The Little L&D Nurse that Could

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Hi Everyone,

I currently work in the NICU, but I have always been interested in L&D. I just love how L&D nurses wear so many hats. They get to experience antepartum, the actual delivery, C-sections in the OR, and even PACU/Recovery! That is just so amazing to me and I think L&D nurses are so bad-***. The only issue is that I'm 4'11 and pretty small. I know a majority of L&D units do not hire patient care techs. Most laboring women are also on epidurals and are limited in movement. Do you think this career choice would be feasible for a small person like me? I'm just worried about not being able to move my patients, or injuring myself. Are there any smaller L&D nurses out there who can share their thoughts and experiences? 

Thank you!

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Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.

There is no reason why you could not be an L&D nurse. You should not be doing anything physically strenuous that you couldn't do on your own, anyway. That is bad body mechanics and results in injury.

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You should definitely listen to @klone, she's the L&D pro.

The most valuable asset you can offer the unit is your brain, not your stature. I'm sure that if you need assistance from your coworkers to maneuver a patient, they'll have ways to make it happen.

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