RN520

I'm a PP nurse, and at our hospital, we weigh our babies during the night shift. If they're at 9% weight loss, we have our breastfeeding moms supplement. One of my breastfed babies this week had a 7% loss as of last night. Ordinarily, I'd just pass this on to the day shift and let them know to be watchful, make sure the mom is nursing regularly, etc. However, this baby was SGA (5-13 and 18.5", delivered at 39.5) and because of that, my gut said "Supplement now." The pediatrician had already written d/c orders, so I knew the baby would be going home today (1/24). I wanted to make sure the baby didn't lose any more weight, and offered it as an option to the mom. She was okay with it. I feel like I did the right thing. What would you have done differently?

One week for me!! Yippeee!!

OP, I thought I would be an L&D nurse too, and love it. I spent 1 day in the L&D dept at a hospital that does 400+ deliveries a month and realized the pace was too frenetic for me. Then I did my preceptorship on a PP unit and realized THIS is where I would thrive. It's taken me 10 months to get a position at that same facility, in that same unit, but so worth it. Not all units are dysfunctional, though. At my facility, L&D is separate from PP, and the moms/babies stay in L&D for roughly 2 hours. Then they come to us, and we are rooming-in but also have a Level 2 NICU for those that need the extra care. The RNs on PP work well together, function as a team, and help each other. crazy&cuteRN is right....lots of teaching (which I happen to LOOOOOVE) and breastfeeding support, along with the assessments. I like the idea of getting to spend extra time with my patients but that doesn't always happen. I'm not a fan of staying in a specialty that you're not passionate about, because life is too short to be so unhappy. You worked HARD for that license, and you ought to be getting what you perceive as a valuable return on your investment. I think you'd enjoy the pace in PP, and since you've got L&D experience, that would make you a real asset on the unit. Go for it!

I agree with cheska - seems like hospitals want you to get certified through them. It's the company/method of their choice and it's FREE to you! Keep applying for L&D jobs, and get to know someone in that specialty. It's how I got my job on a postpartum unit. I start in 2 weeks and it's because I stayed in touch with 1 person on that unit. Join AWHONN and read up on their staffing guidelines, and be very upfront about what cert's you'd like to earn. Did you have a good relationship with your maternity prof in school? See if he/she has any leads or contacts. Also - have you joined the ANA in your state? That can be a good place to network too. Best of luck to you!

Oh, yay!! I am officially IN THE CLUB!! I know we're not really a club per se, but I interviewed for a FT postpartum position last week and today I was offered the job!! I am so thrilled!! Not really laughing but this was the closest emoticon I could find to match the "Happy Dance", which I would totally be doing had I not strained my back yesterday while I was gardening. I am so, so happy and really looking forward to beginning a long career in maternity nursing. Can't wait to be more a part of the discussions here!!

I'll email my friend from nursing school who moved out-of-state, vent here (!!), get into my jammies immediately and fall asleep watching whatever's on PBS with hubby, sometimes read to my 11-year-old (who still likes mom to read out loud to him! ) and I'm trying to do what LYNDAA does: a nice big gap between shifts. I worked 4 nights in a row and I'm off for a whole week!! Yippeeee!! What's making me happy today? I dropped off a load of unwanted items at Salvation Army, planned tonight's dinner (me cooking dinner is a rare event anymore) and as a bonus, I've got 2 loaves of banana bread in the oven now. My house is empty, I have classical music playing, and I'm being domestic. Having time to do that makes me happy. :)

Thanks, guys. I made it through the rest of my week and now I'm enjoying a few days off before I go back for 4 nights in a row. After working 4 day shifts in a row, I swore I'd never do it again. Oops. I agreed to the Sunday night first, and then agreed to fill in for the FT night LPN who wants a week's worth of PTO time and forgot about the Sunday. Oh well. I'll have some overtime on the paycheck, which will make up for it. Plus, I know the CNA crew I will have is awesome. Every day I'm learning more about what I need to keep my batteries charged up. Even though I'm "just" a per diem RN, I somehow think that I'm supposed to take every single shift that's offered to me. What??? I made a new rule for myself: no more than 3 shifts in a row, no matter what. Also, I need more than 24 hours to recover from nights before switching to days. Anyway.....back to recharging those batteries, and I really appreciate all your support!

