[Nathalie]

Hello everyone.....
I am about to take OB/Peds this upcoming January and was wondering if anyone had advice for me. What can I do to prepare for the class? What did you find useful in studying or anything else for that matter?
Thanks

[CSM08MMS]

If you can get the text books or reading assignments - and if you feel like studying over break - definately skim over some of the content.

One thing that I found helpful was looking up the medical conditions/topics on Web MD first, then reading the required text. Web MD is more of a dumbed down take of the info and our text books are more medical and it just gives you a baseline of knowledge. I found this very helpful especially with pediatrics content as there were many disease processes that were foreign to me.

Good luck! Enjoy your break

[Daytonite]

Do not fall into the trap of thinking that women who have gone through a pregnance experience know more about this subject. That is a falsity. OB is like any other medical subject except that it is specifically about the female reproductive system. A lot of things go wrong during pregnancy, labor and delivery than you would think and that is a lot of what you will have to know.

Review the normal anatomy and physiology of the female reproductive system. You must know it in order to understand the pathophysiology of what is going wrong when things do go wrong. Also, keep in mind that the female reproductive organs are contained within the female body, so you can't see them and you can't see what is going on with them. These tissues are subject to all kinds of trauma during the normal birthing process. The inflammation response will hold true there even though you can't see what is going on.

Here are the best links I have to websites with OB information:

• http://www.brooksidepress.org/Products/Military_OBGYN/Home.htm
• http://www.childbirths.com/euniversity/mainpage.htm
• http://wps.prenhall.com/chet_london_maternal_1 - online student companion website for Maternal-Newborn & Child Nursing by Marcia L. London, Patricia A. Ladewig, Jane W. Ball, and Ruth L. Bindler.
• http://www.nsu.edu/nursing/formbook/OB_HP_PHY_EXAM_FORM.doc - Obstetrical History and Physical Exam Form
• http://www.nsu.edu/nursing/formbook/8_POINT_ASSESSMENT_WORKSHEET.doc - postpartum assessment
• http://www.emedicine.com/emerg/OBSTETRICS_AND_GYNECOLOGY.htm - listing of eMedicines topics on Obstetrics and Gynecology
• http://www.aafp.org/afp/990501ap/2487.html - Interpretation of the Electronic Fetal Heart Rate During Labor
• http://www.who.int/reproductive-health/impac/Images_C/normal2.gif and
• http://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/wha/labor.gif - good pictures of cervical effacements and dilatation during labor
• http://www.medem.com/MedLB/articleslb.cfm?sub_cat=2001 - links to Medem consumer teaching articles on labor, delivery and postpartum care
• http://www.medem.com/MedLB/articleslb.cfm?sub_cat=2005 - links to Medem consumer teaching articles on pregnancy and fertility
• http://www.medem.com/MedLB/articleslb.cfm?sub_cat=2006 - links to Medem consumer teaching articles on OB/Gyn procedures (C-section, colposcopy, D&C, endometrial ablation)

[Nathalie]

Well I just started the class and I dont know where to begin! There is just so much information and this class is over is 4 weeks!!! Im readin the book but there is no way i can learn the whole book! Does anyone think that maybe the Saunders NCLEX book could help? Im open to anything!

[Spill]

Check out these books: I made my first A ever in nursing school after using the Making Straight A's series books. It has nclex questions and a cd with additional quesitons and more rationales. It also has a breakdown of information in note format for easier studying----there is so much infomation this semester, but it really helps break it down for you.
My entire class was using it and everyone sweared by it.

They are by Lippincott and there are several different ones

Making Straight As in Neonatal/Maternal
Making Straight As in Peds