What is the difference between the MNNC Course and the OB Essentials On-Demand Bundle?

Empowering you with amazing options!

If you’re interested in becoming a Labor and Delivery nurse, you might already be aware of the Maternal Newborn Nursing Care (MNNC) course. The course was originally part of the Regional Perinatal System, has been well vetted for many years, and is looked to as a standard of OB continuing education in the community. You might be wondering what the difference is between the MNNC course and the other SCCEd options such as the OB Essentials On-Demand Bundle. We’d love to answer this question because we LOVE that you have both options!

MNNC COURSE

• Prepares nurses new to obstetrics for clinical preceptorship into labor, delivery, and postpartum.

• Comprehensive course including norms, complications, assessments, and interventions. Type of course content (not all-inclusive):

ㅤㅤ- Reproductive anatomy and physiology.

ㅤㅤ- Physiologic processes associated with labor and delivery, nursing assessment and interventions.

ㅤㅤ- Common complications of pregnancy and medical/pharmacologic interventions.

ㅤㅤ- Postpartum care, couplet care, and assessment of newborn problems and nursing interventions.

ㅤㅤ- Perinatal documentation and medico-legal aspects of care.

ㅤㅤ- Culturally competent care, high risk social behaviors.

ㅤㅤ- Basic fetal monitoring.

• MNNC Course Dates: historically has been held once in the winter and once in the summer months only, however we hope to add more courses to the schedule very soon!

• MNNC is four to six weeks long, with approximately 16 hours of learning each week.

• MNNC is held either in-person (when no restrictions) or online via zoom (with in-person restrictions).

• Larger classroom size (commonly 50-80 participants).

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OB ESSENTIALS ON-DEMAND BUNDLE

• Four on-demand, self paced video-narrated courses.

• Focused lessons to prepare nurses new to obstetrics for clinical preceptorship into labor and delivery.

ㅤㅤ- 1) Anatomical and physiologic changes from conception through the postpartum period.

ㅤㅤ- 2) Prenatal course of care.

ㅤㅤ- 3) Intensive labor and delivery course, nursing assessment, interventions, and facilitation techniques to promote normal physiologic birth and reduce primary cesarean section rates.

ㅤㅤ- 4) Basic Fetal Monitoring course.

In addition to the Bundle, we recommend adding these two foundational courses to complete the OB Essentials courses:

ㅤㅤ- Recovery and Postpartum Essentials.

ㅤㅤ- Newborn Essentials of Care.

• On-demand lessons can be taken at any time throughout the year, from the convenience of your home setting, no matter where you live in the country!

• Modules include knowledge checks along the way.

• Convenient for nurses who work night shift or multiple jobs, as the on-demand options provide flexibility in your learning hours.

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For each of our course options, PDF’s are provided for participants to download.

For RNs, CNE contact hours are available. Provider approved by the CA Board of Registered Nursing: CEP17504. Completion certificates awarded at course completion as well.

SCCEd also provides personalized assistance with resume building, interview tips, and letters of recommendation upon request and as appropriate.

To have both options in our Southern California community is amazing! We understand the importance of your busy schedule, your budget, and need for flexibility. Options are a MUST these days! The most important thing is quality education, and we feel confident that whatever path you choose will provide you with an outstanding learning experience. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out anytime!

Sincerely,

Kristi Eichhorn and the SCCEd Team

I'm Hired Into L&D! Now What???

Navigating the Rollercoaster of Being a New Labor and Delivery Nurse...

Congratulations! The next few months (or years!) will be some of the most challenging yet rewarding in your life! Let’s talk about what you can expect after you’re hired as a new L&D nurse, and how you can remain competent (and calm)!

Deep Breaths: You won’t be alone! You’ll have some pretty intense hands-on training (SO important!) with experienced L&D preceptors for a few months before you’re flying solo. But even after you’re flying solo, know that L&D definitely works as a team and collaboration is an every-day necessity.

Push Hard: True, your patients will need to push hard, but so will you. L&D nursing can be exhilarating one moment and down-right frightening the next. You’ll be expected to think fast, move fast, and act fast! After all, you will have moms’ and babies’ lives in your hands, and we don’t take that lightly! Anticipate good days and bad days, and push yourself to learn from every situation that arises. Don’t get discouraged and just keep learning and growing!

Practice & Prepare: During down-time (Ha! What’s that?) consider familiarizing yourself with all the storage rooms and equipment so you know exactly where to locate things during an emergency. Talk with your unit-based educator, nursing manager, or preceptor about using opened supplies to practice important skills, such as placement of a Fetal Spiral Electrode or assisting with an Intrauterine Pressure Catheter. Review your department’s policies, protocols, standards of practice, and standard provider orders so you are familiar and always at the ready. Attend all in-services provided at the hospital and check your work email often for updates. And lastly, attend as many deliveries as possible and help however you can in urgent or emergent situations. Knowledge is power – so seek as many learning opportunities as possible!

Check In: Ask your preceptors or other colleagues how they think you’re coming along as a new L&D nurse. Be open to any constructive criticism and use their advice to your benefit. If you’re behind in certain areas or feeling unsafe, ask what you can do to feel more supported or gain the experiences you need. Your orientation process will be highly dependent on you…so stay motivated, stay involved, set goals, and make them happen!

Continue Learning: Keep up on evidence-based practices and climb that ladder with additional knowledge! You will likely be required to take AWHONN’s Intermediate Fetal Heart Monitoring Course after about 3-6 months of on-the-job training (or a similar FHM program), and eventually you can take AWHONN’s Advanced FHM Course (or similar). Consider becoming certified as an RNC-OB or RNC-EFM through the National Certification Corporation.

