Starting L/D next week

Congratulations! My advice is to ask lots of questions-hopefully you will have a good preceptor. When I first started I practiced feeling the cervical dilation charts over and over. I assume you will be taking fetal monitoring classes, but you may also want to take a breastfeeding class eventually and sit in on your hospital's birthing classes.
Best wishes to you, hope you love it as much as I do!

Review over and over again with your preceptor and in your own mind the procedures to follow in emergencies such as prolapsed cord; placenta previa, hemhorrhage, etc. ; these things DO happen in L/D and you need to know what to do immediately. We nurses diagnosed internal bleeding on a fresh post op tubal ligation, called the Doc, told him her pressure was dropping and he better get in quick to take her back to surgery; we heard him tell the pt the next morning; "Well, its a good thing I got here in time to save your life!" Didn't give us credit for anything, oh well, all in a day's work, eh..........best of luck in your training!!, Bee

Congratulations to you! I, too, started OB right out of school 6 years ago and I don't regret it. I have some words of advice, if you are interested.

Be a sponge. Watch and listen to all around you. Never be afraid to ask lots of questions and if you do not fully understand something, request clarification til you do. OB, as you know, is one of the most litigious areas in nursing so you have to be on your toes. Find a good mentor and stick with him/her, learning all you can.

Join your professional organization, AWHONN ( www.awhonn.org ). In so doing, you will receive copies of the practice standards to which you are legally held, no matter what state in which you live. It would behoove you NOW to know what those national standards are. You are held liable from the time you step on the floor as a nurse for what you do at all times, even if you are new and learning.

Make sure you get NRP (neonatal rescusitation program) training ASAP. Ask your manager who the NRP instructor is and get with that person right away to get started. This is critical.

See if your manager will send you to fetal heart monitoring classes soon. These are very helpful in teaching you what you need to know and provide excellent documentation as to the education you are receiving and maintaining as a nurse in OB. Plan now to do a lot of continuing education to maintain current knowledge.

Be aware of policies and procedures and know where all your contingency manuals (e.g. disaster plans) are at all times. Know your chain of command and be able to use it when needed.

Develop meticulous charting habits NOW. Don't delay. You must know well the charting system in your hospital and keep up that standard, including using abbreviations approved by your hospital only. Be thorough, so that when your chart is read, a mental picture of the sitation can literally be created from what you wrote. This has saved the butts of several colleagues with whom I work and SUNK one who did not adhere to standards. It's just like in nursing school, "if it ain't charted, it ain'd done". You will see several who are sloppy and complacent. You know better.

Finally, enjoy the new job! Take good care of yourself and get plenty of sleep to stay mentally sharp. Don't work more than you can; I remember doing many extra shifts so I could learn but it took a toll on my and my family. Keep your priorities straight. Good luck to you! If you need anything, please feel free to PM me.