Newborn nursery or postpartum

Double-Helix, BSN, RN · Aug 21, 2011

Who asked you to choose? In my experience, there are rarely jobs that hire only for the newborn nursery. Usually postpartum nurses will rotate between working on the floor and working postpartum. Also, in a facility that allows (most enourage) rooming-in, you will be responsible for assessing and caring for the infant as well as the mother. Most postpartum floors also will have antepartum patients who need monitoring or have complications. In some places, you will be asked to float to L&D as well. So in the majority of places, you will be doing some of both.

If you really do have two exclusive job options, I would choose postpartum, since it involves a broader skill set and will make you more marketable in the future. Unless you want to move into a NICU position. In that case I would suggest newborn nursery, as experience there is more likely to land you a NICU job.

Marisette, BSN, RN · Aug 21, 2011

I worked newborn nursery 23 years ago and back them it was 98% nursery only. We took the babies to their mom for feedings, most stayed in the nursery. If I had to choose, I would choose nursery. I'm sorry I left. I was working nights and wanted to move to days. However, the plan at the time I left, was for the infants to go from the nursery area to the post partum area so infants could bond with their mothers. I can see an RN working nursery only but I don't know if that's still done. Where I worked we accepted newborns from labor and delivery, assesed and care for them. Some were laterfound to have complications (jaundice, respiratory problems etc...) and we would care for them it the "intermediate". Perhaps, their asking you to take this type of position. Perhaps, you can call them back and ask them more questions before accepting.

PediNurse3 · Aug 21, 2011

If I had to choose between the two it would be the nursery.

Nothing against new moms...but I remember my OB clinicals (as well as being a new mother myself) all too well and I would not do well tending to hormonal women all day. I wouldn't mind spending the majority of 12 hours with the newborns though.

klone, MSN, RN · Aug 21, 2011

If I had to choose, I personally would choose newborn nursery, because I find starting IVs and caring for/stabilizing sick newborns to be more interesting (I assume you have a level 1 nursery, but even in level 1 nurseries, infants have to be cared for and stabilized before transport to a higher acuity facility).

Plus, feeding babies and giving their first baths are my two favorite tasks in OB, after starting IVs.

diva rn, BSN, RN · Aug 21, 2011

If I had to choose I would choose newborn nursey too, however, in my city all of the hospitals that have L&D have closed their well baby nurseries. So, other than taking the baby directly after birth to bathe, weigh, measure, etc, there is really not much to do. They room in all of the well babies and anyone who is ill goes to NICU...so I would be careful that you might be out of a job if that's the way your hospital may go in the future.

In 2000 I worked NICU and if we weren't too busy we would float over to postpartum and well baby to help..that is when they were just starting to close it...we would take the baby from delivery and do all of the necessities and then take to the mom...then not really see it again, unless there was a problem...seems to be the way things are heading-at least here.

Marisette, BSN, RN · Aug 21, 2011

Interesting discussion. Is there anyone out there who works newborn nursery now? Where do newborns get care after labor and delivery? I imagine there is still an area for assesments, and bathing. I recall when I worked nursery 24 years ago , we had to asses the newborn and would ocassionally find infants that exibited some kind of respiratory problems, jaundiced or babies exposed to "merconium?" that needed their stomachs lavaged. I can see the need for a newborn area of this type. If infants appeared to have major medical problems we would transfer to the NICU. However, some infants with less serious medical problems were kept in the nursery "intermediate" area until stabilized. RN's would care for premature infants with feeding problems, infants with jaundiced, infants exposed to "merconium" would have there stomach lavaged. Loved it, would love to go back if it's still the same.

happy place · Aug 21, 2011

The facility has a separate postpartum and nursery dept and you do not float between the two. I was offered a position in either dept and was told I will NEVER float to L&D. Thanks for all of the replies, it has helped me quite a bit. It is good to hear other peoples perspectives who are not bias and who do not know me personally.

I just wanted to add that where I live the trend is heading AWAY from couplet/LDRP and towards seperated pp and nursery units, due to the baby not getting as much attention. I think couplet care is the best care wise because you are taking care of baby and mom, but if we are assigned 4 or more couplets, we are so busy with mom we dont spend as much time on baby, especially if they are fresh c-sect.

MzRN · Sep 1, 2011

I am a core nursery nurse but we have moved to the couplet model so I am able to do both. Our L&D unit is seperate as far as we in the nsy and on the postpartum unit don't float back there to take pts. We usually will help set up rooms, give Nubain or answer the phones. I came from Med/Surg aka H***.. lol and started in the nsy. I LOVE my babies but don't get me wrong its not just about rocking and feeding them. If you haven't ever had a meconium delivery or a "sleepy" baby you'd understand. We are a Level 1 nsy and the infants stay with mom after the delivery unless they are sick or Mom is ready for them to come get their bath. iIwould recommend staying in the nsy if that's your passion and floating or orienting to postpartum. So you still keep up on your adult skills. I'm a new mommy too and I didn't realize the value of couplet care till my experience. It just makes sense to have at least one less person coming in and out of the room.