Frustrated

[Mojo jojo500]

Hello all,

I've been working as a new nurse in L&D for 9 months now and I'm still having trouble with lady partsl checks. It's so frustrating for me. I've called a patient compete when she was 5cm on 2 separate occasions. I don't always have a nurse to check after me because our floor can be extremely busy and we are sometimes short staffed, epecially on nights. I've gotten advice from my coworkers, but nothing has really helped. I've even watching YouTube videos and and read numerous blogs and forums. I don't know what to do any more. Half the time I can't find the cervix and if I do I'm unsure abovut what I'm feeling. Before I got off of orientation, I expressed to my preceptor and my educator that I don't feel ccomfortable with my checks. They both shrugged me off and told me I would "get it" eventually. I feel like an incompetent nurse because of this. Any tips, tricks, advice would be greatly appreciated.

[AZBlueBell]

Ok so I'm really new (started in march as a new grad) but I am getting better and better at checks each time. The biggest thing is not rushing it. I almost gave up looking for a cervix the other day when I finally found the edge and was able to "catch" it with one finger, then put my second one in and could definitely tell she was 3cm. Then the next shift I had one I was searching for what felt like forever and couldn't find...but I finally felt what I know was the edge of it (she was being induced and in the office had been closed, thick and high) but I still could not get my fingers far enough back to hook it and really tell her dilation and still had to have another nurse check.

So tips would be take your time, don't be afraid to search. Sometimes it's high and down, it's nkt always right at the front and center. When I go in I sweep my fingers top to bottom, left to right and try to feel the edge of anything. Sometimes the cervix is just far to one side or the other. It's not dead center like you would think and it can be hard to keep searching especially when the patient is uncomfortable but remember they will be that way even if another nurse checks. The one that I couldn't catch, I could still feel the baby's head so if she had been in active labor for a while I may have easily called her "complete". Be patient with yourself. And at this point, any time I feel like the patient is complete, I have another nurse check behind me. I haven't been wrong yet but I still don't trust myself lol. Especially when I hear experienced nurses tell me that a 1cm 100% effaced has tricked them too. Hang in there!

[not2bblue]

Keep at it. It is hard. I had a fellow nurse (experienced in midwife school) in triage rush a pt to a room and called for a setup because the pt was complete. Dr comes in and she was 5. 100% effaced and far back up cervix. Low head felt like a bulging bag. Even the Dr said he thought she was complete at first. Ive called them 8-9 and another nurse says 7. Whatever. Keep trying and busy or not if you are unsure ask for back up. After a while you will get it. No one is an expert in a minute.

[Mojo jojo500]

Thank you both for your advice. I'll definitely keep trying. I'm being inpatient and I know I will eventually get it. We have new OB residents and some of them want the nurses to check after them. I would hate to have the resident check, then I check, then a more experienced nurse check after me. I haven't run across that issue yet but I'm sure it will happen eventually.