I know that there's L&D..do you get to take care of the cute babies in addition to helping out with lmothers going through labor? can you also go into surgery if youre in the L&D unit? what other units are there?
Also, do you often see new grads going straight into ob/gyn nursing? if so, what unit do they usually start off at? Thank you in advance!
EDIT one more question..what do midwives do in the ob/gyn department? do they take on the same role as registered nurses, but just has more training and education? or do they have separate roles? when i go through my bsn program, will i get some exposure to the ob/gyn area? Thanks again!
Specializes in Geriatrics/Oncology/Psych/College Health.
Friend cared for a lady who had necrotizing fasciitis (flesh eating disease) after a c-section/ They opened her up and she was black inside. Every organ was rotting.
I say this not to gross you out, but to prepare you that yes, you will see nasty stuff. People from all walks of life have babies. The personal hygiene states that people come in may be enough to make you toss your cookies. This isn't a soap opera where everyone sits around glowing.
I myself spend a not-insubstantial amount of time in an otherwise fairly "clean" clinic job flushing ear wax out of people's ears. The chunks range from solid masses to stuff that pours out of their ears in a yellowish brown semi-solid state that can only be described as refried beans. And when I'm done, their problem (full ears/lack of hearing) is instantly relieved. The "gross" stuff doesn't bother me because that's what you have to deal with the get your pt's better.
I spent 13 year exclusively in geriatrics. You wade through stool because that's what you have to do to give relief to your patient. Cleaning up someone while gagging doesn't exactly leave your pt with the best feeling about themselves.
You should consider developing a new mindset about bodily fluids. That's part of your pt and part of the job.
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
You would not believe how gross some cases are in OB. I have had to shower patients (yep get into the shower and scrub them) before the docs would touch them. Believe me, just cause it's OB does not mean we don't see all kinds of people, to include those with horrible hygiene and some disease processes going on. It can and does get pretty gross.
And those OB nurses can second me when I say two more words that can make you cringe and want to plug your nose when you do OB:
Chorio-Amnionitis. Want to talk STINKYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY?????? It's the worst.
You would not believe how gross some cases are in OB. I have had to shower patients (yep get into the shower and scrub them) before the docs would touch them. Believe me, just cause it's OB does not mean we don't see all kinds of people, to include those with horrible hygiene and some disease processes going on. It can and does get pretty gross.
And those OB nurses can second me when I say two more words that can make you cringe and want to plug your nose when you do OB:
Chorio-Amnionitis. Want to talk STINKYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY?????? It's the worst.
stinky? the babies? :rotfl: sorry i dont have a clue what youre talking about. wow i saw a man who survived that flesh eating disease and it was soooo sad and horrible. the doctor had to remove chunks of everything from the side of his body and you can clearly see the muscles and it looked like a huge piece of rare meat and my mouth just dropped. i cant believe that lady didnt know that something was wrong with her until she came in for a csection. or maybe she knew but she just didnt visit the hopital? was she not in pain? it wouldve been a miracle for her and the baby to survive. wow.
Specializes in CCU (Coronary Care); Clinical Research.
I am not an ob nurse, however, if I remember correctly from my 6 week orientation while in nursing school...OB definately had it's share of bodily fluids. You are going to be dealing directly with the genital/reproductive areas...so of course you will be dealing with it. From what I saw, it was not uncommon for women to have nausea/emesis while in labor or prior to labor...After the birth there is a lot of fluids, etc to clean up. I don't say this to scare you but you are definately going to encounter bodily fluids in pretty much any unit (though some more than others- to me, ob seems like a high bodily fluid area...) As other have mentioned, basic bodily hygeine is not some people's first priority...
I think that shadowing an RN in some various units would do you some good. There are lots of areas of nursing and while some of these bodily functions are gross, as a caregiver, it is important to have that patient be clean while keeping their dignity...it helped me to remember that no one wants to have to have help with these type of fuctions (most people anyway).... it is just something that has to be done to keep the patient safe, comfortable, and free from infection...
maybe i should consider working in family clinics where all they do is examine, give shots, perscribe medications, etc instead of working at a hospital. but isnt working in a hospital setting required to get your bsn or masters?
I've worked in family practices and trust me people still have terrible hygiene issues, and yup they toss their cookies in the waiting room, exam room, parking lot.
For anyone who has a problem with body fluids, nursing is NOT for you. True, there are areas that deal with LESS stuff than others, but in order to get through nursing school and go to work everyday, you just HAVE to come to terms with the fact that it's NOT a pretty job.
Especially OB...yuck! Did anyone see that episode of "Scrubs" were Dr. Cox's ex-wife Jordan had their baby? She was FURIOUS that NO ONE told her she would (to use her words) "POOP while having a baby!" Yep, seen many a delivery with blood, stool, everything...just ooooooozing out.
