Guest guest Posted April 22, 2004 Report Share Posted April 22, 2004 HI Kate! Yes it takes a while in labor to become comfortable at lest I think so..especially if you are not doing it everyday. We have a separate postpartum floor (THANK GOODNESS!!) so we only do the laboring or perinatal patients. It sounds like you are doing better than you realize..hang in there..the confidence will come! sue [OBnurses] this and that Hi, my name is Kate and I have been lurking for a few months. I transferred to our New Life Unit a year ago March. I had contemplated the transfer several times before but with inpatients becoming scarce in Pediatrics (my previous unit) and being made to float quite a bit I decided it was time for the change. Of course, the postpartum and baby part has been a breeze. The labor patients have been a bit more of a challenge; in fact, I am just beginning to get the hang of vag exams after a year. Labor patients still make me nervous and I do hope someday that I will feel more comfortable. My nurse manager says I'm doing find according to my coworkers and our OB-GYNs so I just have to build up more confidence and stop second guessing myself all the time. It's hard after being a nurse in the same institution for 21 years, and being in charge of night shift on another unit, to become the "new kid on the block". That's my reason for going into OB. Now the second question, our anesthesiologist routinely use Fentanyl and Sensorcaine in our epidurals. Kate NW PA Just curious, can you tell me if your anesthesiologist's are routinely using an analgesic in their epidural cocktail along with the anesthetic? If yes, what is the medication? ____________________________________________________ IncrediMail - Email has finally evolved - Click Here Welcome to the OBnurses list!You have the freedom to change your membership settings at any time you choose. Go to the Yahoogroups Home Page at www.yahoogroups.com and sign in with your e mail address and the password you used to subscribe to this list. You will then see a list of all Onelist lists you are subscribed to. You can then easily choose the settings you would like--unsubscribe, digest, or Web-only. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 22, 2004 Report Share Posted April 22, 2004 Kate wrote: " Of course, the postpartum and baby part has been a breeze. " This statement made me think. I agree that PP pt.'s and babies are breezy when it come to techinical nursing skills, but what about the personal skills we need to have as nurses? It seems that my patience and grace become really stretched when caring for PP pt.'s. I am curious if you all experience this. I have been pulled to other units (med surg) and found it so easy to make pt.'s comfortable, happy, and smiling. It seems on the med surg floors it doesn't take much to " win over " the pt. On the other hand I frequently feel I go to great lengths to win over and please the PP pt. My co-workers and I often muse about this. Is it because they come in with higher expectations since they have endured 9 months of pregnancy? Is it because of shows on TLC and Discovery that they have unrealistic expectations? We participate in the Press Ganey survey system for rating our pt.'s satsifaction. Our manager reads the negative responses to us in staff meeting. There have been numerous times that a situation is remembered that the pt. perceived as negative, and the RN recalls going to great lengths to serve the pt. and her family. Anyhoo... all that to say... do you think there is a great emotional/personal investment in OB nursing? Jenn mom to Zach 12/18/02 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 22, 2004 Report Share Posted April 22, 2004 Isn't it interesting that they choose to read the negative ones in meetings. Ours does the same thing. If we ever get a thumbs up it is through her gritted teeth, like she can't stand to say anything positive. Deb "The fingerprint of God is often a paw print." Chernak McElroy Re: [OBnurses] this and that Kate wrote:"Of course, the postpartum and baby part has been a breeze. "This statement made me think. I agree that PP pt.'s and babies arebreezy when it come to techinical nursing skills, but what about thepersonal skills we need to have as nurses? It seems that my patience andgrace become really stretched when caring for PP pt.'s. I am curious ifyou all experience this. I have been pulled to other units (med surg)and found it so easy to make pt.'s comfortable, happy, and smiling. Itseems on the med surg floors it doesn't take much to "win over" the pt. On the other hand I frequently feel I go to great lengths to win over andplease the PP pt. My co-workers and I often muse about this. Is it because they come inwith higher expectations since they have endured 9 months of pregnancy? Is it because of shows on TLC and Discovery that they have unrealisticexpectations?We participate in the Press Ganey survey system for rating our pt.'ssatsifaction. Our manager reads the negative responses to us in staffmeeting. There have been numerous times that a situation is rememberedthat the pt. perceived as negative, and the RN recalls going to greatlengths to serve the pt. and her family.Anyhoo... all that to say... do you think there is a greatemotional/personal investment in OB nursing?Jenn mom to Zach 12/18/02Welcome to the OBnurses list!You have the freedom to change your membership settings at any time you choose. Go to the Yahoogroups Home Page at www.yahoogroups.com and sign in with your e mail address and the password you used to subscribe to this list. You will then see a list of all Onelist lists you are subscribed to. You can then easily choose the settings you would like--unsubscribe, digest, or Web-only. