dariah

Ditto obrn23. I've never had specialty pay, and only float within maternal-child health.

Mine always come mixed from the pharmacy or manufacturer. If we run out is the only time I've had to mix my own.

I've had both cases. My clinic job I had to buy my own scrubs but whatever color/style I wanted. Then my first L&D job they were provided. My current job, I have to buy my own but in a specific color. (Which of course is not the same as the ones I already owned!) I would say hold on to them for a bit.

No. Case by case like you said.

I have some patients that I've bonded with and remember fondly, crazy horror stories, and patients I go home thinking about because I'm worried about them. But none of it has kept me from functioning.

The necessity of it probably is facility dependent. At my former hospital, a big teaching institution, anybody who would be charting on a fetal strip had to have EFM. Since this was a requirement, we did not get a bonus for it. After EFM, you were compensated for having certifications so some other nurses did get certified in inpatient OB. Aside from the accomplishment and increase in knowledge (and beyond a unit requirement), a slight bump in your pay may be the only advantage at your workplace. Also, don't mind those who are belittling your MNN. Sorry to hear you've had to deal with that but I've never come across that attitude in regards to certification so it's likely just the culture there and not everywhere.

I don't love the OR but I'm rarely in there. When I was first learning to circulate I would get so nervous and intimidated too, but like with everything, it gets easier with practice and experience.

One thing that I don't like is that debriefing sessions are often separated into nursing meetings and medical meetings. Not only are we missing out in the chance to learn from each other, I think it leads to the blame game and fosters a "us vs. them" attitude.

I imagine starting salary is going to vary greatly by geography. Keep in mind that I was working in New York City where all RNs pretty much make more than the national average. I have found that the tools at Welcome to Salary.com! - Salary.com have been pretty accurate. In 2008, my starting salary was $70K, with a fixed raise each year and a cap of 90K. (Also, this was position was salaried, so no overtime and I often worked 45 hours a week.) I had nice benefits, too, so that counts for something. In the future, I would recommend asking around if you have friends who work in similar environments so you can get a sense of what is competitive. Clinic salaries are usually lower than hospitals, and also less formulaic (hospitals usually offer a base rate, plus x for experience, plus night differential, plus bonus for certifications or MSN, etc.). Use Job Search | one search. all jobs. Indeed.com or Find Jobs. Build a Better Career. Find Your Calling. | Monster.com or even Craigslist to browse similar positions and see if they post the salary. Maybe I'm wrong, but I think in nursing typically a salary is a salary, and it's not really negotiable unless merit based. So I wouldn't sweat it about salary requirements.

I haven't seen anything in the way of an algorithm or checklist (we just administered what MD asked for) but we had a sealed kit that included 5 tabs of cytotec, and a couple bottles each of pit, hemobate and methergine. We kept it in the med fridge so in an emergency we could just grab that pack instead of fishing out individual vials. I always had to be careful not to forget syringes and needles though! Might be nice if those are included.

When I first started in L&D I think I had about 12 weeks and remember feeling so overwhelmed. But once I was really on my own I knew more than I thought I did. It can be hard when someone else with different habits and priorities is hovering over your shoulder. When I switched jobs I just was on orientation for a month, which was about all I needed to learn the computer systems and policies.

I've heard doctors try to get me restart or up the pit and say "the baby needs to declare itself" meaning, if we can say the baby can't tolerate labor then we can just call a section.

When I worked at a large teaching hospital in New York City, almost 50% of patients brought private cord blood kits and almost everyone else participated in the public bank if it was open. Now that I've moved to a small hospital in the Midwest, I've seen exactly zero.

However.....bare in mind that this might be a foreshadowing of how that institution and floor is run. Not saying you shouldn't take the job, but just be prepared that you might hit administrative bumps along the way.

We treat our leftover pitocin like chemo, careful to use gloves and dispose of in black boxes. Maybe this got someone confused?

Haha I thought this was going to be a question about magnesium. But yes, like Klone said, a subscription to AWHONN will keep your mailbox full.

Definitely take a summer externship if you can. Not doing one was my biggest regret in nursing school.

I once came across this gem in the chart of a PCOS patient... "Pt has hair like a man"

It's always challenging coming into a new group of people and having to figure out the culture. I always try to be aware of who is in earshot when I am talking; having patients overhear something they shouldn't is definitely unprofessional. It drives me crazy when staff acts like a curtain is a sound proof wall. A pediatrician once told a new father that is baby had unexpected deformities in the middle of a full recovery room and I cringed the whole time. That being said.....I feel lucky to have a great rapport with my colleagues and sometimes at 2am things slip out. L&D can be a very stressful environment and people deal with this in different ways. I'm not saying that behavior is justified, but I do understand how it can happen with no bad intentions.

Thanks! Mailing the rest of it off today. Need it by mid-Sept so I hope Im in good shape

Hey guys, I'm going to be moving to MN soon and have started the process of getting my license via verification since I've passed the NCLEX and have been practicing in another state. I'm hoping to get the last of my forms notarized and mailed tomorrow.....any idea how long I should expect to wait before getting my new license? Thanks!

We only get the good old fashioned basins with warm tap water and leftover laps from the c/s or delivery table.

The most "fun" neighborhoods are also some of the more expensive...East/West Village, Meatpacking District, Murray Hill. There are a few hospitals in the Murray Hill area so that could be a good option. The Upper West Side tends to be more young families and more of a quiet neighborhood and the Upper East Side is similar, but also tends to be a bit more affordable and has more young singles. Several more hospitals are in the Upper East Side.

When I had an interview at NYU a few years ago the test was just dosage calculations and a piece of cake.

I actually just downloaded PregWhel because I got tired of being stuck in triage trying to do the math. DrawMD OB/gyn is a cool app that helps you show pts what happens during pregnancy. There are also so EFM related references types I've found helpful.