What is your day like as a Postpartum nurse?

oguesswhat · Jun 25, 2009

Sorry I am not a postpartum nurse. I am trying to get a job in labor and delivery, NICU or postpartum. I just graduated a month ago. I was just surprised by your post. I usually hear of people in postpartum going up to L&D or NICU never going in reverse. Anyways hope you get the answer you want :) During my clinical my instructor (a L&D nurse) was generally bored with being on the postpartum unit. But I love babies and I am sure with enough pts it wouldn't be boring. We had 2 moms and 2 babies at a time.

LDR-RN · Jun 29, 2009

Let's put it like this, I am never bored.

I work on the OB-Gyn unit. We have postpartum, GYN surgeries, and antepartum.

My day typically starts in report we can have anywhere between 3-6 patients (6 on a busy day)

I start out with assessments. Postpartum- fundal checks, breasts, bladder, lochia, hemorrhoids, incisions (c-sections), episiotomy, bowel sounds, etc.

I then check orders for everybody, d/c iv's, catheters, pca's, dressings, etc.

Give meds, usually not to bad, because most patients are healthy. Occassionally some of the GYN surgeries will have more meds. We give antibiotics, stool softeners, prenatal vitamins, etc.

Then I usually start on charting, updating careplans, etc. During all of this we have admissions. With new admissions we are doing assessments (all of listed above) once at the thirty min mark, then a hour mark, then at the two hour mark, and then again at the four hour mark.

If we have antepartum admissions from the ER or Dr.'s office, we are starting IV's, weights, calling office for orders, etc. We put in catheters alot, sometimes do bladder training on GYN surgeries.

I love where I work, and I really love the people that I work with. I am never bored, and most days are not slow. VERY RARE, we will have a slow day, and it's just nice to relax, makes up for the days when you are running ALL day. I encourage you to try PP, it's great! :heartbeat:heartbeat:heartbeat

LDR-RN · Jun 29, 2009

Oh, one thing I forgot, teaching, teaching, teaching. Alot of new moms today are very young, and they don't have a clue. Sometimes it's quite sad. Oh yes, and discharges which involves more teaching.

LuvofNursing, BSN, MSN, RN · Aug 17, 2009

As a nurse, regardless of the floor, you should never describe your day as "boring." There is ALWAYS something to do. If you are bored.... you haven't thought about all the things that you can be doing for your patient or with charting or keeping the hospital tidy or restocking or helping others.

Sorry, a little off the topic.

I also thought these sites might give you some information on postpartum care (breastfeeding, mood disorders and basic knowledge).

Good luck!!

http://www.netce.com/coursecontent.php?courseid=417#BEGIN

http://www.springerpub.com/samples/0116x_chapter.pdf

http://wildirismedical.com/courses/227/index_nceu.html

littleneoRN · Aug 18, 2009

As a nurse, regardless of the floor, you should never describe your day as "boring." There is ALWAYS something to do. If you are bored.... you haven't thought about all the things that you can be doing for your patient or with charting or keeping the hospital tidy or restocking or helping others.
Sorry, a little off the topic.

I very much agree that there is usually something you can be doing! On the other hand, having nothing to do and being bored aren't necessarily the same thing. If I have a big chunk of free time, I run around stocking linens at the bedsides. I have something to do, but I'm still bored and am probably thinking how it would be nice to get an admission to keep me busy with something more interesting than linens. I think some people don't like postpartum because there is less variation in the types of patients and day to day events than in some other types of floors.

LuvofNursing, BSN, MSN, RN · Aug 18, 2009

I very much agree that there is usually something you can be doing! On the other hand, having nothing to do and being bored aren't necessarily the same thing. If I have a big chunk of free time, I run around stocking linens at the bedsides. I have something to do, but I'm still bored and am probably thinking how it would be nice to get an admission to keep me busy with something more interesting than linens. I think some people don't like postpartum because there is less variation in the types of patients and day to day events than in some other types of floors.

littleneoRN,

Thank you for your response. With most jobs you may encounter times that you wish something was going on. We all go through that. My point was that a unit where the nurses describe themselves as "bored" should either look at their choice of unit or think outside nursing duties as ways to keep themselves busy.

:tinkbll:

rn/writer, RN · Aug 18, 2009

What she said in Post #2. Plus lots of teaching. I work nights when we have a few minutes to help with breastfeeding and talk about the many other topics that need to be covered in the 2-4 days our patients are with us. Shaken baby syndrome, baby hygiene, car seat safety, when to call the doc, intake and output, burping, nutrition, and so forth.

One of my favorite things is to encourage dads to take a hands-on approach and get beyond their fear of "breaking the baby." Most of them do a wonderful job of learning to change a diaper and helping mom get set up to feed.