Things You Need to Know About Obstetric (OB) Nurse
Dec 5, 2014 | 9:00 am
An OB nurse works in obstetrics, which is care for women who experiencing issues with pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum depression. While some nurses also pursue GYN or gynecology, some choose to focus on obstetrics. The two fields are related as they both deal with the reproductive system. The job involves helping adult women as well as teenage girls.
Gynecology is actually the newer study, as it resulted as a subfield of obstetrics, with focus on illness and sexual organs. Midwives are health science professional nurses, while the doctor is called the obstetrician. As an OB/GYN nurse, your responsibilities are to assist with facility procedures, such as annual checkups as well as administering certain medical procedures, such as HPV vaccinations. It is also with the OB nurse’s qualifications to help with labor and delivery and teach patients about birth control. Lastly, nurses can perform mammogram screenings. If you work only in obstetrics then you will specialize in the care of pregnant women and the delivery of newborns only.
This work takes you into the labor and delivery department. Skills that are necessities for this field include the ability to communicate and educate patients as to lifestyle changes, medical treatments and aftercare.
OB Nurse Interviews and Inspiration
The Gypsy Blog published an interview with Patricia C Pitts, RNC -OB / CNM, who explained some eye-opening thoughts about the lifestyle of the profession. She stated that a typical day in the life of a nurse consists of taking care of a variety of women in different stages of labor. One of the primary duties was in Interpreting Fetal Heart-rate Tracings and communicating with primary doctors.
One of her peeves was management issues. “Some Management Team members with no experience in a specialty say a nurse is a nurse. But, I stick to my specialty and do it with pride.” In regard to the hectic lifestyle that students are rightly expecting, she offered this bit of sage advice. “You have to get really creative with breaks. Eating on the run is very common most days!” However she adds that there still are days when it’s not so busy, and it’s like a mini-vacation for nurses since—unlike other professions—there is no need to stay constantly busy in the name of corporate productivity.
OB nurse Moira Foley told First Choice Emergency Room that she started her career as a Certified Nurse Midwife, but eventually completed her OB nursing rotation then pursued Emergency Department care finally progressing to Nurse Manager and Facility Administrator.
As you can see, this is a career path that allows you to step up the career ladder as far as you want to go, or stay in a department where you feel comfortable. The career potential is there and it is a specialty that needs a lot of help. The Bureau of Labor Statistics quotes a $96,460 per year median pay, and a 31 percent growth in employment trends. Now is the time to join this lucrative and meaningful career path.