June 29, 2011

Childbirth Education

I mentioned that I've been pretty burned out lately, and I was thinking that I need something different to change things up. Either that or a long vacation. Not from patient care. That is what gets me through my shifts. It's the other B.S. that goes on. Anyway, one of the doctors is looking for a new office nurse and I thought "Hey, talk about timing. I'm getting frustrated to the point where I understand why nurses leave the bedside and go to offices and here's an opportunity". It's one I didn't make, though. I couldn't actually leave l&d, I'd miss it too much. I realized that I just need to do something different, maybe 1 day a week doing NST's and whatnot in an office, just to have one day of work where I'm not waking someone up, or arguing with someone to come in. Then one night this past weekend, the nurse who is in charge of all the childbirth education classes the hospital has asked if I would be willing to teach next year. My initial reactions was no, but the more I thought about it, the more I decided that I would do it. She was getting ready to work on next year's class schedule and a couple people who are currently teaching aren't going to next year. The timing is perfect. The commitment isn't too time consuming, just one night a week for 4 week classes. Plus it wouldn't be until next year that I would start teaching. Already, my attitude is a bit better. She said here in the next couple weeks, she'd chat with me about what I want to do. She needs someone to teach the typical childbirth education class and someone to teach the smaller c-section awareness class. I'm excited about this. This is just what I needed at just the right time.

3 comments:

Licensed Midwife Jessica said...

I love teaching CBE! Good luck, I hope you enjoy the change of pace.

Alethea said...

As an LD nurse and a Birthing From Within mentor, I STRONGLY encourage you to attend a Birthing From Within introductory seminar before taking up teaching classes. I used to teach hospital based classes and realized that "something was missing." I both felt this personally and recieved this as feedback from the couples taking the class. Be sure you are not simply leading a class that teaches women and their partners how to be compliant patients in the hospital birth culture. That is NOT what they need to learn to give birth. Birthing from within revitalized my passion for what I do, while at the some time instigating a huge paradigm shift which changed who I am as a woman, a nurse, a friend, a wife, a daughter, a birth companion, EVERTHING! It changed who I am, how I see birth and how I see my role within the world of birth. Many blessings to you on your journey!

Kaldas Center said...

I work for The Kaldas Center for Pregnancy and Fertility and we just put together a great printable resource regarding fertility if you would like to use it, share it, or if you could let us know what you think I would really appreciate it.

http://kaldascenter.com/contraceptives-chart/

Thanks!
-Jeremy