Am I being unrealistic? Is nursing maybe not for me?

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

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Hi guys.

So I'm going to honest here. I'm interested in nursing, but I'm picky with the department I'd like to work in. I'm really only interested in L&D or mom/baby. Not that I'd refuse other units, but those are the ones that made me want to go into nursing. When I had my first baby 13 years ago I remember thinking how I would love to work in that unit. I have three kids and each time I've thought the same thing. FINALLY this year I started prereqs. I'm still pretty young...33. :)

Anyway. Here's the problem. I'm nervous that I'm setting myself up for disappointment. I'm scared I'll get stuck working in another unit that doesn't interest me at all. I can't imagine myself cleaning old men's poo and things like that. LOL

So I wonder if maybe nursing isn't for me given that I'm so intrigued with one area and not at all with the others. Maybe this will change but at this very moment i feel that if I graduate and am unable to find a job in L&D or postpartum I'll want ti give up nursing all together. Or maybe in school I'll realize I love another unit, who knows.

Your thoughts?

Oh and I also wanted to ask (someone suggested this to me), is there a way I can work in one of those units NOT being a nurse just to get a feel for it and see if it's anything like I picture? I live in CA and had my babies at Kaiser and I just assumed all the ladies were nurses but maybe not?

Specializes in L&D, infusion, urology.

I'm finishing up my BSN, and I also hope to get into mother/baby or L&D, as I've known for a good 10+ years that I want to be a midwife. I've enjoyed the other rotations in clinicals, but I definitely still want the same thing I wanted when I went into this. I'm in the process of job searching myself, and new grads don't generally get into L&D. It's a hard unit to get into, from what I hear. That said, new grads DO get hired into postpartum, which is a good gateway into L&D. You can also get a year or two in med/surg then get into L&D, which is another common pathway. The way the job market is right now, I'm open to almost anything that I can get. The central valley may be a bit easier, but the Bay Area is pretty competitive right now. Not sure where in CA you are, but it might be good to talk to some new grads in your area.

Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
I'm finishing up my BSN, and I also hope to get into mother/baby or L&D, as I've known for a good 10+ years that I want to be a midwife. I've enjoyed the other rotations in clinicals, but I definitely still want the same thing I wanted when I went into this. I'm in the process of job searching myself, and new grads don't generally get into L&D. It's a hard unit to get into, from what I hear. That said, new grads DO get hired into postpartum, which is a good gateway into L&D. You can also get a year or two in med/surg then get into L&D, which is another common pathway. The way the job market is right now, I'm open to almost anything that I can get. The central valley may be a bit easier, but the Bay Area is pretty competitive right now. Not sure where in CA you are, but it might be good to talk to some new grads in your area.

It's really not a good idea to use your own photo as an avatar. One day you're going to post something controversial or you're going to vent about your stupid manager, lazy co-workers or unfair instructor, or you're going to post too much information about a situation that concerns you. When that time comes, you don't want to make it so easy for your colleagues to recognize you. I'm not laboring under the misinformation that the internet is anonymous, but please don't make it so easy to identify yourself. This isn't FaceBook.

Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
OP if you want to get a feel for it why get certified and work for a while as a doula

THIS...

I had a doula in my BSN program; she worked as a doula for 10 years before she went back for her BSN to land a job in L&D; it helped with her experience in childbirth, post partum and lactation. Something to consider. This sounds like more of a fit for you than an OB tech, and it can give you the atmosphere that you are looking for.

I also think you should reach out to area hospitals like jadelpn stated. I also think being a lactation consultant MAY help you as well, despite disagreements, especially if you are apprehensive to being dissatisfied if you decide to enter nursing and your tunnel vision is focused on being an L&D nurse in a saturated market...my thought is why get into it if you cannot be objective enough that you may not be an L&D nurse out the gate? At least being a doula is an avenue you can explore if your "heart" (I quote this due to your view that this why you ONLY want to do) is in working with women in childbirth.

Specializes in Pediatrics, High-Risk L&D, Antepartum, L.
THIS... I had a doula in my BSN program; she worked as a doula for 10 years before she went back for her BSN to land a job in L&D; it helped with her experience in childbirth post partum and lactation. Something to consider. This sounds like more of a fit for you than an OB tech, and it can give you the atmosphere that you are looking for. I also think you should reach out to area hospitals like jadelpn stated. I also think being a lactation consultant MAY help you as well, despite disagreements, especially if you are apprehensive to being dissatisfied if you decide to enter nursing and your tunnel vision is focused on being an L&D nurse in a saturated market...my thought is why get into it if you cannot be objective enough that you may not be an L&D nurse out the gate? At least being a doula is an avenue you can explore if your "heart" (I quote this due to your view that this why you ONLY want to do) is in working with women in childbirth.[/quote']

We aren't saying not to do the IBCLC because we don't think it will help but because it is not easy to get. So to spend all the time and money getting an IBCLC might not be a good idea. Many get their RN to get their IBCLC. So getting an IBCLC before the RN...won't be easy or fun.

I speak as an RN and IBCLC. IBCLC isn't easy to get.

You will set yourself up for fail if you gun for one area out of the gate. No offense to L&D or M/B but you don't use the wide range of nursing skills you are expected to perform on a daily basis in most units. I remember at my hospital orientation there was a OB nurse with 1 year experience who was scared to death to go to a tele unit because she said most of her nursing skills were rusty. This is why I recommend med surg or crit care off of the bat to really develop your critical thinking.

I'm still getting my pre-reqs but I do have some insite on the skill set of L&D nurses. Let me say first that most all other nurses could not do what l&d nurses do. They are awesome and take what I say with a grain of salt.