Lanesmama, that is an awesome story and you have great ideas!! I don't have any pictures or thank you notes to share, but I like the 5 year plan idea. The unit mgr at the facility where I'm hoping to work soon already has my resume (along with a recommendation from my preceptor). However, I think I'll write out my 5-year-plan anyway and have it ready for that interview (I'm trying to think very positively). I joined AWHONN as well - just got my "welcome" packet in the mail today, and one of my goals is to be at the convention next June in Nashville. Thanks again for your encouragement. I really appreciate it!

At my facility, they are all paper. No pyxis, no computerized charting except to add progress notes and weekly pix of wounds. Since I worked the night shift last night and the night before, I was responsible for helping to get the Sept MARs and treatment books ready. I am a new grad, 4 months into my 1st job, and I feel like I wasn't able to get as much done. I'm still learning the best way to manage my time and every shift presents challenges to the plan I have for the night. There are 35 residents, and I fly solo from 1800 to 0630 with 3 CNAs. I do all med passes, skin assessments, any wound care, and put out any "fires" that spark (and there's ALWAYS a fire or two to put out). I used to like coming to work but now it seems as though the paperwork is becoming more important than the residents. Oh, and we're also getting ready for the annual state visit which just seems to add to the general sense of pressure/stress/tension. I feel like I should call the night shift nurse now and apologize for not getting more done, but I don't want to present myself as weak. What's a new grad to do??

Sigh. I used to like going in to work. I'm 4 months into my 1st job and the honeymoon is over. I get along well with older adults and thought LTC and med-surg would be good places to start (I'm a per diem float RN). Now I feel like there aren't enough hours in the day to get just the basics done, let alone follow up on a fax from a dr or even chart! Of course, that would involve sitting down, which I seldom do (not a surprise, but still...) The LTC unit is getting ready for the annual state visit, so the mgr is trying to whip the unit into shape. I get that, and of course it's important to do our very best, follow policy, and keep the residents safe. It's creating a tense environment which I'm having a hard time insulating myself from. I seem to just absorb it all. Now I have end-of-the-month paperwork to do along with everything else, and all I can say is that I'm glad I'm on night shift for that. At least it's quiet. Is it too much to ask to not have a nervous stomach every time I head in to work? I used to feel a sense of loyalty to this job, but not anymore. I'm glad I didn't sign a contract, because if I got a FT job with benefits today, I'd have no problem giving my 2 weeks' notice. I'm reading through Donna Cardillo's book "Your First Year as a Nurse" and it's helping some. I could just use an "atta girl, it'll be okay". And probably a walk every day wouldn't hurt, either. I'll try to fit that in. Hope everyone has a good day, wherever you are.

I totally get your feelings, OP. Especially the Foley. The last time I placed one was during my maternity rotation in school and I didn't get it right, either (but I did great in skills pass-off! Go figure!) I feel like I need to find a you tube video or something to refresh my memory. I get confused with all the steps involved, and inevitably forget something! I think for me, it's usually a case of placing really high expectations on myself and then not allowing myself to make a mistake - REALLY?? I am not that awesome. LOL. I think it'll come to you. Just remember why you wanted this specialty and allow yourself time to get used to the new surroundings. This is a huge life change, so it makes sense for you to feel this way. It might take another couple of weeks, or it might take 3 months or more for you to really settle in. Don't put time limits on that. Hopefully you have some supportive coworkers who will be happy to help you out, but until you find out, keep coming back here. I think this website serves a great purpose by creating a place where we can vent. I don't know if you're in a relationship/partnered/married, but if I try to explain to my husband why work is stressing me out, it's hard for him to understand because he's in a completely different field. It's better if I just say "I had a really crappy day at work today. I need a hug." But WE know what you're going through, to a certain extent, so we can understand the details. Don't worry. You'll be okay. It will get easier/better, and just remember, you are a GREAT nurse!!

