Discussion

Ob Icu

Sep 24, 200520 yr

Hello,

I am interested in working in Labor and Delivery. At my hospital, I currently an interview with the Special Care Nursery and with the OBICU unit. I am currently a Peds ICU nurse. But I worked in L&D as a student nurse for 1 year. What are some opinions on where I should go? Also, some insight into what Special Care Nursery is and what the OBICU is.

Thanks,

Michelle :)

Sep 27, 200520 yr

I've never heard of an OBICU. Is this possibly antepartum?

Sep 27, 200520 yr

Experts

I have no idea what an OBICU is.......anyway, a special care nursery is one step up from a well-baby nursery. They have babies under special observation for jaundice, maybe some that need some O2 support, such as an oxygen hood, maybe some IV support. None that are too sick. No vents, drips, preemies. They all go to a Level III NICU.

Hope this helps

Sep 27, 200520 yr

Admin

Hello,
I am interested in working in Labor and Delivery. At my hospital, I currently an interview with the Special Care Nursery and with the OBICU unit. I am currently a Peds ICU nurse. But I worked in L&D as a student nurse for 1 year. What are some opinions on where I should go? Also, some insight into what Special Care Nursery is and what the OBICU is.
Thanks,
Michelle :)

Hello, obnurse,:balloons:

I,too, am interested in the OB ICU concept. I have not heard of one. I did not know that there was a need for an OB ICU seperate from a traditional ICU.

Sep 27, 200520 yr

We are a tertiary care hospital in eastern NC and we take all comers. SOOO... if we get a 32 weeker who has been in an MVC, we deal with it on the OB floor, or most recently, we had a pt get mag toxic for PTL and off she went to the ICU for a vent.

Looking forward to more info on this OBICU.

Sep 27, 200520 yr

This has inspired me to do some research through google on this concept; google or anywhere else that can give me answers.

But I'm just wondering if OBICU is antepartum or high risk pts. going by another name.

If I find out anything, I'll let you all know.

Kath

Sep 27, 200520 yr

Author

At Indiana University Hospital--in downtown indy,

I believe the OB ICU would be high risk maternity. I have my interview on Friday so I can fill you all in after that. Very interesting that no one knows about the OB ICU. My last job did not have high risk maternity, so this would be interesting. University Hospital is next to Riley, so it would make sense to have High Risk maternity next to large children's hospital. Thanks for all of the replies.

Michelle

Sep 28, 200520 yr

A traveler who was working on my floor when I first started had worked in an OB ICU at one point; if I remember right they took both very high risk/very sick antepartums and high risk/sick postpartums. I wish I remembered more of what she said about it.

Sep 30, 200520 yr

A traveler who was working on my floor when I first started had worked in an OB ICU at one point; if I remember right they took both very high risk/very sick antepartums and high risk/sick postpartums. I wish I remembered more of what she said about it.

I think at my institution in L&D we would be considered the OB ICU, though I've never heard us called that. Our High Risk Antepartum gets our high risk pts after they have been stabilized, but we take care of our peripartum women when they are at their sickest. We are better equiped with our 1:2 ratio than our Antepartum girls who are 1:3 or 4. When our pts are sick enough, though, they go to the Unit. We don't have an intensivist on or around our unit to follow these pts.

Sep 30, 200520 yr

we have an ob icu here, of sorts. we are the referral hospital for high risk pregnancies, have the big NICU, etc. so high risk OB pts are nothing new. BUT, there is an OB ICU too. i've seen it and heard about it, but never worked there. so from what i've seen is that the really sick OB pt's are there. on a vent for ex, or i heard of one who was in heart failure. her baby had died in utero, but she wasn't strong enough to deliver it.

what htey do there is have 2 nurses-one vascular ICU nurse, and one OB nurse.

of course, i heard some doc's mentioning a pg ICU pt, who was moved to the MICU. why? I don't know, it was just a snippet i heard. but she was still pg.

Jun 1, 200917 yr

I found an interesting study done on OB patients admitted to the ICU. It appears that the mortality rate of OB patients on an ICU floor is significantly high.

I think an OB ICU is a great idea, especially since many commonplace medications on an ICU floor are contraindicated or at least very risky for a mom or fetus.

L&D is such a unique specialty that they really need attention of those trained in their care.

Here are some links:

Study on OB ICU

Critical Care Obstetrics

Why Mothers Die