New OB Nurses, Grads and Students, Please Feel Free to post your questions here:

[SmilingBluEyes]

Mugwump had a great idea offering services to new grads as a mentor (thank you for that!)

So, I thought having a "sticky" for new grads, OB nurses, students, and others with questions who want to post these can do so here. We also seem to see many of the same questions over and over, so perhaps this would help serve as an ongoing discussion of common issues/questions we all seem to have on our minds. This could serve not just for those asking directly, but others who may be "lurking" and looking for information or considering a career in OB, newborn, GYN nursing, or midwifery, doula services, childbirth education, lactation consulting, or other related work.

So if any mod thinks this is a good idea, mind stickying this?

Let's give this a go and see how it works out. We have many potential "mentors" here among us who, I am sure, would LOVE to help a new nurse/midwife/doula or student on his or her way to a rewarding career. I know I would love to help out!

[MIA-RN1, RN]

I want to become a nurse in which I can take care of the children in te nursery, which type of nursing job is that. I am very confused between a neonatl nurse, maternity, nursery nurse.wHAT TYPE OF DEGREE I need to work in that position. I don't know nay salary or if you know anyone who works in that position to tell me about the type of jobs they do an dif they enjoy it. Please respond ASAP!

I'm not yet a nurse but I can tell you what I know so far.

A neonatal nurse or nursery nurse would be one taking care of babies, I am thinking in the NICU or special care nursery. This would involve more one on one, fewer patient load. The day I spend in the NICU it was a lot of feeding, changing, and treatments, ekg monitors etc.

A postpartum or mother-baby nurse would take care of a new mother and her baby (couplets) The nurse not only cares for the mother but also does newborn assessments and cares for the baby during their hospital stay.

As far as degree, I am going to be post partum nurse with my Associates/RN. I'll be starting a few days after graduation in June as a GN.

Not sure what to tell you about salary, it all depends on the area where you work and the specific hospital. My starting base will be 19.50 as a new grad, but the incentives and shift diff put it up around 22.

I hope this helps and hopefully there will be someone else with more info for you.

[nursemelani]

I am an LVN, currently taking pre-requsites for my RN. I am considering working in L&D/post partum when I get my RN. I always found it a fascinating area of nursing.

I have had a burning question though, for 7 years, since I gave birth to my son ! My water broke when I was one day short of 36 weeks. I showered and went to the hospital, where they confirmed that my membranes had ruptured and admitted me. They immediately started me on pitocin and IV antibiotics. I asked the nurse why they were giving me antibiotics, and her reply was "If we don't give them to you, we have to give them to the baby"

OK. That didn't answer my question. Are antibiotics routinely given for PROM ? Was it because I was early, or because my water broke and I wasn't dilated yet?

Thanks for any info !

[MIA-RN1, RN]

I am an LVN, currently taking pre-requsites for my RN. I am considering working in L&D/post partum when I get my RN. I always found it a fascinating area of nursing.

I have had a burning question though, for 7 years, since I gave birth to my son ! My water broke when I was one day short of 36 weeks. I showered and went to the hospital, where they confirmed that my membranes had ruptured and admitted me. They immediately started me on pitocin and IV antibiotics. I asked the nurse why they were giving me antibiotics, and her reply was "If we don't give them to you, we have to give them to the baby"

OK. That didn't answer my question. Are antibiotics routinely given for PROM ? Was it because I was early, or because my water broke and I wasn't dilated yet?

Thanks for any info !

I am not quite graduated yet, so I may be wrong but i think the reason is that the ruptured membranes = a higher risk for infectoin. If the membranes are ruptured for longer than 24 hours, I think they start abx. Perhaps because your baby was so young, they were worried about an increased risk of infection. Or perhaps they ran some blood and saw some signs of infection? Or a pre-existing condition? (they will do IV abx for Group B Strep in the mom)

I hope someone else comes along to give you the definite answer.

[epiphany]

Dear Nurses,

Thank you so much for sharing your experience and advice.

I have a few questions, for any LPN's who may be out there, working in prenatal, intrapartum, and/or post delivery care. You might be in a hospital or clinic setting.

What is your job title? Are you working as a nurse, or an OB Tech?

A description of your specific job responsibilities (i.e., what exactly do you do at work)?

Do you have any special training or background for your position?

