Comments on: It Only Takes A Few Minutes To Make Someone’s Day

By: Ronnie

Ronnie — Sun, 21 May 2006 21:43:41 +0000

A, B, C – if they’re not moving air you bag them regardless of pulse, respiratory effort or anything else. You carry on bagging them until they pick up or someone arrives to intubate

By: KatyM

KatyM — Sun, 05 Dec 2004 00:23:57 +0000

Hi Alicia,
As I understand it, the reason we were not bagging this baby is that his heart rate was above 100 and he was making respiratory efforts. I am still pretty new and was following the lead of my charge, but I will double check that. Thanks!

By: KatyM

KatyM — Sun, 05 Dec 2004 00:23:48 +0000

By: alicia the midwife

alicia the midwife — Sat, 04 Dec 2004 20:48:34 +0000

Been there, done that, burned the scrub shirt. Had a baby I delivered a couple years ago with an undiagnosed diaphragmatic hernia – kid came out and just would not breath – NICU team called stat while nurse and I (and resident and all) were trying to oxygenate the kid. NICU came and got him going and intubated him – it was when they shot the film for the tube placement that they saw the whole – kid got a plane ride to Boston for that one. So very scary, no? I love OB, wouldn’t do anything else, but when it goes south it goes fast.
Tech question on this story – I thought that the NRP really pushed bagging babies like this one.

By: Shamhat

Shamhat — Sat, 04 Dec 2004 08:36:57 +0000

Funny, I can’t ever recall any male patient being asked if he would consent to be cared for by a female nurse–even Hasidic Jews.

By: charles

charles — Wed, 01 Dec 2004 21:27:39 +0000

great story… that fear and apprehension surrounding what’s coming out during a delivery is intense.

By: KatyM

KatyM — Wed, 01 Dec 2004 10:50:23 +0000

To azbigjohn.
There is a male nurse-midwife in our area. I have never met him but he is supposed to be fabulous. He had to have started out as an OB nurse.
And yes, babies are both the most fun and scariest of patients.

By: Anne

Anne — Wed, 01 Dec 2004 00:22:55 +0000

You know, I had 2 males in my clinical group for our OB rotation in school. They never had any problem, not even in L&D. It’s funny how things can be so different just based on one nurse’s perception of what an OB nurse should be. We nurses need to ENCOURAGE male students. Some of the best nurses I’ve worked with have been men.

Great story, Katy. It’s nice to be reminded that you’re capable and talented, which of course, you are!

By: azbigjohn

azbigjohn — Sun, 28 Nov 2004 02:02:03 +0000

I am just finishing up my OB rotation for nursing school. We nursing students are in a hospital with “WOW” cards, and we make a special effort to fill them out for nurses who help us do extra procedures, or go out of their way for us.

As a male student, I was not looking forward to OB, but it was a tremendous experience, except for one day. I had a 200 year old nurse, who instead of just bringing me along like nothing was unusual, she went to every patient and said, “We have a MALE nursing student on the floor today. If you don’t want him in your room, just tell me.” Needless to say, the awkwardness on the floor was palpable that day.

I started my peds rotation today, and my hat is off to any nursery, NICU or PICU nurse. It has to be the job with the highest of highs, but also the lowest of lows…