New to OB setting

littlepeach · Jan 4, 2008

You have gotten yourself into an adventure. That is the great thing about this profession. You don't necessarily have to change careers, just specialties. Good luck and enjoy the ride. I am sure your prior experience will be a gift.

NurseNora, BSN, RN · Jan 4, 2008

It won't be all that different, except that physically it may be easier on you. Most of the patients are fully mobile and mentally coherent. Gyn is pretty much like M/S except that there are no men. All nursing involves teaching and that is especially true of Post partum. You have 24 to 48 hours to teach a woman how to take care of herself and her helpless infant. That is the part that takes the time. You spend time with your patient and point things out. "See? When the baby does that, it means this, and here's what you do about it." A patient can get only so much information from watching videos and reading books. It takes a nurse, at the bedside to catch onto opportunities to help mom and babe get to know each other. Someone who's had a baby before may not need as much teaching, or she may need more because she has developed some bad habits that need to be changed. You'll do fine.

33-weeker · Jan 5, 2008

You'll like it but you might be bored after all you've done in the past. You will be a great asset when a pt. goes south with the rare/unusual compication or there is a code situation. We used to joke about post partum that if you could give the 5 'Ps' you could work it... "pain pills, poop pills (colace/dulcolax), pipricillin, pitocin, and parlodel (that dates me - huh). Add on fundal checks and peri care (or 'cooch patrol' as my friend calls it - Ha!) and you've got it.

I've done a little of gyn & PP in the past and I liked it very much - except for the oncology overflow from our sister unit into gyn. (probably not in your case) I got to access a few port-a-caths and give chemo - not my favorite, though. I've been a nursery nurse for most of my career, but I wouldn't mind an occasional shift on PP.