What does an ob/gyn do?
An obstetrician-gynecologist (Ob-Gyn) is responsible for providing quality health care services for women, diagnosing and treating medical conditions, especially guiding the pregnancy journey of expecting mothers. Obstetrician-gynecologists develop treatment plans to maintain a woman's healthy lifestyle by monitoring early symptoms of possible health issues and administer medications and further examinations as necessary. They also coordinate with other medical professionals for assistance, educate the patients about their conditions, and record their progress through a series of follow-up checkups.
Ob/gyn responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real ob/gyn resumes:
- Manage patient files by making new charts, keying all encounters through ICD-9 coding procedures and posting in patient database.
- Recognize and manage maternal complications: hemorrhage, preeclampsia, endometritis.
- Demonstrate clinical competency and compassion in providing care, using technology, performing procedures and managing emergencies.
- Work in many different specialties including: family practice, internal medicine, pediatrics, podiatry, OB/GYN, and cardiology.
- Complete routine pap smears, ob appointments of patients in all stages of pregnancy.
- Work in various practices including family practice, endocrinology, pediatrics, OB/GYN and internal medicine.
- Perform GYN, orthopedic, ENT, ocular surgery, pediatric dental, and general cases.
- Conduct history and physicals in the GYN clinic, and perform pap smears during well women visits.
- Front office duties - appointments reminders, filing, EMR, patient check- in/check-outs, scan forms, phone triage.
- Perform triage nurse duties, order lab work, schedule mammograms, bone density exams, and give results to patients.
- Perform telephone triage of obstetric and gynecological patients.
- Administer rehabilitation for patients with pelvic floor muscle insufficiency.
- Maintain office and bathroom cleanliness.
- Schedule patients for chemotherapy, radiation, radiology, and referral appointments.
- Perform multiple sonographic examinations centering on, breast, testicles, abdomen and vascular studies.
Ob/gyn skills and personality traits
We calculated that 20% of Ob/Gyns are proficient in OB, GYN, and Patients. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Compassion, and Emotional stability.
We break down the percentage of Ob/Gyns that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- OB, 20%
Complete chart review of all OB charts to ensure all necessary testing and documentation has been completed for the current pregnancy.
- GYN, 17%
Perform first, second, and third trimester studies including Fetal Anatomy and Bio-Physical Profiles and complete GYN studies.
- Patients, 17%
Informed medical staff of patients conditions and offered written summary of preliminary results to physicians.
- Obstetrics, 7%
Provide coding and documentation education to physicians under the direction of the Director for Education Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
- Surgery, 5%
Front Office ReceptionPatient liaison; patient scheduling/checking in and out; insurance verification; surgery scheduling; daily receipts posting and reconciliation
- Patient Care, 4%
Performed as a coordinator of interdisciplinary patient care activities in order to deliver high quality patient-family centered care.
"ob," "gyn," and "patients" are among the most common skills that ob/gyns use at work. You can find even more ob/gyn responsibilities below, including:
Communication skills. One of the key soft skills for an ob/gyn to have is communication skills. You can see how this relates to what ob/gyns do because "registered nurses must be able to communicate effectively with patients in order to understand their concerns and evaluate their health conditions." Additionally, an ob/gyn resume shows how ob/gyns use communication skills: "illustrated excellent communication between patient and provider to achieve the highest level of patient care. "
Compassion. Many ob/gyn duties rely on compassion. "registered nurses should be caring and empathetic when working with patients.," so an ob/gyn will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways ob/gyn responsibilities rely on compassion: "assumed compassionate and pro - active approaches to patients care. "
Emotional stability. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of ob/gyns is emotional stability. This skill is critical to many everyday ob/gyn duties, as "registered nurses need emotional resilience and the ability to cope with human suffering, emergencies, and other stressors." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "provide emotional support to parents of terminal patients recommending grief counseling if needed. "
Organizational skills. For certain ob/gyn responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "organizational skills." The day-to-day duties of an ob/gyn rely on this skill, as "nurses often work with multiple patients who have a variety of health needs." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what ob/gyns do: "acknowledged as an analytical problem solver, willing to suggest and initiate patient care, exceptional organizational skills and work ethic. "
