Good experience with a student nurse

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Towards the end of my first labor and delivery, my OB informed me that there were some nursing students from the local community college that were at the hospital. He asked me if I would let the class come in and witness me give birth to my child. I was mortified and declined. I had enough strangers looking at my privates and had been exposed enough. I didn't want to add a whole class of people as well. Since my husband grew up in the town and has tons of family here there would be a pretty good possibility that someone in that class would know me, or definitely my husband. That would have been too embarrassing:eek: I then wondered how many students did my OB have present for his prostate exams.

During my fourth (I have 5 children) labor and delivery I was informed at the beginning that a student from the same community college would be assisting throughout the L/D. She was introduced and helped throughout the process. I was a little leery of having a student there at first, but I was soon very comfortable because this was just one person participating rather than a whole class gawking at my privates while they are expelling blood, amnio fluids, and a possible bowel movement! And she was very nice and professional.

During a very painful and intense contraction it hurt me so bad that I couldn't speak. Unfortunately I also had an unexpected bowel movement right there in the bed during this particular contraction. The only thing I was allowed at this point was the bedpan, not sure why. Anyway, during this particular contraction I would not have been able to ask for it anyway. The nurse who did not allow me to get up made the worst faces, and all the other nurses walked around with sour-looking faces and looked at me out of the corner of their eyes. I was completely humiliated. I felt like crying. I had been allowed to get up before, even while being induced, which wasn't happening this time around.

The only person that acting completely professional during this "code brown" was the student nurse. She smiled, she was sweet, she assured me that it was no big deal, couldn't be helped, and often happens during contractions. I still laid there, reduced to being cleaned like a baby, trying not to cry and apologizing profusely. It still bothers me to this day, even though I know it shouldn't. It happened again while I was pushing and the OB acted like he was so disgusted "Eh," he says, "someone needs to clean this up." I guess he was new at his job (he's been an OB for like 10 years) and expected that gumballs would come out of the a$$ of a woman pushing a baby out while being told "push like you are having a bowel movement."

So basically the student nurse was the most professional acting person during my labor, IMO. She was more professional acting than the OBGYN. I really appreciated her that day. I don't know what you all will get from my story, but I just thought it was something you student nurses should know. Thank you for reading, I know it was long.

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Specializes in Acute Care.

Thanks for sharing. I'm glad some one was available to be supportive and professional with you. I worry about my L&D rotation- mostly because I'm a male, and I know how uncomfortable it can be for the pt. with women around- let alone a male. I say I know how uncomfortable it can be because I do know from experience with my Wife- We have 3 children and I was front and center for all 3- but I did know all the attention from the Hosp. staff was uncomfortable for her. I just hope when it is my time for that rotation, the women will see me as a resource- as some one who has assisted numerous times through this process. Again- thanks for sharing! Best of luck with those kiddies of yours! :-)

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Specializes in Infusion.

That is very awesome to hear. I would definitely give some feedback (anonymous if you like) to that OB. I'm going to keep this in mind while I go through the L&D rotations next month. I am one of the few in my clinical group wanting to be present for a birth. I promise to act like a grown-up. Thank you for giving a patient's view.

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A wonderful post :) Thank you for sharing.

When I was pregnant with DD, I was always told, "oh, you won't even care who is looking down there or if you poop because you'll be in such pain/working so hard/just wanting to get baby out" but that was not true at ALL for me either. I had a whole room of students watching my labor (they did NOT ask me and they ushered them in last minute, I only pushed for about 10 minutes total) and the entire time I was thinking how embarrassed I was that everyone was staring at my bloody, yucky, ripping lady parts instead of concentrating on being in the moment of giving birth. Luckily I still don't know to this day if I pooped or not (I wouldn't be surprised if I did, when my water broke I immediately went to IHOP and ate as much food as I could stand). But if a staff of "professionals" were as rude about a BM as your labor team was, I would have been mortified. I'm sorry :(

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Specializes in Labor and Delivery.
Thanks for sharing. I'm glad some one was available to be supportive and professional with you. I worry about my L&D rotation- mostly because I'm a male, and I know how uncomfortable it can be for the pt. with women around- let alone a male. I say I know how uncomfortable it can be because I do know from experience with my Wife- We have 3 children and I was front and center for all 3- but I did know all the attention from the Hosp. staff was uncomfortable for her. I just hope when it is my time for that rotation, the women will see me as a resource- as some one who has assisted numerous times through this process. Again- thanks for sharing! Best of luck with those kiddies of yours! :-)

I have to respond to this hehehe..I am also a mother and I just wanted to share my advice. I am not one that cares about my caretaker being male or female but when I had my first son their was a male med student that i as pre-nursing student (at the time) felt taht I would put some good student kharma out there for myself and allow him to participate. Well let me tell you some of his errors- 1. Telling your motehr in labor that you think the pain from contractions is "mostly in the womans mind" is not a good idea 2. Coming into room where teh unmedicated mother in active labos is rocking in chair in the dark with her family in the corner leaving her alone and her contractions going off the top of the monitor "so, u seem to be having some large contractions-r u feeling any pain or anything?" 3. personal favorite and about to start pushing, catheter in, epidural in for over an hour, narcotic given before epidural laying on bed laughing and talking, med student comes in "so your contractions are looking like they're not even fully stopping now, have you thought about using any type of pain relief? I mean seriously even if you obviously didn't even look at my chart, are you blind!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Well let me tell you some of his errors- 1. Telling your motehr in labor that you think the pain from contractions is "mostly in the womans mind" is not a good idea

:eek::eek::eek:

I would have SLAPPED him!

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Specializes in Labor and Delivery.

LOL I know my mom was just looking at him and I didn't answer him so akwardly walks out of the room, and my mom goes "Oh my God I can't believe you didn't kill him!" I have learned great patience :yeah::yeah::yeah:

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I had a whole room of students watching my labor (they did NOT ask me and they ushered them in last minute

They didn't even ask your permission? :down: Even if I was the only student in the room, I would have asked if you were okay with having me observe during your delivery. Patient privacy, anyone?

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I am so sorry for the experiences that so many women (including some of you here!) have had during L&D. I was so very, very, incredibly fortunate. The staff during both of my L&Ds were phenomenal. I already knew my OBGYNs were fantastic and they lived up to that for me, little as they were present. But my nursing staff is one of the reasons I want to be a nurse. My first L&D nurse, almost 12 years ago, took the best care of me. I will never forget her name or her face or her amazing personality. All staff present were so amazing and put me at ease. These are the ppl I think of when I think "what embodies a GREAT nurse?"

Thanks for the reminder, OP - nursing and healthcare in other capacities are not just jobs in that we are caring for humans with feelings. I hate when I hear that staff out there have forgotten that, or forgot to behave with that in mind at least.

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