Thanks, guys. Elvish, I LOVE the teaching component of this specialty :) One of my long term goals is to become a certified lactation consultant too....my maternity professor encouraged me to go back and teach maternity nursing, but that involves ME going back to the classroom. I've been advised to practice for a good 5 years at least before I think about teaching nursing. Honestly, I'll retire a happy lady if all I do is stay at the bedside. I'm reviewing my textbook (yes, I kept it!) and feel pretty good about doing an assessment, but I know that most women don't act like the textbook, either. I know to keep an eye on BP and pulse and watch the lochia for changes. During my preceptorship, I took 2 new admits on my last day (1 vag and 1 c-section) and it was a little overwhelming then, but I made it through. I have yet to care for a woman who was on magnesium sulfate though, and my first instinct would be to watch her respirations as well as her BP and pulse. I know it's all a learning process and I can't expect to think and act like a nurse with 5 years' experience. At the same time, I want to have the basics down so I can at least function during the orientation period. If memory serves, this unit does a 6-week orientation with a preceptor and you start with 1 or 2 couplets and work up to 4 (their max, unless it's crazy busy). babyktcher, I'm glad you said "don't be obnoxious" because I think I can tend toward that with my enthusiasm, ha ha ha! I was thinking about the answer to "Why OB nursing?" and I think it stems from my own natural curiosity and the care I received as an OB patient. When I was a kid, I found that book "A Child Is Born" by Leonard Nilssen (sp?) and thought it was fascinating! I've always been interested in pregnancy and childbirth and when I got to experience it for myself, it was pretty darn great. Then, I had some pretty wonderful nurses that took such great care of me and each of my babies. It made me want to give back that same level of care to others. During school, especially clinicals, I was always aware of the clock...."Only 4 more hours and I'm done....." but during my preceptorship, it was more like "What??!! How can it be 7:00pm already??!!" So I knew this was the place for me. I know there will be rough days ahead, no matter where I work, but the fulfillment you get from helping families balances it out, I think. Hopefully I can post a happy message in a few weeks!!! :) Thanks for all the advice and encouragement!

Long story short: new-ish grad (Dec '12) and I've been working in med-surg & LTC since April '13. Potential opportunity to work in postpartum is on the horizon (things look VERY good for me to be hired). I remember BUBBLE-HE (pp assessment acronym I learned in school) but now I'm kinda freaking out (in a nervous, happy way) because holy crap, I might just get to work in my favorite specialty after all!! This is a unit I could work in for the rest of my career and I can see myself retiring from here as well. I love maternity nursing that much! I welcome any interview advice....mostly just needed to get my excitement/nervousness out but veteran nurses, bring on the career advice! :-)

Short version: I'm two weeks into orientation at my first job (RN float pool, per diem, 2 units). Last night, I heard from the charge nurse where I precepted this past fall that there might be a full time nights position opening up on her unit and if the job is posted, she wants me to apply. If the job is posted, I will apply because this is the unit where I'd love to spend the rest of my career (postpartum). If I land an interview (yay!) and if I am offered a position (double yay!!), how do I negotiate finishing my orientation at my current facility? I don't think I could just quit in good conscience. Plus, since it's per diem, I will be free to work as often or as little as I choose. This PP position is in a bigger suburban hospital, definitely better pay and I'm already familiar with the other staff. It would be a regular full time schedule too (which would help with those student loans I get to start paying on in a few months). I would love to hear your perspective/advice/suggestions......

PinkNBlue, I can relate to that! It's kinda funny how new moms expect to get a decent night's sleep in the hospital. They'll be going home with that new baby in 24-48 hours, and last time I checked, we didn't go along for the ride! Although if someone offered me big bucks to be a private duty nurse in that kind of situation, I'd do it in a heartbeat! (I think.....)