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Discussion

Curious Newbie

Hello all :) I am currently a Pre-Nursing student (I start Nursing School next fall) just working on my pre-requisites. I'm a traditional 4 year student at a public university. I came here straight out of high school! I decided to pursue Nursing after becoming a CNA. I'm getting along well in college with a 4.0 GPA, leadership involvement, ect

Anywho :) I have recently been looking at all the different types of Nursing available. I have been on this site for about 3 years now, and OB/Gyn really interests me!

I know that once you go through clinicals likes and dislikes change! I understand I may hate this area of Nursing and love a different area!

I also know that new grad jobs are tough- so it is likely that I will have to take what I can get- not a specialty or anything :)

But my question is- how can I learn more about this area of nursing? What is a typical day like? I love reading and researching the different day to day challenges and such :)

Also- If I were to pursue this area of Nursing- how do I make myself competitive?

I'm just very curious and looking for any information you may have to offer!

- Aspiring Nurse

I

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    Even within OB/GYN nursing, there are a variety of areas you can pursue. For example, there are labor and delivery units, high risk maternity, postpartum, LRDP (labor, delivery, recovery, postpartum- you can do them all, people stay in the same room for their whole visit), lactation consultant (which can be on a postpartum unit, in a peds office, freelance...), freestanding birth center, home birth assistant, OB outpatient office... The list goes on. So to give you what a "typical" day looks like is challenging. Plus, one day varies from the next in any of these. Any chance you can shadow a nurse somewhere?

    To make yourself competitive, pursue breastfeeding education and get some experience with this. Once you are close to graduation, or have graduated, get NRP, ACLS, and STABLE, along with your AWHONN EFM certs. If you can, try to get a job as an OB tech. Consider doula training, too.

    Nursing school is great. It opened me up to ideas beyond OB nursing. I've interviewed for other units (haven't had an offer, but have been in the final group of candidates) that interest me. I just accepted a position at a freestanding birth center. You never know what could work out. Still looking for a hospital position, but the FSBC position is absolutely a labor of love for me.

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    Join AWHONN. They have special discounted student rates. Their professional journal is VERY informative and will certainly give you good insight into what it's like being a women's health nurse.

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    • Author

    Thank you both so much!! Unfortunately, I can't show in that area at my local hospitals due to privacy issues. You can only shadow if you have personal connections, and I definitely don't :) maybe in the future!

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    I would try to get some non-hospital birth experience if you can. Look into doula training or see if there is a homebirth midwife who will let you shadow. It's nice to have that backround when you move into the hospital.

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    • Author

    I will definitely look into it, thank you :) in trying to find connections currently!

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    If you're on facebook, see if there are any local groups that have to do with natural parenting, natural pregnancy, that kind of thing.

    Maybe check out a local La Leche League meeting.

    Go to Mothering.com website and check out the forums that are divided by state and read the threads that ask about recommendations for doulas, homebirth midwives, etc.

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    • Author

    Awesome ideas! Thank you :)

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