And chorio-amnionitis is definitely a nasty smell. For non-OB people, chorio is when the amniotic fluid surrounding the baby is infected. We've admitted babies to NICU who SEEMED fine in the delivery room, simply because of how bad the infection smelled. Those kids get IV antibiotics for at least a week.
Specializes in Geriatrics/Oncology/Psych/College Health.
i cant believe that lady didnt know that something was wrong with her until she came in for a csection. or maybe she knew but she just didnt visit the hopital? was she not in pain? it wouldve been a miracle for her and the baby to survive. wow.
They opened her up for the c-section, closed her, and a few days later had to open her again because of the pain, only to discover the damage (probably exposed in the first surgery.)
Seriously, you're not going to find anything in nursing that's clean without going through stuff that's nasty to get there.
It took me a long time to decide to be a nurse. There are a lot of days I would trade all the paperwork we have to mess with for a cleanup on aisle nine of the old lady who has suddenly decided to finger paint with her liquid stool. Stuff like that is the EASY part.
Yes, compassion and a strong hold on one's own emotions and belief systems are critical for GYNE unit work. As for what you say? There is not much except "I am so sorry" and take it from there. Being geniune and available for support is the most important thing any professional (or friend for that matter) can do for such women enduring these losses/situations. Just never make the mistake of saying nothing at all.
I am a fairly new nurse (2 years exp) and I have to admit, I am still gravely struggling with this. I concider my self very good in the medical aspect of nursing. I am analytical, I think fast a react swiftly and calmly... But I still find myself feel very stupid when it comes to the psycho-social. What to say? How to resrain your own emotions, yet show compassion? How to not bring all the pain home? What to say to families in emotional pain or patients themselves? It has gotten better, since I am consciously working on this but I still often find my self not saying anything... ....I hold back, sometimes out of insecurity, sometimes to protect my own sanity... and if I don't and allow myself to get emorionally invested, I find myself bringing all the rutt home with me... How do you guys cope? And what effect does it have on the patient, when you say NOTHING?
so OB nurses who does not work with critical condition babies, mothers. do you deal with "gross" cases? like poo, pee, vomit, and whatevers there may be? ive read what goes on in ED, MED/SURG and some other areas and OH MY :uhoh21: i felt sick. i can deal with baby poop, pee and vomit..but are there any other "gross" part about an OB nurse' job that i should know about?
gross things... ummmm I guess depends on how you look at it but unfortunately OB is not all sunshine and smiles. Post-partum hemorrhage, shoulder dystocia's with broken clavicals/humerus, fourth degree lacerations (that's through the rectal sphincter), macerated fetal demises, hemabate diarrhea, episiotomy (hate that sound), cleft palate, anencephaly, trichomonas, bacterial vaginosis, poor hygiene in general, tweaked out meth users....
I guess I should stop... point being that if you want to come to OB to "play with the cute babies"... think about it first.
so OB nurses who does not work with critical condition babies, mothers. do you deal with "gross" cases? like poo, pee, vomit, and whatevers there may be? ive read what goes on in ED, MED/SURG and some other areas and OH MY :uhoh21: i felt sick. i can deal with baby poop, pee and vomit..but are there any other "gross" part about an OB nurse' job that i should know about?
I posted a response to you on your other thread.
I advise you to stay out of nursing.
Not trying to be mean, but you just show that you will not be happy as a nurse.
Do yourself a favor and find something else.
Not everyone is cut out to be a nurse, and I don't think you are either.
There's no crime in that....it's just not your calling.
....I hold back, sometimes out of insecurity, sometimes to protect my own sanity... and if I don't and allow myself to get emorionally invested, I find myself bringing all the rutt home with me... How do you guys cope? And what effect does it have on the patient, when you say NOTHING?
Nurse Ratched, RN
2,149 Posts
Friend cared for a lady who had necrotizing fasciitis (flesh eating disease) after a c-section/ They opened her up and she was black inside. Every organ was rotting.
I say this not to gross you out, but to prepare you that yes, you will see nasty stuff. People from all walks of life have babies. The personal hygiene states that people come in may be enough to make you toss your cookies. This isn't a soap opera where everyone sits around glowing.
I myself spend a not-insubstantial amount of time in an otherwise fairly "clean" clinic job flushing ear wax out of people's ears. The chunks range from solid masses to stuff that pours out of their ears in a yellowish brown semi-solid state that can only be described as refried beans. And when I'm done, their problem (full ears/lack of hearing) is instantly relieved. The "gross" stuff doesn't bother me because that's what you have to deal with the get your pt's better.
I spent 13 year exclusively in geriatrics. You wade through stool because that's what you have to do to give relief to your patient. Cleaning up someone while gagging doesn't exactly leave your pt with the best feeling about themselves.
You should consider developing a new mindset about bodily fluids. That's part of your pt and part of the job.