How Can SCCEd Help? You’ve come to the right place! We offer high risk obstetric courses to keep you up-to-date regarding L&D complications that may arise - so you’re safe, your patient is safe, her baby is safe, and everyone is safe! In addition, AWHONN Intermediate and Advanced FHM Courses are offered through SCCEd, along with AWHONN Obstetric Patient Safety (OPS): OB Emergencies Workshops.

From all of us here at SCCEd, enjoy the ride! You get to be part of one of the most important days in a patient and their family’s life! How incredible is that?! It won’t always be easy, and it won’t always have a happy ending. But it will be worth it! You have the potential to make an incredible difference in your patient’s life, and their birth story…each and every day.

Best wishes for a rewarding career and we hope to be part of your nursing story!

Kindly,

Kristi Eichhorn and the SCCEd Team

How to Land Your Dream Nursing Job in Labor & Delivery

It Can Be a Tricky One to Navigate!

So, you’re curious about entering the exciting and rewarding field of labor and delivery, but you aren’t quite sure how to make that dream your reality. We understand that obstetric nursing is highly competitive, and employers are looking for the top candidates to add to their team. We’d love to share some important tips that may guide you in the right direction of landing your dream job in L&D!

Become an RN! Your first step is to pass NCLEX and become a Register Nurse! You’ll probably find that most hospital organizations prefer their L&D nurses to have a BSN. If you have an ADN, don’t worry - you still might have a shot at getting hired! Know that many hospitals will require you to get your BSN shortly after hire. If you’re unsure if your degree is acceptable for hire into L&D, check in with your local hospitals to get more information.

AWHONN: We highly recommend joining the OB specialty organization: the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetrics and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN). You’ll have access to scholarly journals, fetal monitoring programs, continuing education, an opportunity to attend their annual conference, and more! Although not required, joining AWHONN before you’re hired and adding it to your resume shows that you’re dedicated to this profession and you’re an employee who is really ready to dive in.

Network: Networking is a fantastic way to position yourself, get your name out there, and show your passion for obstetric nursing. Ask your nursing instructors for recommendations regarding hospital organizations and various programs, such as new-grad programs or transition-type programs. Don't be afraid to speak with L&D nursing managers and educators, introduce yourself, and ask for their guidance in joining their team.

Specialty CE Courses! Although nursing schools provide you with a rigorous program of study, you’ve probably gathered that L&D nurses require additional specialty training to be considered for hire. These specialty courses are often reimbursed by the hospital organization, so you’ll want to check into that as well! So, what type of specialty courses are fantastic resume boosters to get you a step ahead? Here’s a list of some of the most important types of courses you’ll need to look into:

- Basic Fetal Monitoring ... You’ll need to understand fetal heart rate patterns and uterine activity in quite a bit of detail, including assessment and the important nursing interventions for abnormal patterns. This is a huge part of L&D nursing and one you’ll need to be very proficient at.

- Physiologic Changes and Prenatal Course ... You’ll need an in-depth understanding of the important changes that happen to women during pregnancy, labor, birth, and postpartum – and how these changes can affect various aspects of your care. This, along with great understanding of the prenatal course, will be particularly beneficial in areas of obstetric triage as well as inpatient care.

- Labor, Labor, Labor! ... Did someone say labor? Advanced learning of labor concepts are a must-have for a new nurse to L&D, including the typical labor course and nursing interventions/ facilitation techniques when things don’t go as planned.

- High-Risk Situations ... Comprehension of common obstetric complications is crucial, as even a low-risk patient can face an emergent situation. You’ll need to know what to look for, how to assess, and what your interventions will include.

- Maternal Newborn Nursing Care (MNNC) Course ... this is a comprehensive, month-long Hybrid Learning Program that incorporates some on-demand lessons along with in-person and hands-on instruction. The course covers ALL. THINGS. Perinatal and Newborn!

- Basic Life Support and Neonatal Resuscitation Program ... BLS and NRP training are required certifications in which all L&D nurses must have. Hospitals often hold courses such as BLS & NRP, or you could look into organizations such as Express Training Solutions.

How Can SCCEd Help? You’ve come to the right place! Obstetric courses are our specialty! Our passionate L&D educators have decades of practical, hands-on experience to bring meaning and value to your learning. We won’t memorize lists just to pass a class – instead, we’ll learn the “why” behind important concepts so you really have an excellent understanding of all-things OB. You’ll be armed with crucial knowledge to get you that step ahead, provide safe care, and impress your colleagues along the way!

Besides BLS/NRP, we offer all of the essential courses you’ll need to feel prepared, gain confidence, build that resume, and get you ready for the job of your dreams! If you’re a nurse, you’ll be eligible for CEU’s/CNE's and a CE certificate. If you’re a student nurse and not yet graduated or waiting on your NCLEX, don’t worry! You can still take these courses! You’ll receive a certificate of completion to provide to your soon-to-be employer.

The courses at SCCEd are designed to fit not only your educational needs, but also your preferred method of learning. Choose from on-demand options, live zoom courses, or attend an in-person workshop for a hands-on approach. On-demand courses can be taken individually, or we offer a bundle of courses at a reduced rate that includes the most essential courses for new OB learning.

Reach out to us anytime if you have questions along the way! We love talking about OB and helping new L&D nurses fulfill their dreams! Best wishes for a rewarding career and we hope to be part of your nursing story!

Kindly,

Kristi Eichhorn and the SCCEd Team