This has never seemed so true, because as a nursing student, you know what can GO WRONG!
I spent a few hours today in our Nursing Lab. We learned about caring for a Mother and Baby during and after labor. And you know what? I think I want to adopt...
Just kidding, I think.
Obstretics is an interesting field, and I'm intrigued. I enjoyed my 12 hour clinical rotation on Labor and Delivery last week and am looking forward to my 3 clinicals in April on the Mother/Baby floor. I now know how to read a fetal heart and maternal contraction monitor and what to do if there is something wrong. It's lots of fun when all those squiggly lines make sense!
Did you know that if a baby has an abnormal drop in heart rate, from compression of the cord, you can try re-positioning the Mom?
(Hey, that happened to me when I was being born...)
Did you know that there are 2 arteries and 1 vein in the umbilical cord, and that missing one of these could mean a congenital abnormality?
(Hey, I only had 2 vessels in my umbilical cord...)
EEK! Not to worry, turns out I am one of the 75% that turn out okay, heh heh.
Our lab is fully equipped. We even have a dummy that gives birth and can go into distress, but she wasn't working today - but I did get to palpate her tummy for the baby's head, back, and hiney!
Labor and Delivery nurses spend a lot of time with their patients (2 patients during the shift, not 5 or 6 like other floors!) and have a lot of autonomy, meaning they provide a lot of care. I could see myself doing this one day. But that is the problem, because every time I go to a floor that has anything to do with children or babies, "I can see myself working on that floor".
Summertime Sweets
10 months ago
4 comments:
April,
I absolutely LOVED my labor and delivery nurse! As you know, I had several "issues" that my nurse had to deal with and she is one of my fondest memories of that day. Did I tell you that she saw my name the next year when I had Matt and switched with another nurse so she could do Matt's discharge check? I know . . . awwwwwwwww.
The same is true of the nurse who cared for Matt (and Me) in the NICU. She, too, was wonderful and she had to not only deal with a 10 lbs. 7 oz. baby in the NICU! but with a mother who had just had her stomach cut open and whose hormones were all over the place. And she handled Matt (and Me) with such tenderness......again, a very fond memory.
April, YOU will be one of those fond memories for many moms. As you saw, birth is a beautiful (at times) and gross (at more times) and it takes someone special to see moms and new borns through. I am so glad you've chosen this field to serve others.
OK, the comment box is blurring now, so I better sign off.
Love you!
Sounds fun. I'd love to be there to watch the dummy give birth. You should log a picture of what that "woman" looks like laying in the hospital bed waiting for nursing students to come and take care of her. Love, Mom
I already knew all of that.
Hi April.
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