 Hi, welcome to nursing school explain and this series of the nurse interview series and playlist today. I'm here with Christina Jacobson who has spent all of her career in maternal health nursing women's health nursing. So Christina, hi, welcome. Thank you so much for joining me today. Hi, thanks for having me excuse the appearance I'm in my son's room with the internet is better. Thank you so much for being with me and sharing your expertise. To start with, how long have you been in the medical field or as a nurse or nurse midwife now. I have been a nurse for nine years, and then I've been a midwife for almost seven so about six and a half years. Wow, so tell me about that nursing journey. Um, so it's kind of not a straight line. It was very crooked. I went to school for theater first. And I quickly learned that it would be very difficult to make a career in theater, and I've always been drawn to healthcare so I am then decided I wanted to be in the medical field in some capacity. Um, I started with off being pre med and I took chemistry and I worked at the bottom is in my early 20s, and then I became pregnant. It wasn't intended or planned. So, I went to the hospital I was working at and I became, you know engaged in OB care there and I had midwives, and I'd never. My midwives, you know, delivered babies in the woods under a full moon like I didn't know. And I had such an incredible experience with the midwives in the hospital. And this is what I want to do. And so the midwives there at that practice, kind of guided me towards nurse midwifery, where I applied for an accelerated bachelors in nursing, and the master's exam. So it was, you know, I, gosh, I started that in 2009 and I graduated with my first undergrad in 2003. So the six year journey until I got there. So, initially you said you work in women's health for about two years and was that in at the hospital or an outpatient. I worked at Hanuman University Hospital in Philadelphia in their gynecology oncology unit for two years as an RN, just to pay for life and to get experience as a nurse, which was invaluable. That's great. And so from there on you took that accelerated program to get right into nurse nurse midwifery then. Well, so the accelerated part was just for the BSN. So it was 18 months, and I got my bachelor's in nursing became a nurse, and then the nurse midwifery is two years, the master's degree. I see. Okay, excellent. So what does it take to become a nurse midwife, what's your day to day like. So hopefully you don't fall you sleep very much. I'm kidding. It's, so I guess, do you mean the journey to become a midwife or just what my daily routine is. What's your daily routine now, when you go. So depending on where I'm scheduled so I work at a hospital as a nurse midwife and we rotate between clinic days and labor and delivery days. So my eight hour days tend to be in the clinic, and I have seen prenatal patients postpartum patients we do a lot of contraception, we do dating ultrasounds. And then labor and delivery would be those are longer shifts those are 12 hours or 24 hours. And we triage labor and patients pregnant women who come in with complaints they feel like they need to be seen urgently or if they think you're in labor and then also managing labor, laboring patients and delivering babies. So it sounds like you really take care of the maternal health spectrum from the very beginning of the pregnancy or maybe even trying to avoid it with the contraception counseling, and then all the way through a different station and through postpartum. So how many babies have you delivered now I know you keep an account. 541. Oh my goodness. Wow. And you've been doing this for seven years you said, almost. Yeah, so my first year as a midwife I didn't deliver any babies. I've been working at the hospital that I'm at for five and a half years. So I've delivered 541 babies. So about 100 babies a year that's a pretty average I'd say. Yeah, it's fun. So, so you have a lot of different experiences and interactions then I'm sure. What is that one interaction that really stands out to you that's like that's that one patient I'm never going to forget. You know, when you emailed me those questions it was, I was trying to think really hard. And there are so many, like literally so many. With midwifery I mean, you're correct we go through the lifespan from when a woman starts her period to when she's going through menopause. We take care of the whole woman through her whole reproductive lifetime. And that's a really great thing about midwifery is it has such a broad scope. It's not just babies and pregnancy, it's so much more than that. So, I have my stories for, you know, that, you know, women who have an unintended pregnancy and then my like counseling and contraception so that she can really take control of her family planning and reproductive life. So I have my stories, you know, really sad stories where I've delivered losses or really happy stories or delivered rainbow babies. But I want to say that actually my favorite deliveries, my favorite patients are the ones. It's not weird, but who really don't remember me. It's because it's about them. The delivering a baby a woman works so hard to grow that child and work so hard to deliver it. And as long as she had a really informed and good experience and I would like to be remembered as, oh my midwife was great. She helped me a lot. I don't even remember her name or what she looked like. And that's fine. That makes me feel really good because that means that the experience was centered all around her and her journey and her delivery. And I'm, I'm just kind of like, oh, I was a good person in the, in the middle of the room. But really she like mom is, is the hero of any, any delivery. So that's, that's my favorite part of what I do is just kind of making the all around experience. It's just good for the patient, and that she feels like a superhero. And that's all she needs to remember that those are my favorite deliveries. And that's really admirable because, you know, there's so much. I don't want to say bragging but there's so much