I was admitted in the hospital to antepartum for 2 months on strict bed rest. I could not even sit up. I lost a daughter due to incompetent cervix and the same thing started happening again with the next pregnancy even though I got a cerclage. Well sometimes l&d nurses would be floated to the antepartem floor. I got them about 4 times during my stay. I really never liked having them as my nurse while on antepartem. They seemed unsure about my po meds and one even asked ME how she was supposed to give me my heparin injection. I explained how to give it. What angle and what area. I also had to tell her not to rub the injection site. i brought this up to one of my regular nurses and they said l&d nurses just dont work with many po meds and really just give drugs iv. I would not want an ICU nurse taking care of me in l&d just like I would not want an l&d nurse to take care of me the ICU. The skills are totally different.

Specializes in Pediatrics, High-Risk L&D, Antepartum, L.
I'm still getting my pre-reqs but I do have some insite on the skill set of L&D nurses. Let me say first that most all other nurses could not do what l&d nurses do. They are awesome and take what I say with a grain of salt. I was admitted in the hospital to antepartum for 2 months on strict bed rest. I could not even sit up. I lost a daughter due to incompetent cervix and the same thing started happening again with the next pregnancy even though I got a cerclage. Well sometimes l&d nurses would be floated to the antepartem floor. I got them about 4 times during my stay. I really never liked having them as my nurse while on antepartem. They seemed unsure about my po meds and one even asked ME how she was supposed to give me my heparin injection. I explained how to give it. What angle and what area. I also had to tell her not to rub the injection site. i brought this up to one of my regular nurses and they said l&d nurses just dont work with many po meds and really just give drugs iv. I would not want an ICU nurse taking care of me in l&d just like I would not want an l&d nurse to take care of me the ICU. The skills are totally different.

For the FYI...L&D nurses not giving po meds and such may be that facility. I've given plenty of po meds, blood transfusions, heparin, cardiac monitor, DIC...done it all in L&D.

It will really vary with each facility.

For the FYI...L&D nurses not giving po meds and such may be that facility. I've given plenty of po meds, blood transfusions, heparin, cardiac monitor, DIC...done it all in L&D.

It will really vary with each facility.

True. My point is really not to cause friction at all but to just point out that many aspects of nursing are specialized and what ever skills are need in a certain area those are what developes. I loved my l&d nurses when I went into labor at 29 weeks. You could not wheel me fast enough to that floor.

At the hospital I volunteer at, most new nurses spend a year in med/surg as it's an excellent place to get one's feet wet and then they can move onto other departments, including L&D. I have similar interests and currently rock babies in the nursery as a volunteer.

You will have to clean up man poo at some point and you probably will not be in L&D right away, but can get there eventually, if you want it bad enough to be willing to get through the other stuff. I really don't want to have anything to do with surgery or the ER but know we have to have knowledge in all areas by the time we graduate so I'll just have to grin and bear it.

I'm still getting my pre-reqs but I do have some insite on the skill set of L&D nurses. Let me say first that most all other nurses could not do what l&d nurses do. They are awesome and take what I say with a grain of salt.

I was admitted in the hospital to antepartum for 2 months on strict bed rest. I could not even sit up. I lost a daughter due to incompetent cervix and the same thing started happening again with the next pregnancy even though I got a cerclage. Well sometimes l&d nurses would be floated to the antepartem floor. I got them about 4 times during my stay. I really never liked having them as my nurse while on antepartem. They seemed unsure about my po meds and one even asked ME how she was supposed to give me my heparin injection. I explained how to give it. What angle and what area. I also had to tell her not to rub the injection site. i brought this up to one of my regular nurses and they said l&d nurses just dont work with many po meds and really just give drugs iv. I would not want an ICU nurse taking care of me in l&d just like I would not want an l&d nurse to take care of me the ICU. The skills are totally different.

Ok so the point is you take a broader nursing job to expose you to a variety of skills. I don't care what drugs you give in OB, you won't see variety of patients as you do in med surg or the ICU. IF you are pregnant then of course you want to be taken care of by an L&D nurse but if you are sick with the 45723893489274 amount of diseases or disorders out there than med surg or ICU for the more critical is where you go. Do pregnant patients have other issues? Sure but by and large they are generally a rather healthy population when compared to everywhere else int he hospital. It's pretty obvious. For a NEW nurse that doesn't really have a grasp on what nursing is, I think med surg is the best place to get your feet wet and build your skills.

At the hospital I volunteer at, most new nurses spend a year in med/surg as it's an excellent place to get one's feet wet and then they can move onto other departments, including L&D. I have similar interests and currently rock babies in the nursery as a volunteer.

You will have to clean up man poo at some point and you probably will not be in L&D right away, but can get there eventually, if you want it bad enough to be willing to get through the other stuff. I really don't want to have anything to do with surgery or the ER but know we have to have knowledge in all areas by the time we graduate so I'll just have to grin and bear it.

Exactly like me, I did L&D in school obviously because I had to but it was like pulling teeth everyday I had to go to M/B or do a baby assessment. So glad those days are over. On the flipside I loved the ED, fast paced and random just how I like it.

Specializes in Prior military RN/current ICU RN..

Cleaning "old mans poo" isn't a joke. Those people are often veterans, former nurses, family members, etc, and deserve respect and compassion. Someday a nurse will be cleaning your "old woman's poo" and I hope you realize how important it is. I have been a nurse since '06 and will tell you often you must work where the openings are. You certainly can try for a unit you would like, but understand med surg experience is invaluable. I did 3 years med/surg prior to switching permanent to psych. My assessment skills are top notch and I also feel very confident in understanding when acute changes arise and can provide the MD with appropriate timely information. Good luck.

Specializes in CVICU.

I felt the same way when I started!!!! You may find another field you enjoy more or while working you have a healthy respect for other floors but still strive to get to where you want to be

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