Best and worst?

Hi everyone, I hope you don't mind me posting here, I've been lurking for a few days. I have been seriously considering going back to school to become an RN, and ultimately I really want to work in L&D. I've talked a little with the nurse recruiter here, and unfortunately due to HIPPAA there are no shadowing programs right now available. I'm the kind of person that really needs to know what I'm getting into before I do go back to school and spend the money (already paying off big student loans from the first time around, lol), and especially to know if this is something I could even do...

BUT, my questions to you all (since I can't shadow and talk to OB nurses here) how long did it take you to be able to get hired to work with the mothers and babies? And more importantly what is the best and worst things about your job?

Thanks in advance!

I got a job in L&D right out of nursing school. The best thing is the nurses I work with. The worst is being treated badly some of the doctors I work with. I work in a high-risk unit in an urban hospital; there are not a lot of warm and fuzzy moments, but there are plenty of opportunities for nurturing, teaching and otherwise giving excellent patient care.

As far as what you are getting yourself into, if you become an RN you are getting yourself into a world of opportunity. There are so many things you can do, you don't really need to worry about being stuck in something you hate.

Altalorraine

I got my job right out of nursing school, 9 years ago. No regrets---I will say, it takes several years to feel competent and experienced in our speciality, so if this is what you want, GO FOR IT. The old rule of having to do a year or two in med-surg is still a good one, but OB is a very specialized area anyhow....if it's what you want, go straight to it, if the opportunity presents.

Good luck to you.

If you can't shadow a nurse and want to get your feet wet you might try becoming a CNA or some other type of work in the healthcare field. That way you could make money while seeing what a nurse does. When I was in CNA class a girl there got a job in the OB at a hospital. She was a tech helping the nurses. She didn't have any experience or training. The nurses said it was unusual for a tech with no training or experience to get hired but somehow she did so I guess it was meant to be. :)

What is it that you can not shadow ? We have persons who shadow frequently and are introduced as persons who are considering medicine or nursing. They sign a confidentiality form and references are checked and verified.

I am a Hippaa officer for the office and am not aware of any place in Hippaa that says persons can not shadow.

Have you tried another hospital ?

Good luck

Marc

Thank you all for your replies. You all really make me feel more confident in my decision to go for this! :) And all of you replying that you got hired out of school, give me hope!

Marc - I'm not sure why I can't shadow. The nurse recruiter that I talked to represents the HCA hospitals (more than half of the hospitals in my area are that network). And that was just the answer she gave me "Due to the privacy act and HIPPA we have no shadowing programs right now. We are trying to work on getting one back up, check back in the fall." So since she said that I didn't call any other hospitals in my area. But now that you say that you don't see a reason why it should matter, I will try the other hositals close to me that I know are not HCA hospitals. Thanks for that advice. :)

Jess

I agree with sillentfades.. There is no reason HIPPA should stop a facility from letting people shadow. There are waivers you can sign agreeing not to divulge any information that you may have access to during your shadowing. We do it all the time at our facility.

My guess is they just havent sat down and gotten anything in writing for people to sign. Her justification isnt reasonable for a facility that should want to encourage people into nursing.