Nurse_Gaby

Hi everyone! I have been a nurse for three years with one year experience in mother baby and two years in L&D. I have my C-EFM and work nights in a community hospital that does about 250 deliveries a month. I have experience with lady partsl exams, caring for patients on mag for various diagnoses, preterm labor, triage, diabetic patients, circulating in c-sections but no scrubbing as we have CST's. I have experience with IUPC's and we just started doing amnioinfusions. I have a lot of autonomy as there are no residents where I am and working overnight. I'm just wondering if I'm ready to travel with only two years of experience and if my experience is sufficient. Would love to hear all your opinions and advice! Sorry if my experience list is a bit garbled just coming off of working 3 night in a row 😊

I am a new nurse to L&D of about six months. I recently had a multip who came in and had SROM'd at home. I checked her and determined she was 4cm. After her epidural I examined her and found her to be 5cm. 3 hours later the patient complained of nausea and intermittent pressure. I checked her and found her to be 7cm. Per hospital policy I called the physician and had an icy reception to which she asked if I really needed her. The OB came in to examine her to which she said (in front of the patient), she's 5 cm and the head was higher than my exam and you are never to call me that early again. She then went to my charge nurse and complained about my exam being inaccurate and told me in front of all my coworkers that I am to have a nurse check behind me when I take her patients. Pitocin was started for augmentation per the MD which was shut off due to a decel. The patient was fully in less than an hour and the doctor barely got her gloves on before the delivery. I felt confident in my exam and was humiliated by this doctor. I haven't had an issue with discrepancies prior to this incident. I really truly feel she was seven. Many of the senior nurses felt my exam was accurate. I know multips can progress quickly and it's possible she could be 5 and then fully. I would just like some words of wisdom and professional opinion. This is eating me up ever since I left work.

I am a new grad nurse in OB and controlling your emotions can be tough. As nurses, we are caring individuals. The one quote that I heard in school and seems to stay with me is to sympathize with your patients but don't empathize with them. Basically, help them to cope and understand their grief, but don't put yourself in their shoes. Don't imagine how they feel, or how you would feel if you were them. This is hard to do and I still find myself putting myself in my patients' shoes, but from what I have been told it gets easier to keep that boundary. In regards to a still born, this is going to effect you no matter what. It is a terrible situation, and I know that the day I am faced with that, it will change me. Keep your composure for your patient, but comfort them. They need all your support! Hope this helps.