What challenges do you face?

Do you feel about your job? Your specialty area?

Thank you so much for your input.

Cheers,

Anne

The LPN's on my floor scrub, and also assist the nurses tasks, but they don't take on any patients or even give meds, or take vitals. Their main job is to scrub, and help out in between. Besides scrubbing, they don't really have as much responsibility as I have seen on the med surg floors. Could be because of the nature of one-to-one patient care.

[barsk103]

Hi All,

Im soon to be a graduate nurse..... and very interested in OB. Firstly, I am concerned about starting in a speciality (and thus not being able to take care of regular patients) but also, i am in a scholarship contract with a facility with no OB (L and D, etc) openings currently. If i start out on telemetry, will its be difficult to make the switch later in my career. Could I maybe do it part time? And could someone explain a DOULA to me?

Thanks!!

[lannisz]

Do you have any advice for a fairly new nurse (2 years med/surg) on finding hospitals that will hire for OB/LD without OB experience but will train ?

[NurseLatteDNP, MSN, DNP, RN]

Is there a place on the web, where I can look up standardized care plans for vag. delivery and also for c-section? Thank you

[LovingLnDRN]

Hello everyone,

I am so happy to say I will be starting on L&D in a few weeks!!!! I have been a nurse now for over 15 years, working in many different areas including ER/OR/ICU and as a Doula trainer/Childbirth Educator.

However, I have never been an L&D nurse.

Are there any good websites as an orientation reference to get familiar with the drugs, info on fetal heart tones, vag checks, ect???

I have the typical CBE books, but I am looking for specifics for the role of an L&D nurse.

Thanks again and I look forward to getting to know this group.

Nancy:)

[nurstobe]

Hi, I am currently a Nursing Student and I am doing my OB rotation at this time. This is by far the best clinical experience for me and am considering OB Nursing. I am working on a teaching project on Adolescent Pregnancy/ Special Needs, and was curious if anyone had any ideas or advice that could help boost me in the right direction for my project. This will be an in class presentation and I am a bit nervous when it comes to speaking in front of a group, I am sure this will pass. Any adivice would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you :thankya:

[MIA-RN1, RN]

Hi, I am currently a Nursing Student and I am doing my OB rotation at this time. This is by far the best clinical experience for me and am considering OB Nursing. I am working on a teaching project on Adolescent Pregnancy/ Special Needs, and was curious if anyone had any ideas or advice that could help boost me in the right direction for my project. This will be an in class presentation and I am a bit nervous when it comes to speaking in front of a group, I am sure this will pass. Any adivice would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you :thankya:

HI~! I am going to be graduating in May and starting as a PostPartum Nurse right after, and cross training to L&D later. Plus I work w/ teenagers now in an ambulatory care clinic based in an urban high school.

I think a huge thing with teaching needs of pregnant adolescents is nutrition. Many of our kids come in eating chips and pop for lunch. Another thing would be general parenting skills--that's a big one. THey just don't all realize that a two year old isn't having a tantrum on purpose to embarrass them etc.

WHen you look at where teenagers fall in Erikson's framework, you can find many potential areas for teaching. Teens are still quite self-centered, especially the younger ones, and that makes it very hard for them to understand and respond to the needs of their babies, even before they are born. (I am speaking generally of course; I know a number of teens who are great parents)

You can look at pregnancy prevention as well. What works, what doesn't. What could you tell them, and how can you say it, that will get thru to them ina way that they understand? The BAby Love program is in the school where I work. Carrying that crying doll around all day and night is quite an experience. ( I had it in the office all day once and even I was ready to toss it out the window lol)

You can find pamphlets and stuff written for teenagers, and maybe mount them on a tri-fold if you need a visual. Or powerpoint etc.

Good luck. Adolescents are the most fun population to work with, IMHO.

[nurstobe]

Thank you so much for your reply coopergrrl to my thread on Adolescent pregnancy teaching project. Many of your suggestions will help me to put together a great presentation for my project. Advice from others whom are familiar with the subject matter helps tremendously. Thanks again.

[amethysty]

I just joined here but I'm not I'm just a SMA right now. I will be going on my extern in a few weeks and I want to go into OB/GYN. My question for you all is what is the pay rate for Medical Assistants? And their anything that I may need to know before I go into OB/Gyn?