L&D floor nurse to CNM....Am I ruining my faith in women?

[phillies33]

I graduated in Dec. and went right into a regional hosp. where we handle extremely high risk pt. we get regular labor pts too. I am very grateful for the experience and i love the pt care. I am just worried it will ruin me to my dreams of being a midwife. I have been on both sides and i can already say I hate Pit.

Anyone have any comments?:thnkg:

[mom2michael, MSN, RN, NP]

For ME, I had to experience all the sides of L&D before I knew for sure that the CNM route was going to be right for me. Plus I'm years away from being a CNM for multitudes of reasons, why not work "in the field" and get as much experience as possible while I'm in school and working my way towards my final goal.

For ME, I don't think L&D is a mistake in fact I think it's the best thing I've ever done in my life right now.

Sure I cringe daily at what I see and experience but it's making me more well rounded and it's making me more aware of the bigger picture. I dislike stirrups and Pit and I despise un-necessary procedures on my patients but I have solace knowing that when I become a CNM I won't have to do those things to my patients. The "medical model" of OB care makes me sick to my stomach BUT it's still a learning experience for me because I make it a learning experience.

I adore my patients and I adore my job. To share this life altering experience with them is an awesome responsibility and I'm just thankful to be a part of it. I have had the privilege of working with some great moms and dads and have helped bring some awesome babies into this world. Even though it's a "medical model" of care right now - it's still extremely valuable experience for ME. And I'm learning a lot more than reading strips and starting IV's. I'm learning things that will carrying over to my future career as a CNM.

I've learned so much since starting and I have so much faith now in my decision to become a CNM. I am so passionate now about it and I know now without a doubt it's the right path for me. Before I started in L&D I had some reservations. Now, those are gone.

So for ME, L&D was the right first step in my path to become a CNM. It might not be the right choice for everyone but that's the great thing about nursing, you can take so many different paths and in the end - have the same results.

[Belinda-wales, RN]

I agree with you as I could not work any where but L&D - but one needs to be careful that you take the experience for what it is. I think that you do not have to be a L&D nurse to make a great midwfe and there may be some benifit to some not to be exposed to the medical model. I had never worked in OB prior to under going midwife training which is completly normal in the UK- I am now however working as an RN in OB and well apart from I get to be involved in birth and all that brings ( and I could never work as a RN looking afer sick people not my bag) I see no other major benifits I spend the whole time trying to protect the midwife in me from being "damaged" so when I do get to practice agan I still have faith and trust in women and birth.

[okchug]

Just a side note.....in my work as a doula I have worked closely with CNMs and while the midwifery model is different from the medical model, CNMs are not without options. It's not accurate to think that midwives never use IVs, antibiotics, epidurals, Pit, episiotomies. The ones I have worked with use them only if necessary or requested by the mom. Not ALL births done by CNMs are "natural", some are induced, some moms choose epidurals, etc.

Overall, the midwife approach is low intervention and puts a lot of control in mom's hands. I hope to someday have the honor of practicing as a CNM.