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 22, 2004 Report Share Posted April 22, 2004 Hi Kate, I agree with you. How difficult it is to move to a new area of nursing. I absolutely hated L & D in nursing school. I never considered it until, feeling sick of the workload in ER I looked for something else to do. L & D was so different from anything I have ever done. I have now been there for 2 1/2 yrs and just when I think I just may know what is going on something else happens. I understand your confidence issues. Nothing worse when most of my "senior nurses" are 10 yrs younger than me! lol When ever I have a day where I feel like a total idiot, I open up an email I got from my nurse manager praising me for the work that I do....or I get out the baby announcements I cut out from the paper where people are recognizing me for the part I played in their delivery. Now I have gone along and done something stupid. I have started working casual at another hospital on their L & D unit and I am back to feeling stupid again..... (where the heck do you guys even keep your gloves?!?) Although most procedure are the same set up in their OR is different from what I have been doing and their physical layout takes getting used to. I am plugging away and trying not to give up. Someday the anxiety I feel when I know I am going there will go away......what was I thinking! Chris In Canada Post your free ad now! Yahoo! Canada Personals Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 22, 2004 Report Share Posted April 22, 2004 I went form 8 tears of Ortho-Neuro ICU to OB. Need to see some happy things at work for a change (esp since most of the ICU patients seemed to have a death wish from drinking and driving) Did L & D from 85-2000, with a 5 year break in the middle to be asst. nurse manager of a large (48) bed postpartum/well baby unit. It wasn't such a problem to keep patients happy then. I chose to leave L & D because I was too stressed with 2 patients and their strips. Funny I love 2 sick babies at once...that's my comfort zone! Now I primarily do newborn and level 2 nursery, but sometimes we have to float to pp/gyn. We have a couple employees who always seem to be in the middle of the patient conflicts...you can tell who they are by what the comment says (we use Gallup Poll). Our managers made 2 huge bulletin boards for comment cards. The one with the nice comments is in the hallway by the nurses desk on pp. The other one is in the locker room bathroom and the decorate it for each season, along with the satisfaction survery for the month prior and the nastygrams. We just got a new nurse manager in March, her only focus at this time is patient and physician satisfaction. (the ANM's are doing the rest She spends hour in pt rooms grilling them over their care and our responses. We are REQUIRED to say the tag line "is there anything else I can do for you....I HAVE THE TIME" before we leave the room each time. If she catches you coming out of the room without saying "I have the time" you get taken aside. SHe has come out of rooms on day shift with a list of errors and confronted the nurse "the garbage is almost full, she only had a half pitcher of water, the room is a mess, (like its our fault that they live like pigs at home,) she didn't hear the magic words......" There is a mutiny brewing...glad I work nights. LAurie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 23, 2004 Report Share Posted April 23, 2004 I have heard alot of things about the american health care system and never having been apart of it or a user of it I am not sure whether I would do well in it or not. Here we are less "customer" focused. We do get satisfaction survey's back and we do learn from the responses but our manager certainly doesn't ride us all for it. She acknowledges peoples perceptions are different when they are in labour than what they would normally be and for that I am thankful. I have heard with my own ears my patient recount to a family member her labour and delivery and having been there the entire length of her stay have to ask myself, "was I really there?!?". Her story is much different from what I remember it to be. We do what we can to give good nursing care.....as we all do. I'll empty a garbage if delivery is almost imminent and my garbage is overflowing. Thats it. Another possible advantage we have here is that fact that we are unionized and there for have a strong backing when it comes to working conditions and workload. Of course that is to a certain extent. If there are no nurses to work there are no nurses. Is it true (don't laugh if it isn't) some patients are promised lobster and steak dinner before their discharge? (I think this is the difference between "private" patients and others?) Chris In Canada Post your free ad now! Yahoo! Canada Personals Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 23, 2004 Report Share Posted April 23, 2004 Deb wrote: " Isn't it interesting that they choose to read the negative ones in meetings. Ours does the same thing. If we ever get a thumbs up it is through her gritted teeth, like she can't stand to say anything positive. " ___________ I was wondering if anyone would catch that! I agree with your sentiments. Jenn mom to Zach 12/18/02 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 23, 2004 Report Share Posted April 23, 2004 you may have mentioned this in the past (I'm sure you have) but where are you from ? (General only please--like what country? My memory (not so great at times) is saying Australia or Canada. ---------Jeanine Re: [OBnurses] this and that I have heard alot of things about the american health care system and never having been apart of it or a user of it I am not sure whether I would do well in it or not. Here we are less "customer" focused. We do get satisfaction survey's back and we do learn from the responses but our manager certainly doesn't ride us all for it. She acknowledges peoples perceptions are different when they are in labour than what they would normally be and for that I am thankful. I have heard with my own ears my patient recount to a family member her labour and delivery and having been there the entire length of her stay have to ask myself, "was I really