All Experienced Labor and Delivery Nurses

1. This tends to be a highly discussed topic, so, let's see what people's experience has been.

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2. Poll: Do you feel Med-Surg experience is needed in order to learn L&D?

   • Yes; without it I would have had an increased orientation time

     37.50% 6

   • No; Med-Surg experience offered me no added benefit to learning faster or quicker than anyone else.

     62.50% 10

   16 Votes
3. 

   About Q.

   Joined: Mar '01; Posts: 7,470; Likes: 56
   Patient Education
   Specialty: 7 year(s) of experience in LDRP; Education

   6 Comments

   Topic Closed
4. 
   Apr 21, '02

   A-hem.
   Seeing as the votes for over a week were 66% in favor of NOT needing Med-Surg, and now it jumped to 50/50, some discussion on why you voted, with examples too, would be nice.
   
   Just a thought....
   
5. 
   Apr 21, '02

   I said med-surg didn't help me because I don't think I learned any faster than the new grads we've oriented (I worked med-surg a couple of months while waiting for a spot on L&D). I think the areas are just too different, med-surg should be considered a specialty in its own right. I also haven't noticed a big difference in training new grads or nurses with med-surg time.
   
   That said, some new grads will benefit from med-surg before L&D, IF it builds their confidence and they needed that. Unfortunately our med-surg units are more well known for burning out new grads.
   
   There are pros and cons to each way of getting to L&D. Some people wil need med-surg, others won't. I don't believe in putting EVERY new grad into the same category, because personality has so much to do with it. I wasn't suited to med-surg, so I didn't find it helpful.
6. 
   Apr 22, '02

   I feel as you do Fergus.
7. 
   May 1, '02

   I think that Med surg experience is definitely an added bonus!!! Think about it, Pregnant and postpartum patients have medical problems too! Ofcourse, this is coming from a nurse that worked med surg way before I worked OB. I have only been in OB for a year. Also, in my hospital, we have med-surg patients on our floor as well, and have to float quite often to med surg floors. I think it is a good thing, be well rounded!
   
   Shandy
8. 
   May 1, '02

   Shandy-
   I can see how having med-surg would be an added bonus, and could make a well-rounded nurse, but the debate is around whether med-surg is NEEDED in order to succeed in L&D.
   
9. 
   May 2, '02

   Nope. Don't think it's necessary. Not one bit.

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