Re: Welcome to OBnurses@onelist.com

[Guest guest]

The dumb nurse FINALLY got thru! Thanks for the help!

[Guest guest]

! You made it! I am really glad.

And it's not the " dumb nurse " at all. I much prefer " the dumb

technology " !

We are fine, bu technology can control our lives. <g>

-----Jeanine

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

One thing that vampire children have to be taught early on is: Don't

run with a wooden stake. Unknown

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Guest guest]

Hi-

My name is AJB and I am a nurse who works in the High risk antepartum

area. I have been a nurse since 1967. I'm married with two grown children, a

husband, two cats and a dog. I live in the midwest. I'm looking forward to

hearing from other OB nurses.

AJB

[Guest guest]

Hey, AJB--welcome to the list.

We have a wide variety of maternal-child nursing backgrounds here, and all

learn from each other.

I have been a nurse for 19 years (gasp!), and my primary specialties have

been maternal-child (normal PP, newborn, high risk antepartum, genetics,

reproductive endocrinology, NICU---plus many med-surg and ICU/CCU/ER work as

well). I look most fondly on the time (about 2 years before they integrated

the small, but intense high risk AP unit into a huge combo floor against our

better judgement) I worked on a 12 bed high-risk AP unit in a Level III

center. There were manafgeable amounts of pts--12-14 at the most, and the

required 2 nurses worked well as a team, and we had some time (as long as

all h*ll wasn't breaking loose, like a fetal distress or a prolapse....) to

deal with some of the emotional stresses of long term hospitalized pregnant

women.

I now work in the home care setting, with high-risk mothers, babies and

children--many who would have required hospitalization in the past. I love

my job, though it is a daily

----Jeanine

[Guest guest]

Hi Jeanine,

I'm interested how your home care program works. We tried to start a

home care program primarily for PTL but the insurance companies were not

interested in reimbursing us. I can't believe that hospitalization is more

economical than home care.

I work on an 18 bed high risk antepartum unit in a level III hospital. This

is not the only area I have worked in over the past 32 years (I can't beleive

I've been a nurse that long!). My experiences include hemodialysis, ICU-CCU,

med-surg, Gyn oncology. Now I'm cross trained for mother-baby and labor and

delivery. I'm certified in High Risk OB.

AJB

[Guest guest]

Welcome ABJ. Hope you enjoy our group!

, RN

[Guest guest]

AJB wrote:

I'm interested how your home care program works. We tried to start a

home care program primarily for PTL but the insurance companies were not

interested in reimbursing us. I can't believe that hospitalization is more

economical than home care.

Hi, AJB--welcome to the list. Well, our program started as an accident,

sort of. When I applied to the agency for a job 8 years ago, I had a wide

base of med-surg, OB, and Peds experience on my resume, including both staff

and supervisory experience. At that time, I didn't think there was a

specific OB or Peds area in home care. After interviewing, I got a call

back, asking if I was interested in OB and/or Peds! They had seen my

experience, and had previously tried a program unsuccessfully due to low

socio-economic status of many of the clients, and the docs thinking the home

care nurses don't know OB, especially high-risk, enough for their pts to be

safe. My personality is very low-key, and I am certified, with 15 + years

in a LLevel II hospital--OB, NICU, L & D, and AP. Many of the docs who ended

up referring knew me, so the program has blossomed. And because my job is to

try to get a healthy mom and baby, and NOT to make judgements about

lifestyle, such as drugs, etc. or whether someone is illegal or not--I have

very few patients who try to avoid me--maybe 1-2 in 8 years. I am persistent

in trying to connect with them, and teach them, and will give them the info

on risks of their behaviour, but that it is their choice to change things.

Now, the program is constant, though high-risk preg is on a smaller

scale--the majority is NICU discharges, and peds, and lots of well mom/well

baby visits. Then I get " runs " of high risk prenatals.

As for insurance, it's all in the documentation. Many of my clients are on

Medicaid, but it is case-mangaed for most, so it's just as tough to justify

home care for managed medicaid as it is for any other insurance. It takes

effort, but can be done. I recently got an insurance company to auth 3

times/week nursing visits (from week 13-36), with 5 hours daily, mon-friday

home health aide, plus 1-3 times weekly physical therapy, AND ambulance

transport to the clinic for doc appts. This was a gravida 7 mom with an

incompetent cervix--had 5 previous losses from 12 wks, and 6, 7, and 8

months in her native country, where 3 of the 5 babies died weighing over 4

lbs!) She had a Shirodkar, due to her obesity--she had a spinal, and her

right leg was paralysed. She developed a thrombophlebitis in her leg due to

enforced bedrest and the paralysis, then developed insulin-dependent

diabetes. In addition, she could put no weight on 1 leg, and lived on the

3rd floor of an apt with her sister--sleeping on a cot. Her sister just had

a c-section, and even when she recovered, refused to make meals for this pt

when she needed. So we did a lot of coordinating--a cooler of food and water

by her bedside, that the aide would " load " every day for the night and next

morning til she came again. In addition, while the pt was in Canada legally,

she came into the states without full permission when her baby's father

left. So technically she might not have qualified for any services.

My documentation included al of this, including the fact that if these

services couldn't be paid under insurance, then the doc was quite willing to

admit his patient for the rest of her pregnancy--for a total of about 8

months! They saw the light--and authorized just about everything. It also

helped that the insurance auth person was a girl I had worked with for a

year when I worked for a home high risk pregnancy monitoring company! Small

world!

