Advice-New to L&D

Specialties Ob/Gyn

Published

Hi! I will keep this short and simple. I have been nursing for three years, but I am new to L&D and after 1 month I feel I am slow to grasp the concept of lady partsl exams. I'm okay with fetal tracing and interpretation and other things so far but I am not doing well on my lady partsl exams. Due to this, I am finding myself nervous to go to work and also hopeless. I know L&D is where I want to be. Have anyone else experience this and if so, what measures did you take to overcome it?

Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.

This is very very common. The best thing to do is to just keep doing them. For me it was truly a lightbulb moment. Until you have it figured out, just make sure you have another nurse check after you.

Thanks! Nice to know that it is common. I was getting a little hopeless especially the way some of my coworkers respond to the fact that I haven't grasp SVEs yet after a month. I plan to do just that-keep doing them,discuss my interpretation and ask my preceptor to check behind me.

Specializes in OB.

Anyone who tries to imply that you should have your VE skills down pat after a month is probably insecure themselves and just trying to feel superior. You have a good plan for how to improve, and you will just "get it" eventually, I promise.

Hi, I've worked med-surg for 10 years and I'm ready for a change. I think I'd like to do labor and delivery. Any tips on how to make the transition/find work?

SVEs can take time to really master. There are several blogs out there that can add the personal experience/tips/tricks of current L&D nurses to your preexisting experience/textbook info. If you haven't already, take some time to cruise L&D nursing blogs for advice in addition to getting feedback from your preceptors. Here's one of my favorites to get you started.

The Mystery That Is The Cervix – Cervix With A Smile

+ Add a Comment