Insights from an OB Nurse

I feel that I have learned some things in my years of working in Labor and Delivery and an OB/Gyn office that I should share with my readers. I have a similar posting on facebook, so I will try not to overlap. There are certain things that one should know when dealing with nurses in Women's Health...1. Always keep an open mind. Women's bodies are strange and unpredictable. Take the time to listen to the suggestions of your nurse whether in the office or in the hospital. This is her job and she sees women with the same problems everyday.

2. Always be nice to those who control the pain medications. Now, I am not going to say that if you act like a spoiled brat that a nurse will deny you pain medication. However, it may strangely take the anesthesiologist 3 hours to get to your epidural! I find, in life, it is never a good idea to be rude to someone who is in control of something you want. Plus, know that for every nurse you are rude to, there are at least 10 other nurses who will hear about it.

3. Bringing presents is always a good idea. Nurses are fairly simple creatures. Give us a cookie and we will love you forever. Next time you want to get in good with the Labor and Delivery nurses or the nurses at your local doctors office, bring in some candy, cookies, or fruit basket. They will remember you and the present. This is a good way to get your epidural quickly.

4. Respect the fact that your nurse knows what she is talking about. I know that there are great websites out there like WebMD and that people love to diagnose themselves, but the websites are not always correct. Not to say that every nurse you meet knows everything, we definitely don't. But, we did go to school to specifically learn about how the human body works and what treatments go with which disease. Just like you wouldn't want someone always second guessing what you do at work, nurses don't want you to second guess their work. Most nurses will ask other nurses opinions or doctors opinions if they do not know the answer to your question, but don't assume because your nurse does not know the answer that she does not know her job.

5. Never assume that you are your nurse's only patient. Especially in L&D, your nurse may have several patients and even though you asked for that glass of ice 20 minutes ago, she may be admitting a patient or helping deliver a baby. Most nurses will keep you abreast of what they are doing and where they will be, so just have patience. Now, if she tells you that you are her only patient and your visitors have personally seen her on 10 smoke breaks and you have been waiting 2 hours for a pillow, you have a right to start complaining.