Saturday, April 11, 2009

Why I Don't Do Mom/Baby

Why don't I do Mom/Baby (postpartum) nursing? Because I can't handle it. I don't know why I can't handle it, but I can't handle it. I don't understand the charting, I don't really, truly understand the correct "assessment" of it...I just don't get it. Hence why I don't do it. Well, why I didn't do it until last night. There were lots of not-so-nice words going on in my head when I saw my assignment was 2 post-partum mag patients, plus one of their babies. I've done postpartum mom's...never the babies. I'm NOT a baby nurse, I'm a MOMMY nurse...once the baby is on the outside, it scares me just a little because I don't know what to do to it or how to fix it if it breaks. I can't roll it on it's side to get it off the cord, I can't put on a scalp lead to hear the heart beat, I can't run to the back for a C/S if all else fails...besides a pacifier in the mouth I don't know how to fix a baby!

Anyway...I was the first night shift nurse there last night and they were just writing assignments on the board when I got there. I said something about my assignment which probably wasn't the most professional or adult thing to say, but I said it anyway. J was sitting there and said "well change it, you're the only one here." So I asked the nurse writing the assignments up to change it and she said "I didn't make the assignments, it's not my fault." So guess who ended up keeping the post-partum mags? It doesn't seem quite fare that day shift can come in, change every single assignment if they don't like it, but nope, the assignments have already been made for night shift, we can't change them now! Sounds a little fishy to me...

But I did survive, actually got the turn the mag off for both mom's at 0330, gave them nice big glasses of water and let them actually sleep for a few hours without the hourly reflex checking, blood pressures, etc.

Thank goodness for the well baby nurse who helped me with "my baby" and drew labs and knew how to make sure it stayed not-broken for my shift. I'll stick to mom's with the babies inside, thank you!

1 comment:

  1. I can't wait to finish RN school... Because I can't wait to work with moms and babies! It'll be awhile though.

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