Sorry this was so long--I hope it doesn't get cut off by my e-mail

----Jeanine

[Guest guest]

Hi. My name is Kathy Hill. I am an RN in a large hospital in Cincinnati. I

have worked in Labor and Delivery for 18 years. Currently I am a staff nurse

which I love most of all. I also precept and serve on my unit practice

council. I have had experience setting up a new LDRP unit at a smaller

hospital. Our hospital currently does about 4800 deliveries/year

[Guest guest]

Welcome to the OBnurses list, Kathy! And welcome to the 4 others who have

joined us since yesterday. I believ some have introduced themselves. We're

happy to have you! ----Jeanine

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

Thank you for the warm welcome. Tell me something about yourself.

AJB

[Guest guest]

Hi all,

My name is Anne Maguire and I am an L & D nurse in a Boston teaching

Hospital. I have over 14 years of L & D experience and have seen lots of

changes over the years. I am also certified in limited ultrasound and with

4 other nurses we run the antepartum testing unit where we see 25to30 patients

a day for NST's and BPP's. The 5 of us rotate in and out of antepartum

testing on a regular basis so there is much variety in out jobs. I am curious

to know if there are any other nurses out there who are functioning in a

similar role in other hospitals around the country. On a more personal note, I

am married with 2 children ages 8 and 11 and work 40 hours and commute to work

another 15 to 20 hours a week.... I am glad to have found this site... would

love to chat with others .... That's all for now.....

[Guest guest]

Hi Everyone,

My name is Cherub and I live in San Clemente, California. I was an OB-GYN

and Nursery RN for over 20 years. I worked labor and delivery for about 10

years. I had to retire in 1994 because of a latex allergy, which still

bothers me and has destroyed my health.

But I am lonely for OB and thought by joining this group, I could listen to

the rest of you and find out what is going on, now that the HMO's have taken

over. I dealt with them for the last 5 years that I was working and it

certainly changed how we operated and took (less) care of our patients. I

miss all the close relationships that OB nurses make.

Cherub Cherubjoen@... ~..~

v

[Guest guest]

Cherub,

Welcome aboard. We welcome any and all opinions here so feel free to comment.

I'm sure that we could all benefit from your experience.

Sorry to hear about the latex allergy. Unfortunately I hear that it is on the

rise in healthcare workers. The general population, too. Latex is

everywhere!

Again, welcome to the " loop " !

Robin

RNC

[Guest guest]

Amcgu wrote:

The 5 of us rotate in and out of antepartum

testing on a regular basis so there is much variety in out jobs. I am

curious

to know if there are any other nurses out there who are functioning in a

similar role in other hospitals around the country.

Well, I used to fit this category when I worked in the hospital, and loved

it! I was able to rotate through, and did all the prenatal testings (with 2

other nurses). I loved the variety, but also enjoyed going to the other

areas for a change of pace. ----Jeanine

[Guest guest]

HI!

My name is Patty.

The hospital I work in has 430 beds, and is a Trauma Center.

I have been employed there for about 10 years.

The OB department is divided into LDRP and high-risk Antepartum.

My primary " home " is on the AP unit.

We also have a Level II and Level III NICU.

[Guest guest]

Hi Anne. Glad to meet you and have you part of the group! Kathy H

[Guest guest]

Welcome, Cherub! Once an OB nurse, always an OB nurse. Although they keep

trying to reinvent us!!! Kathy H

[Guest guest]

Welcome to the club Patti, hope you enjoy communicating with all us OB nurses!

Kathy H

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 3/8/99 6:22:10 PM Eastern Standard Time, AMagu23598@...

writes:

<< am glad to have found this site... would

love to chat with others .... >>

Welcome, lots of activity here lately!

Jan

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 3/8/99 7:41:52 PM Eastern Standard Time, CherubJoen@...

writes:

<< I

miss all the close relationships that OB nurses make.

>>

I bet you do, I certainly would! Welcome, I bet you've got some funny OB

stories from years back eh?

Jan

[Guest guest]

Glad to find someone else has teenage sons..mine are 14 and 16..I love

bringing them to the unit..they hear screaming women and turn ashen..another

good dose of sex ed......welcome!!

[Guest guest]

From Cherubjoen@...

I agree with you. Also, in the 60's, when the kids were brought into the ER

from overdose of drugs and the screaming was terrible, I mentioned to one of

the other nurses, that they should film it and show this in the schools.

Maybe it would deter these teens from trying them out, in the first place.

Nothing else seems to work and maybe scaring them to death would.

[Guest guest]

Hi, I must be greedy, I have 2 daughters 21 & 14 and sons of 19 & 17, the

eldest girl is training to be a nurse and after seeing my job wants to work

on Intensive care !!! the boys want to be a plumber and a painter and

decorator, and heaven only knows what the youngest girl will decide to do

!!!

Lots of love

Diane

[OBnurses] Re: Welcome to OBnursesonelist

>From: Kemper1974@...

>

>Glad to find someone else has teenage sons..mine are 14 and 16..I love

>bringing them to the unit..they hear screaming women and turn

ashen..another

>good dose of sex ed......welcome!!

>

>------------------------------------------------------------------------

>

[Guest guest]

Hi-

My name is . I am pretty new to nursing. I've been an LPN for 2 years

and have worked in NICU for 1 1/2 years which I love. I will graduate my with

RN in May and plan to continue in NICU and hopefully get my feet wet in L & D.

I had a few days in L & D then the " money " issue came up so I had to back off

for a while. But I will keep trying. I am very interested in this list. I

have a real quest for knowledge and can't wait to meet ya'll. I am from

Louisiana and look for to meeting those from other states.

Thanks and am eager to hear from all!

[Guest guest]

Hi ! Welcome to the obnurses onelist. I have a deep respect for what

you do and hope you enjoy trying out a little L & D, which is my specialty.

Kathy H.