3-4 mother baby couplets. I do complete assessments of both mom and baby, pass PO meds, Hang IV fluids, certain IV push meds, lactation support, assisting with ambulation and pericare/pad changes, LOTs of teaching, discharging, interventions for abnormals like low baby temps or high bili levels, LOTs of charting, etc, etc

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There were LPNs on the Labor and Delivery floor where I did a round of clinicals. Most of them had worked there for quite some time and I'm not sure if they hire new grads but their duties were almost the same as the RNs from what I could tell. Depends on the hospital I would imagine. Good luck.

Same here. And post-partum was mostly LVN.

I was offered a temporary position in OB before I accepted the one I have.

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I think you have to look at this in a numbers fashion.

A unit has a finite number of postions. There are always a lot of newly trained PNs who idealize working on Mum and Babe units.

Supply and demand will bear out. I live in a town with three hospitals that you can deliver in, on paper it would look like you have a great chance of employment. In reality, this last year I can think of seven full time positions that have become vacant and then they are usually filled on a seniority basis. So look at it this way, if you live in an area that employs PNs on these units, you will be competing with experienced nurses for a few positions. If you can start on a casual or part-time basis, you probably stand a chance. But it is a specialized area that serves on sex and a very specific age group, our area is in the middle of a baby boom tied to "hot" economy, what is the demographics like in your area.

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Well I'm not exactly sure where I am going to live at first. I have a few ideas but haven't quite decided yet.

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.
To answer you question of what my job consists of...

I normally have 3-4 mother baby couplets. I do complete assessments of both mom and baby, pass PO meds, Hang IV fluids, certain IV push meds, lactation support, assisting with ambulation and pericare/pad changes, LOTs of teaching, discharging, interventions for abnormals like low baby temps or high bili levels, LOTs of charting, etc, etc

Very cool!

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