OB question

Wow! How many deliveries does your hospital do in a month?

There is a lot involved with taking care of a laboring patient. You are on the right track with supporting her during labor. I'm curious, though, what are your monitoring skills like? Are you required to know how to interpret a fetal monitor strip?

Perhaps attending a Childbirth seminar for nurses would update your skills in comfort techniques.

Hello,

They say they only have about 50 births a year. As for monitoring skills

I am learning on the job. They need nurses so bad, they cannot afford to be picky, the nurses here have to do everything, er, ob, med/surg, cardiac etc. I am going to be required to get certifications in everything, acls, pals, ob and so on. We only have 2-3 nurses on for the floor, er and ob all together. I believe it is a critical shortage area.

I want to be there for the moms but the other nurses aren't totally comfortable in this area, although they are so amazing to have the knowledge and skills they have in so many areas. They are just not real gung ho in spporting the moms. I wasn't sure how I should be.

Thanks for your reply!

Wow! How many deliveries does your hospital do in a month?

There is a lot involved with taking care of a laboring patient. You are on the right track with supporting her during labor. I'm curious, though, what are your monitoring skills like? Are you required to know how to interpret a fetal monitor strip?

Perhaps attending a Childbirth seminar for nurses would update your skills in comfort techniques.

Wow-my heart goes out to you!!

I went from a 19 bed LDRP where all I did was L&D,post-partum, babes and triage to a 40 bed rural hospital where you are expected to do at least at least med-surg along with your specialty (and they will "encourage" us to do as many area's as possible) we do have to be able to help out in ER if multiple MVA/trauma.

There is a reason Labor and Delivery is a specialty. Not to scare you-but just as a reality check, L&D is one of the highest in malpractice suits and has the highest malpractice insurance cost (which is why we are loosing ob/gyn's left and right-can't afford the insurance). Also, the physician, hospital, nurse, are libile for care given during pregnancy/birth for up to 21 years after birth. In other specialties-3-4 years.

That being said, fetal monitoring classes are a must. Normal labor processes. There are various symposiums that are a few days long that are the "down and dirty" of L&D. Contact one of the larger hospitals in your area. Talk to their OB manager. Explain your predicament.See what they can suggest that might be accessable where you are.Learn about abnormals in pregnancy like PIH, placental abruption, and preterm labor. Good text-Michelle Murray's fetal monitoring. Read, read, read.

Some moms need alot of support-others not so much. I use to take it personally if a mom didn't, "use or seem to need" my suggestions/support. Now I know from past experience that labor is like anything else that brings a patient to a hopital. Everyone comes in with their own past experience/knowledge/prejudice/culture etc-every experience is different. I am there to help/support them as They need (or don't). I feel pretty confident in my skills and abillity to question etc to know my patients levels of need (it also varies at different stages of the labor process) Some families really don't need much-they pretty much do it all and I am pretty much in the background assisting the physician. That's ok. Go with the flow. good luck.

I always tell the patient and her coach that I will be available to them as much or as little as they want. They just need to let me know how much involvement they need. I find this often times correlates with how much childbirth preparation they have had, and who (or how) the coach is...as in comfort level in that role, their focus on the laboring mom, to what degree they have the "care-giver" gene, etc.

Some deliveries, you will just need to run errands for the couple and set up the room and assist the Doc. Others, you will work so hard as the birthing partner that you could produce hemorrhoids yourself during the pushing phase! Each and every one will be different.

Have fun!

P.S. The mom's sometimes expect you to remember the baby's name when you run into them in the supermarket, but always expect you to remember what she went through during her delivery, so good luck with that!:chuckle

I really appreciate everyones insight, Thank you so much! :) Your experience helps.

Julie

I always tell the patient and her coach that I will be available to them as much or as little as they want. They just need to let me know how much involvement they need. I find this often times correlates with how much childbirth preparation they have had, and who (or how) the coach is...as in comfort level in that role, their focus on the laboring mom, to what degree they have the "care-giver" gene, etc.

Some deliveries, you will just need to run errands for the couple and set up the room and assist the Doc. Others, you will work so hard as the birthing partner that you could produce hemorrhoids yourself during the pushing phase! Each and every one will be different.

Have fun!

P.S. The mom's sometimes expect you to remember the baby's name when you run into them in the supermarket, but always expect you to remember what she went through during her delivery, so good luck with that!:chuckle