OB Nurse looking for some Advice

[Caseyrnbsn]

:balloons:

hello to anyone who reads this post

i am an experienced nurse who has worked in a variety of areas except the intensive care realm and cardiac land..

most of my experience is in maternity care in l/d, postpartum, level i & ii nursery, gyne, circulator and scrub nurse (for c-sections and post-partum tubals) and pediatrics. some general med-surg and iv team (before picc lines were used at the facilities i worked in). i am soon to be 39yrs old and free to go work anywhere. i have worked casual position at other hospitals. i am self reliant, knowledgable in my practice, and can act quickly in emergency situations.

my children are grown and moving out and in my area the hospitals are merging and closing many maternity departments. i am looking into traveling nursing in the maternity care setting. i know nothing about travel nursing and would like some guidance on what to ask and who is a reputable company to contact. are there any travel nurse companies that deal specifically with obstetrical practice?

any information or direction in the right way would be appreciated. i have only met one traveling nurse in the past and she loved it, but it was a brief encounter and it a very long time ago.

thanks again!

[suzanne4, RN]

I would first check your journal for ads. (OR nurses use AORN journal---not sure what L/D nurses use.) Even check RN magazine to get some idea of what the different agencies are offering. Most of them have 800 numbers so you can call and get some of your questions answered. Selection of agency will depend on area of country, etc. Once you have narrowed down your area and have picked a couple of agencies, feel free to post those and you can get some feedback then.

Good luck :balloons:

[seanymph]

Casey,

I am an OB nurse who is traveling. I started last April and am on my fourth assignment working OB. My first was on a Mother/Baby unit and the last 3 have been with L&D units. I don't know if there is a specific company that deal with just OB nurses (if there is let me know), but I have had no problem finding OB assignments with my company, Mobile Medical Staffing and my recruiter, Crystal, is great and knows I work only OB.

Good luck, I have found traveling to be a wonderful experience.

Dawn

[bagladyrn, RN]

I'm also an OB nurse who has been traveling for about 7 1/2 years now. I work with Cross Country Travcorps. I have been working steadily in OB the whole time. You may want to check on the delphi Travel Nurse forum - delphiforums.com then go under Travel Nurses and Therapists for info on just about all the companies as well as general info and suggestions for travelers as well as links to other good travel nurse sites. If you have any specific questions I might be able to answer, feel free to pm me or post here.

[webbiedebbie]

You should also be able to get more information on the Travel Nurse threads. I, too, am an OB nurse and will be finishing up my first assignment in 2 weeks. My first experience, however, was not a good one. I was sent to a hospital that has a severe staffing shortage...not sure if they just can't get nurses, or if it is a "financial" block.

The big thing is to watch what is put in your contract. Make sure it is very explicit before you sign. No one plans to get sick on an assignment, but I did and I was out for two weeks. That meant no pay and they took "rent" out of my next worked paycheck before my assignment was up.

Most agencies have positions available for L&D and a few for PP/Mother/Baby. California and Arizona seem to be most available.

Good luck in your travels!