PCT in Labor and Delivery Or Mom and baby suite

cdsavannah59, CNA · Dec 31, 2015

I'm a PCT in the mother/baby unit located across hall from labor and delivery. On M/B unit a PCT will do vitals every four hours on mom and baby which is very time consuming since we have 25 rooms. Baby baths, blood draws, glucose checks on mom, (nurse checks the baby's glucose) Removing catheters and med locks. Bed making, passing ice, getting items patients request. Your duties on labor and delivery may have similar duties such as baby baths, vitals etc. Visitors and patients almost daily tell me I have the best job in the world, and yes I absolutely love those newborn babies, but the volume of work I do can be stressing and since I have no personal desk, I can only catch a few minutes rest sometimes by sitting at front desk. I'm on my feet for about 11 1/2 of those 12 1/2 shifts so I'm extremely exhausted by end of shift. Our unit only has one PCT per shift, I'm on day shift where there is a lot more activity with doctors visitors etc. and all day you have at least six nurses asking you to do things just when you think you have a minute to relax lol. So to answer your question about is it a good place to work, Yes it is, helping care for newborns is the fun part of my job, however if you take a day shift job just be prepared for the workload you will encounter. It's a little more stressful I've heard in labor and delivering where stress levels run higher when If you get doctors yelling at you about items they didn't get such as paperwork etc, or nurses that are dealing with stressful workloads of getting those little one delivered. But I think overall for me I would rather work in M/B unit then a Med Surg etc. Jobs in labor and delivery or mother/baby units can be hard to get hired into by someone who has never worked at the hospital, because when other employees see we have a job opening they get priority over hiring someone never employed at hospital yet. Good luck, I say go for the labor/ delivery job.

Shonqueen1 · Dec 31, 2015

Hi cdsavannah59,

Thank you!!

I only see about 2 job openings in my area every so often and the others are far off to even apply to them. So I pretty much think that it was kinda hard to get them when you are not employed or don't have the experience in that department there yet. I would like to someday be a nurse in Mother and Baby unit. But I will continue to look around and hopefully I can find something part time. Day shift at a Hospital is most definitely busy than night shift. Thank you again!!