responsibility to when it comes to delivering a baby so I would imagine and I don't have much experience in that field at all but I would imagine there is a certain maybe a competitiveness or something like that to it sometimes also. But you take more of this kind of like supportive role and really focus on the patient centered care. It's really about the woman and more of the holistic experience rather than just going in for a quote unquote procedure delivering this baby, right. So this is a, this is a great approach I think to, to nursing. Yeah, no, and I mean that you being a nurse midwife it really does encompass the whole like the nursing theory of like patient autonomy and care of the whole person, a holistic nature of maternity care it. It really is, I think the complete package, because nurse midwives understand that pregnancy isn't just for nine 10 months of a woman's life it really impacts who she is as a whole person. And we like to take that into account and, and make sure that she's coping with everything not just physically but mentally and in her heart and her and everything like that so it. It really is a passion of mine to give women that experience because the same experience I got with just empowered in their reproductive life and choices. That that's really great and it's really is following your own passion because you were inspired by these nurses and midwives that were taking care of you when you were in that situation and so you're kind of like, paint it forward again on. And that's, I think a unique role that we can play in nursing whether it's an advanced practice nurse, or you know that the bedside RN that's right there for the patient and that's that's the beautiful part about nursing and that there's so many different avenues. So now that you're thinking about you so you took a lot of education, what advice do you have if you think back when you were that new grad nurse, and you were trying to kind of get your wrap your mind around. You know, all the responsibilities that come with it, and you didn't have a whole lot of experience yet. If you would tell new grad nurses or people that are still in nursing school pursuing that goal pursuing that career, what advice would you share with them and give them what do you know now that you wish you would have known then as a new grad. Again, one of those questions questions that I had to like mull over because I feel like there's so much. So, a couple of takeaways where that you're going to cry every other day. And that's okay. And to always ask questions. So I, if you are uncertain about anything, even if it, even if you feel like it's going to make you look silly or uneducated just if you're not sure, ask the question. I've worked with enough in, you know, where I work at the training hospital. So these new doctors, they were they're raised in this kind of cultures medical culture that they have to know all the answers and they are hesitant to ask questions. And I also the nurses that I work with, if I'm like please doesn't, if you don't know the answer to something, ask somebody, because you don't want to make any big mistakes and everyone's going to make mistakes and that's the other thing is, we all make mistakes, we're all going to make mistakes and that's how we learn. But I just can't stress enough, if you don't know something, just ask somebody who knows more than you do. Because you don't want to make any big mistakes, because obviously in any, any field like something bad, you know, something can go be going well, well, well, and then not all of a sudden and that's definitely true and pregnancy and labor and delivery as well. So, yeah, it's always okay to ask questions. It's okay to cry. You're probably going to cry at the end of every shift. And sleep when you can. I remember that one was a big one just, and you have a day off sleep. Those those are all great points I always emphasize that with my students to asking those questions right. And the other thing that I always say is nobody knows all the answers right we're only as good as a team as a whole that takes care of the patient. And somebody will know the answer and it might not be the most experienced person on the in the department that you're at, but it's so important because like you said mistakes can be made and mistakes will be made, but nobody's going to necessarily fault you for a mistake but if you didn't answer or ask the question, and you made the mistake because you thought you knew then that's much worse than asking the question and then maybe the patient still the status will still change. So I think asking those questions and really been on top of it and don't be afraid to do that that's that's the probably one of the most important teaching points that I pass on to my students also. Yeah, I mean, it's, it's all it's going to make you a better nurse. Obviously, you know, just to, to have those answers to pay it forward to the nursing student comes in and ask you. So, you're right not everyone knows everything so definitely definitely use the big brains that are that will be around you. Absolutely. So great so it sounds like you have a very busy life with some of those like 12 or 24 hour shifts when you're right there waiting for babies to be delivered which I imagine is probably one of the more enjoyable parts of your job. And then so what do you do in your free time when you do have time. Well, but it's not 2020 I like to travel. I tend to kind of undecompressed and unwind by going on adventures. So, taking a trip out to the desert or, you know, going a few hours north to visit some midway friends who live up, you know, on the just about three hours north of, of here. Like weekend getaways that kind of thing it definitely helps to recharge my, my cup or my battery, fill my cup. But right now, crafting. Thank you. I mean, most good wives like to knit or use their hands in some capacity. And knit, it's just, it's too hot in San Diego. So, I tend to so or I make, like, make earrings or I did crafty things in 2020. That's what I've been doing. But that's great so you found something that you're passionate