Preceptorship in OB

SeattleRS24 · Mar 23, 2015

Hi there! Congratulations, first of all. This will be a super exciting journey for you - crazy and scary at times for sure, but always lots of fun! Plus, if you know that OB is the field you want to start in after graduating, this will give you a huge advantage when applying for jobs. I completed a Versant L&D residency after graduating and have been working on a high-risk OB floor for about 8 months.

My main recommendation is to remember that this specialty takes years to feel even remotely "comfortable" in, so be patient and gracious to yourself - there is a LOT to learn and a lot of unfamiliar territory! Remember that everyone you're working with was in your shoes at some point, feeling lost about what to do in the heat of the moment. Ask TONS of questions - I ask hundreds every day at work! Take every single opportunity possible to practice skills, including assessment, charting, IV placement, cervix exams, straight catheters, etc. This will give you tremendous advantage and increased confidence if you get a job in OB after graduating!

Always act confident (not arrogant obviously, that's very different!) when introducing yourself to a patient and providing care. This is a time in your patients' lives when they need to know that you are calm and collected externally, even if you're panicking on the inside (which is also normal). Kindness, respect, and articulation go a long way with most patients; if you give them that, they honestly won't care if you had to poke them twice for the IV or if you miss the straight cath on the first try. :)

I recommend you purchase the book Intrapartum Management Modules on Amazon. It covers all of the major things you might run into on the floor and gives you clinical tips in a simple-to-understand way. Some of the information is dated, but it's the best resource I've found as a new grad. I hope these tips are helpful! Good luck and continue to post with your questions/concerns!

tsm007 · Apr 4, 2015

Well since I was recently in your shoes, maybe I can help. Tips write down things like what supplies you need to set up for delivery so that way you can get them all without having to miss something. Epidurals - think catheter. It was something my preceptor would say whenever we had an epidural. I would forget. I knew it, but she'd say what do we need to be thinking about doing and I'd have trouble remembering. Another thing new moms are anxious and nervous, so another tip my preceptor gave me was saving all my questions for outside of the room whenever possible. Have a talk with any questions with your preceptor before stepping in the room. Practice using the equipment - setting up the bed, taking it down, turning on the monitors, etc. Do that in a spare room during your down time. It'll make things go smoother when you need to actually know how to use them. Anyway, I am brand new nurse so I can only give limited advice, but my preceptorship is fresh in my mind so I know what things I wish I knew going in. I hope I helped some.