What do CNAs do in L&D

[zahryia, LPN]

I'm a nursing student and am thinking about working as a CNA while in school. There's a position in L/D.

I'm just curious as to what you have CNAs do in L/D.

[magz53]

We recently hired a CNA for our OB floor. We are so grateful to have her as she really relieves us of many of the non-nursing duties we had. She runs our specimens to the lab, picks up papers from admissions, strips units, remakes units, cleans, empties hampers, sets up and tears down instrument tables, puts empty chart papers in charts etc. etc. You could learn a great deal about OB just by observing but I would guess that you would not have a great deal of patient contact or participate in the actual care of the patient. That is the point we are at right now, perhaps her role will expand as time goes on, but we are so aware of the legal responsiblilty we have I doubt it.

[htrn]

Our aides are GODSENDS. They do vital signs and can do one of the two fundal checks done each shift, I&O, remove foleys and NS locks, room patients, do albustix and put them on the monitors. They answer lights and relay needs for pain meds, etc if I am tied up with a labor patient. They run labs, answer the phones, strip, clean and make up units when housekeeping is not there - including the OR. They set up and tear down delivery tables, label and put away placentas and cord blood - and then clean the placenta fridge (yuck).

They stock our labor rooms with everything from linens to all the equipment and IV fluids. They weigh and bathe our babies on the noc shift, run babies to and from the nursery, take baby pictures for us. They empty garbages, scrounge food for our hungry dad's in the middle of the night, empty linens, MAKE COFFEE, and are constantly picking up around the department so it doesn't look like a hurricane when through.

Our aides keep us in line. They remember to do our 4am vitals on our surgicals when we are tied up with labor patients or a delivery. They remember to do our charges for us. They remind me that I need to pass an unusual med at unusual time - esp if I am again tied up somewhere else.

I LOVE OUR AIDES - and many, many of our RNs started out as CNAs in our unit.

[HappyNurse2005, RN]

lol. we have ONE aide, who works dayshift, m-f. there hasn't always been one. she only works on the antepartum side of the unit (we are LDR and antepartum).

takes vitals, blood sugars, takes up meal trays (dietary passes them out), makes beds, assists pt's to shower/bathroom, ya know. nothing to do with the labor side.

[nursejohio, ASN, RN]

Wow!! Can I come be a nurse with you guys? Our aides read the paper and watch American Idol. They'll occasionally answer a phone, or get a boxed lunch (but that comes with rolling eyes) On a good night, if they're feeling generous and the blue moon is in the 3rd house of venus, you can get them to set up your delivery table, maybe attend the delivery and run the blood to the tube for lab and bring a boxed lunch on the way back. Fuggedaboutit if you want them to help you get a patient up to the bathroom. Accuchecks? They've never heard of them, let alone running the QC on the machine. I think that might be the reason they're being phased out and not replaced when we lose one.

[SmilingBluEyes]

We have no aides, so they have no role. We do have techs (who do c/sections) but none have their CNA except one. We love our techs, however.