Maternity clinical rotation advice

[Missy2]

So I start my first day in maternity tomorrow and I'm feeling rather anxious as I don't know what to expect. Since now we've only dealt with patients on Med-Surg floors. I was just wandering if anyone has advice on what to expect, what I should be prepared for, I'm looking over and typing up all my labs so I'm prepared for tomorrow and have little cheat sheets if I even get the chance to look at them. Also this will be my first 12 hour clinical day, up until now we've done 2 6 hour days back to back... So if anyone has any advice on what they do for 12 hours energy wise, eating wise or just keeping their sanity in general (if that's possible)

I truly appreciate it !

[Despareux]

I start my OB/Peds rotation this quarter, too! So far, I've heard that OB has a tendency to be pretty boring. I've been advised to bring something to study to help pass the time. I certainly hope this isn't the case--I hate boredom and sometimes I'm not in the mood to go and search for something to do or learn.

[Missy2]

I start my OB/Peds rotation this quarter, too! So far, I've heard that OB has a tendency to be pretty boring. I've been advised to bring something to study to help pass the time. I certainly hope this isn't the case--I hate boredom and sometimes I'm not in the mood to go and search for something to do or learn.

I know other groups in my class have 2 6 hour days again, I'm afraid of being bored or being really busy. I am also nervouse just skill-wise we had labs last week and were completely rushed through and there's a difference between assessing a made up uterus fundus and an actual female who just gave births fundus!

[anon695]

In my experience, OB rotation was busy not boring. They'll give you a mother-baby "couplet" to care for, and the mother needs the same assessments & charting as a med-surg patient, PLUS all the stuff that goes with OB. The baby needs an assessment, vitals, maybe feeding & changing (often the mother does this), and a hepatitis B vaccine. If this is your fist time doing the postpartum assessment, have your instructor with you (especially if the mother had a C-section and now needs her fundus palpated).

As for 12-hour shifts, you kind of have to eat prophylactically. eat a LOT for breakfast, and make sure you get plenty of protein so you feel full until lunch time (I find rice & beans works well) and coffee to feel perky. then at lunch eat a lot again, fat & protein so you're full for the rest of the shift (I used to eat a burger & fries with ice coffee on 12-hour shifts because there was little else that would keep me full from 12pm until 7:30pm). That second coffee really helped me through the afternoon.

[Despareux]

In my experience, OB rotation was busy not boring. They'll give you a mother-baby "couplet" to care for, and the mother needs the same assessments & charting as a med-surg patient, PLUS all the stuff that goes with OB. The baby needs an assessment, vitals, maybe feeding & changing (often the mother does this), and a hepatitis B vaccine.

I hope this is the case.

[tap87]

I just started my maternity rotation last week too. It's really interesting but can be boring. There are only 4 people in my clinical group this semester so two people went to the postpartum unit, I went to Labor and Delivery and another student went to the nursery. I got to see a birth almost right away when I got on the floor! The rest of the day was pretty boring though. I think it really depends on the nurses though. They were really nice and were looking for things for me to do because it was so dead...they let me give meds to other patients, etc. I didn't really get to do the assessment on the mom but the nurse let me watch and walked me through everything she was doing and showed me where to assess the fundus, etc.

We never even had a skills lab or anything which made me really nervous but so far it's been a good experience, just boring with a lot of downtime. Try and bring something to study if possible like one of the other posters said. Good luck and have fun!!

[Pneumothorax, BSN, RN]

im on my OB rotation right now, and its alright. I think there is so much anticipation waiting for the baby to be born/ c-sect'd (is that a word?).. that when its all done, its like...o.k. now what. lol

but yeah, you either do vitals/assessment on the mom, or baby, and u can be in antepartum, L&D or mom/baby (post partum) or nursery. nothing spectacular...

i actually get pretty bored.if we werent always running around, id bring something to read..the staff kinda makes us feel like were in the way