[KTroutt]

My name is Kristi and i graduate high school in 18 days(at semester) and i am starting nursing school in january @ rolla, MO and i need all the advice i can get on becoming an OB RN. My ultimate goal is to work in a delivery room but i am not quite sure how to get there successfully! I am really nervous! The lady in the admissions office at the college who is not an RN really confused me so i would greatly appericate any advice i could get from anyone who is actually doing what i want to do.

[klone]

Not sure exactly what you're asking. At this point, I would suggest just studying hard in nursing school, apply for externships in OB of local hospitals when/if those are available (most externships start during your last year of nursing school), request OB for your preceptorship, and find out if any local hospitals' OB departments hire new grads (some don't). What did the admissions lady say that was confusing to you?

Good luck with your goals!

[SmilingBluEyes]

Do the best you can in school and make it no secret you desire to go into OB after you graduate.

Other than that, you may or may not change your mind as you go through school. Your clinical experiences will show you a lot of what it's like in each area of nursing.

I got a position in OB right out of school. I let it be known to EVERyone I wanted to do OB and the manager caught wind, saw my application and actually created a position for me. It worked fine and 9 years later, still doing it.

GOOD LUCK. Get the best grades you can, dive into your clinical experiences, learning all you can along the way and keep your eye on the prize.

[at your cervix]

I agree, just concentrate on doing the best you can in nursing school. I also went straight to L&D after graduation and also have been doing it for 9 years. I love it but if I could do it over again, I may do a year or so of Med/Surg nursing first. I have since worked part time on the side in some other settings and I am glad I did because it improved my L&D skills. Pregnant moms get sick and have surgery too so it makes you an even better nurse if you also know something about other areas of nursing. GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!

[babycatcher2B]

You've gotten some great advice in this thread. I just want to echo what's been said...study hard and do the best you can in school. Also, get the most out of your clinical experiences~ OB and everything else. I started RN school knowing I wanted to become a midwife. I had 2 kids, a doula practice, and taught childbirth education classes. My passion for birth was no secret. I made the mistake of going into all other clinical areas with dread. Much to my surprise I learned so much about people in areas I least expected to. I learned about compassion from a dying COPD pt, I learned about humility caring for a grandmother with metastisized breast cancer, I learned about grace from a chirrosis pt with ESRD, I learned about courage as I held the hand of a young mother whose 9 month old was awaiting a kidney transplant. These and other experiences are all ones I take with me when I care for laboring moms now. Make your passions known and approach nursing school with an open mind. When you are through the possibilities are endless. Best of luck!

[KTroutt]

thank you for all of your advice ladies!!! i really appericate it. i will use all of this adivce when i start nursing school on january 23!

[IslandtrainedRN]

First off - congratulations on choosing nursing as a career! You'll probably meet many negative attitudes about nursing on your way through school (I know I did), but ignore them. Nursing is great.

I'm a new grad myself - I graduated 7 months ago and have been working ona medical unit since, but I'll be starting my first labour and delivery position in January.

The first thing you have to do to become an OB nurse is get though nursing school. It's a lot of studying, and hard work, and coffee, and TEARS, but nursing school is an experience of a lifetime, so soak it up.

If you get a chance, or have any free time, try to volunteer in a maternity unit. Maybe feeding babies in the nursery, or even stocking carts in labour and delivery. It will look good on your resume, you'll learn some new termilogy, and most importantly, staff around the unit will know your name and your face.

Try to get to any maternity conferences/inservices/teaching programs that you can. Some nursing schools will sponsor students to get extra certifications. Make sure you put them on your resume. It'll show how keen and dedicated you are.

And then when you graduate, apply for any maternal/child position that comes up. Even if you're not qualified for the position, applying will show your interest. And even if it's not the specific area of maternity you want, it's a foot in the door.

Be patient too. Some hospitals have a lot of competition for maternal/child positions so it may take a while.

Good luck!