Nighttime concerns

[CrunchyLaborRN]

I am currently 9 months into my first job as an RN as a nurse on L&D. My orientation was for 5 months on days. As a new L&D nurse (and a new nurse period), I found more comfort on days shift knowing that the docs were close by and USUALLY one or more was in house. Anesthesia was always in, too. Now on nigts, our docs (OB and anesthesia) are 25-30 minutes out. I am getting gray hair and high blood pressure with the stress of delivering my patients, dealing with pp bleeding and pts that come through the door who need a DOCTOR. Am I over-reacting because I am new or is this a valid concern? By the way, the other night nurses aren't much help. Maybe just something for new L&D RNs to consider before taking a job on nights...

[jenrninmi, MSN, RN]

Where I work, there are no problems with not having a doc there when needed. We have senior OB residents there 24/7. Yes, there are times the attending doesn't make it, but at least there is always a resident.

[fsaav]

I'm a student and maybe I'm completely clueless, but I always thought on L&D units that there was a doctor on the floor at all times in case of emergencies. Like what happens when a patient needs an emergency C-section or some other situation that can't be handled by a nurse?

[CrunchyLaborRN]

Like what happens when a patient needs an emergency C-section or some other situation that can't be handled by a nurse?

I tread water and pray for 25-30 minutes until we get a doc. If the patient is seizing or something, the ER doc MIGHT come up, resp will come but no one will do much beside secure her airway.