about that doesn't necessarily involve your first choice of the traveling which you can't really do much right now so great. And so is this something that you do for general work life balance to traveling and then crafty is a other is a any other and other any other things that you'd like to add that you would recommend for others to do to. So, I mean, it's, I feel like it's so hackneyed everyone already says it but definitely like exercise, getting outside. Taking a walk or a hike it. It definitely does recharge the battery helps to unplug from devices. So, and I feel like that's always the, the suggestion that's made to people they're like, how do I find work life balance like exercise more. It's, I found that it really, I was not a believer. I will say this I was not a believer I was like no way it's going to make me tired. And the last thing I want to do when I'm tired is go take a hike but it's, I found that it really, especially right now since I can't do all of the things that I would really want to do. It is a nice mini adventure. I feel a nice get away from home from daily life from work, just, you know, walking around even in my neighborhood, just, it's just nice to unplug, get away, move my body, and, you know, process the day process my thoughts. So I found that that has really helped, especially this year. I agree with you I kind of call it like to call it sunshine therapy, getting outside and then sometimes when you're deep in the books, or, you know, you're working on something really hard. I like to also call it airing out my brain right just to get outside and, like you said, think about something different. You know, fresh air and then unplug I think that's the other thing because we're now a day so confined to any kind of devices in front of us, we're confined to chairs. We don't move much so this movement and interaction and just getting outside can be super super important. Okay, thank you so much for joining me are there any last thoughts anything else you'd like to add to perspective nurses or maybe even nurse midwives. I mean, if this like if becoming a labor and delivery nurse or if delivering babies seems like, oh this would be so awesome. Definitely seek it out. I mean nursing a in any field is a great career and we're always need nurses. We will always babies are always born so we will always need labor and delivery nurses and we will always need midwives. I would say for, I think, the great, if you're, I'm sorry I'm stuttering, but if you like challenges, and you like unexpected things, kind of, but within a world that you know very well. So this is not quite like emergency medicine where anything can walk in the door in OB. I mean you're always going to have someone who's pregnant, for the most part or it's always going to be a woman with some kind of gynecological problem so that's always a world you're going to be in. But it is like the ER where it could be anything a pregnant woman could come in for something as simple as my baby's not moving. And it could be just as easy as oh we just need it was just taking a nap. We're just scanning and we see enough food and everything's great. Then the next patient in the next room is delivery baby and then you she starts bleeding heavily and hemorrhaging and you have to know how to manage that and kind of switching gears very quickly. You're really using, you know, all areas of your brain, you know, you're using your quantifying blood loss and you are, you know, thinking who do I need to call who, what other resources do I need but then also thinking about. We're going to inform dad what's going on or we're going to assign a person to tell mom what's going on and kind of remembering that this is still a big event in someone's life and she needs to know and so you're juggling a lot of, if you like that if you like that you're kind of knowing how to take care of a patient as a human being but also how to look at the biology and the science around taking care of this person. It's a lot of fun. I mean, there are days that can be very exhausting, but it also is so fulfilling and I would say every day. You know, most days I come home and I'm like, I did a good job today, like I, if I recount, I'm like, oh yeah, this one had the baby oh yeah she had a hemorrhage she's blood a leader but I fixed it was fine. I'm like, I did that. That's really incredible. And so it's very exciting but I also like it that I don't need to know about appendixes or tonsils or the brain. I just need to know about the uterus and that and I feel good about that so I think if you have a mind that kind of likes, you know, twists and turns and, and kind of action, but also everything can also turn out okay in the end then it's a good field for you. So yeah, we always need more next to the midwife so anyone watching this, we want you and we need you in our field. So I think no matter what area that you choose it's always going to be rewarding right you're going to have those days where you come home, and you're like I did this I figured this out I helped save this patient's life I discovered that this was going on with the patient and I figured it might be and there are so many different options out there and that's the beauty about nursing. And yes it's exhausting. And yes you don't have a whole lot of free time because you work long shifts, but that interaction and that feeling at the end of day when you come home and you say, I made a difference I think that's what drives many people to this profession and that's what's so beautiful about it. Yeah, so fulfilling. Absolutely. Thank you so much for sharing your experience and your expertise in women's health with us. I hope that some of the viewers will consider a career in women's health or maybe then as a nurse midwife. There are many opportunities out there and as you heard from Christina. There are many different avenues and really taking care of women from through their whole reproductive life so from the first period to menopause which is really incredible. So thanks Christina, and thanks for watching nursing school explain. I will see you soon. Bye.