there?!?". Her story is much different from what I remember it to be. We do what we can to give good nursing care.....as we all do. I'll empty a garbage if delivery is almost imminent and my garbage is overflowing. Thats it. Another possible advantage we have here is that fact that we are unionized and there for have a strong backing when it comes to working conditions and workload. Of course that is to a certain extent. If there are no nurses to work there are no nurses. Is it true (don't laugh if it isn't) some patients are promised lobster and steak dinner before their discharge? (I think this is the difference between "private" patients and others?) Chris In Canada Post your free ad now! Yahoo! Canada PersonalsWelcome to the OBnurses list!You have the freedom to change your membership settings at any time you choose. Go to the Yahoogroups Home Page at www.yahoogroups.com and sign in with your e mail address and the password you used to subscribe to this list. You will then see a list of all Onelist lists you are subscribed to. You can then easily choose the settings you would like--unsubscribe, digest, or Web-only. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 23, 2004 Report Share Posted April 23, 2004 check my signature.....Canada ;o) you may have mentioned this in the past (I'm sure you have) but where are you from ? Chris In Canada Post your free ad now! Yahoo! Canada Personals Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 23, 2004 Report Share Posted April 23, 2004 Is it true (don't laugh if it isn't) some patients are promised lobster and steak dinner before their discharge? (I think this is the difference between "private" patients and others?) We used to do that for parents who went through or lamaze lcasses and had insurance. Have'nt had that for about 10 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 24, 2004 Report Share Posted April 24, 2004 but we started finding them at garage sales that's funny....thats where we find a lot of our hospital baby blankets, stamped with our name along with the t shirts. People have no shame. Laurie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 24, 2004 Report Share Posted April 24, 2004 but we started finding them at garage sales The only thing we do for mom now is the OB pack with pads, peribottle, etc comes in a navy blue backpack that they can reuse when they go home. They also get the goodie bags for the baby with a ll the free samples in it at discharge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 24, 2004 Report Share Posted April 24, 2004 we used to have a dinner for 2 at the " club stork" dinning services would set up a table with table cloth and candle light they had their choice of steak,shrimp, lobster or chicken and even a choice of wines but the stays have gotten shorter so we went to a really cute picnic basket with our logo on the lid and it was filled with several cheeses, crackers breads and wine, but we started finding them at garage sales and in resale shops so now we do phone cards, a throw away camera with a discount coupon on developing and a gift certificate for mom at one of several beauty shops, but its for all moms, with or with out insurance alcie in illinois Re: [OBnurses] this and that Is it true (don't laugh if it isn't) some patients are promised lobster and steak dinner before their discharge? (I think this is the difference between "private" patients and others?) We used to do that for parents who went through or lamaze lcasses and had insurance. Have'nt had that for about 10 years.Welcome to the OBnurses list!You have the freedom to change your membership settings at any time you choose. Go to the Yahoogroups Home Page at www.yahoogroups.com and sign in with your e mail address and the password you used to subscribe to this list. You will then see a list of all Onelist lists you are subscribed to. You can then easily choose the settings you would like--unsubscribe, digest, or Web-only. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 24, 2004 Report Share Posted April 24, 2004 We see people coming in to have labs on their babies in hospital blankets. Deb "The fingerprint of God is often a paw print." Chernak McElroy Re: [OBnurses] this and that but we started finding them at garage sales that's funny....thats where we find a lot of our hospital baby blankets, stamped with our name along with the t shirts. People have no shame. LaurieWelcome to the OBnurses list!You have the freedom to change your membership settings at any time you choose. Go to the Yahoogroups Home Page at www.yahoogroups.com and sign in with your e mail address and the password you used to subscribe to this list. You will then see a list of all Onelist lists you are subscribed to. You can then easily choose the settings you would like--unsubscribe, digest, or Web-only. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 25, 2004 Report Share Posted April 25, 2004 LOL!! Ok, so my powers of obseration flew right out the window after 5 nights with no sleep..... Thanks! ---------Jeanine Re: [OBnurses] this and that check my signature.....Canada ;o) you may have mentioned this in the past (I'm sure you have) but where are you from ? Chris In Canada Post your free ad now! Yahoo! Canada PersonalsWelcome to the OBnurses list!You have the freedom to change your membership settings at any time you choose. Go to the Yahoogroups Home Page at www.yahoogroups.com and sign in with your e mail address and the password you used to subscribe to this list. You will then see a list of all Onelist lists you are subscribed to. You can then easily choose the settings you would like--unsubscribe, digest, or Web-only. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 26, 2004 Report Share Posted April 26, 2004 check my signature.....Canada ;o) I didn't notice it there either. Thanks Jeanine for asking and thanks for responding. , TX Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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