Physical stamina. A commonly-found skill in ob/gyn job descriptions, "physical stamina" is essential to what ob/gyns do. Ob/gyn responsibilities rely on this skill because "nurses should be comfortable performing physical tasks, such as lifting patients." You can also see how ob/gyn duties rely on physical stamina in this resume example: "assisted in all pap smears and annual physicals. "
Detail oriented. While "detail oriented" is last on this skills list, don't underestimate its importance to ob/gyn responsibilities. Much of what an ob/gyn does relies on this skill, seeing as "registered nurses must be precise because they must ensure that patients get the correct treatments and medicines at the right time." Here is a resume example of how this skill is used in the everyday duties of ob/gyns: "perform detailed sonographic evaluations of the abdomen, pelvis/transvaginal, ob/gyn and small parts with color flow applications. "
The three companies that hire the most ob/gyns are:
- The Medicus Firm
105 ob/gyns jobs
- HealthTrust30 ob/gyns jobs
- Women's Care29 ob/gyns jobs
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Compare different ob/gyns
Ob/gyn vs. Triage nurse
A triage nurse provides patient care and overall nursing duties alongside the resident doctor in a clinic or hospital. It is the task of a triage nurse to oversee the condition of each patient and to report immediately to a doctor when emergencies occur. Added tasks of a triage nurse are monitoring and administering doctor prescriptions, and providing a caring environment for patients and their relatives through constant communication. The triage nurse is an essential part of a healthcare facility and is in-demand in many places around the world.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, ob/gyn responsibilities require skills like "gyn," "obstetrics," "surgery," and "patient care." Meanwhile a typical triage nurse has skills in areas such as "home health," "symptom management," "urgent care," and "direct patient care." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Triage nurses tend to reach similar levels of education than ob/gyns. In fact, triage nurses are 3.7% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 3.2% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Ob/gyn vs. Registered nurse
The primary responsibilities of a registered nurse involve caring for a variety of patients, from ill and injured to those who are healthy and wanting to stay that way. Nurses have different specialization and work with particular patients, such as newborn babies or those who are suffering from particular medical conditions. They work on different settings which includes hospital, outpatient facility, rehabilitation center, nursing home, dialysis center, home healthcare agency, and other offices. They can administer medications, wound care, and other aids or treatment plan. They also conduct medical tests, interpret the results, and monitor patients' recovery and progress.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, ob/gyn responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "ob," "gyn," "obstetrics," and "ultrasound." Meanwhile, a registered nurse has duties that require skills in areas such as "bls," "cpr," "acute care," and "acls." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Registered nurses earn a lower average salary than ob/gyns. But registered nurses earn the highest pay in the health care industry, with an average salary of $64,500. Additionally, ob/gyns earn the highest salaries in the health care with average pay of $109,861 annually.registered nurses earn lower levels of education than ob/gyns in general. They're 5.7% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 3.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Ob/gyn vs. Staff nurse
Staff nurses are registered nurses who are usually assigned to work in a care home, a company, or in a clinical setting. They advise the physical assessments of patients, employees, and residents. They also handle the checking of vital signs, providing basic medical procedures, giving first aid, and, if possible, providing over the counter medication. Staff nurses provide medical attention to the people in their place of assignment. They help pave the path to their patients' full recovery. Staff nurses are expected to be patient and have good interpersonal skills.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, an ob/gyn is likely to be skilled in "obstetrics," "emr," "ultrasound," and "pediatrics," while a typical staff nurse is skilled in "bls," "cpr," "acls," and "acute care."
Staff nurses earn the best pay in the health care industry, where they command an average salary of $58,739. Ob/gyns earn the highest pay from the health care industry, with an average salary of $109,861.staff nurses typically earn lower educational levels compared to ob/gyns. Specifically, they're 5.0% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 3.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Ob/gyn vs. Nurse
Nurses are medical professionals assigned to a specific department in the hospital and provide their trusted department services. Nurses are in charge of taking patients' medical histories, getting vital signs, preparing patients for checkups or procedures, explaining upcoming practices, answering any questions, and communicating any concerns to the assigned doctor. Nurses should ensure that patients follow the medical advice given to them. They also assist patients in completing administrative requirements, such as filling out forms, validating details, and endorsing payments.
Types of ob/gyn
Updated January 8, 2025
