Going to OB right after nursing school?

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Specializes in Obstetrics.

My main reason for wanting to become a nurse (I am a pre-nursing student and a tech in Mother/Baby) is OB/Mother Baby. I do not want to work on a Med/Surg unit and feel I would be miserable on a floor like that. I realized I wanted to become a nurse when I saw my first live birth in high school in a hospital observation class.

But one of the nurses in my unit commented that I should really try and do a medical floor rather than OB because with the economy, who knows what OB is going to be..... it's rather slow at our hospital right now (partly, in my opinion, because surrounding hospitals are one step ahead of us in having complete private rooms... while our new addition is still being built and won't be ready for at least another year....). She also said I'd lose skills going to OB right away.

Ultimately this is my decision but do you ever regret going right into OB and not going to a medical floor first? I think even if I were to go to a more critical unit, it'd be NICU or L&D. Not ICU or Med/Surg. Just the thought of it makes me want to quit nursing right now.

A penny for your thoughts? :twocents:? :) TIA!

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I went to Labor and Delivery right out of school.....I loved it and still do! I had no desire to do anything else, but I did do an externship for school on med surg. I tought I would hate it and it wasn't that bad, it was excellent expereince. I do believe that I do lack some skills because I do a focused area of nursing, but the med/surg part is starting to play a bigger role in labor and delivery because women are sicker now than a long time ago. Women who weren't able to conceive for whatever reasons are able to and you have to work with their other issues as well. You also have the first generations of surving premies becoming mothers with their health issues. All in all, if you started with med/surg, it would not be a detriment! And besides....sometimes you have to start on the bottom and work up (not saying med surg is the bottom) sometimes you cant get what you want the first shot and have to be patient and put your time in! knowing what you are working toward is always the light at the end of the tunnel! Good luck.

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Specializes in ED, ICU, MS/MT, PCU, CM, House Sup, Frontline mgr.

i have to agree with the above poster. in addition, you are a pre-nursing student and although you are a tech, you have no idea what nursing is like. you see nursing from the outsider's point of view (as a both a person who experienced having nurses and as a tech). with that said try to keep an open mind while you are gaining an education because the nurse that told you that you may not land ob right out of school may be correct. in fact, a lot of those who wish to work in specialties right out of school usually work in med-surg first.

as an extern i worked with many nurses on a medical-surgical floor whose ultimate goal is to work in l&d, women's health, pediatrics, icu, pacu, nicu.. etc. i have no doubt they will transfer someday because they are excellent nurses! i also worked as a tech and extern on l&d and met former med-surg nurses, where many of the good l&d nurses are the ones with a medical surgical background. the nurses who are new grads or nurses with only a few years expeirnece with no med surg background are the ones who i have experienced complaining that she only wants the healthy patients or patients without central lines because they are inexperienced and fearful. just a side note, as a nurse you don't get to pick and choose your patients.

by the way, initially i did not like medical surgical nursing but it was not because of the patients, it was because i did not have the confidence to work in a fast paced floor with sick people! after externing this past summer on one of the craziest floors in my hospital and getting through 4th semester clinicals with flying colors, i changed my mind. in fact, i denied a job offer for l&d (a place i wanted only because i was comfortable) and choose a medical-surgical unit with a cardiac emphasis.

my new unit is fast paced and it will thoroughly work me over! however, i believe i will enjoy every minute because i will be facing my fears and learning a great deal about acute care. my ultimate goal is to move into a different specialty someday. i believe that working as a new graduate nurse on the floor i have chosen will help me to be a good nurse to any patient in the future.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

I went straight into OB after school. It was a decision my OB instructor at nursing school said I would regret. I did not, nor 11 years later, still do not. GO FOR WHAT YOU WANT and don't stop til you get there.

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Specializes in RN in L&D.

I also went into L&D right out of school. This is my second year as an L&D nurse and I absolutely love it. I worked as a tech on an ortho floor during my last year of nursing school. I am glad I went straight to OB, I don't feel that I am missing out on anything by not doing med-surg first.

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Specializes in Obstetrics.

Thank you all for your opinions!

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I am going into L & D right after nursing school. The hospital I have been hired at has a 1:1 ratio, and most of the patients are considered "high risk" . Therefore, I will be learning a lot of med surg stuff, as well. If L & D is what you want to do, go for it. I went into nursing school wanting to be a L & D nurse, so I know I am following the right path.

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Specializes in perinatal.

I have been doing L&D for 20 years and would have it no other way. I felt I have done alot of med surg type things on my unit. I have had pts with central lines, colostomies, wounds, appendicititis etc. Not having a med surg background never hindered me. Plus, with the "economy" I think we will see a boom, (because what else will people do? ) We have had recent lay offs at our hospital and OB was the only unit no affected. (thank God) We are the busiest place in the house. So go for it and live your dream.

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I graduated in May and had a rough start on a Neuro med surge floor, thought that being specialized there would be more education there. I felt shoved through without teaching on the way and that they just wanted me up to my quota of patient load and off of orientation to the floor. after 5 weeks, I took a good look around me, the nurses on my floor were vendictive, cut throat and stressed out individuals and I knew I did not fit there, and I did not want to be like them. I could see making it through and learning the job OK but I knew it was not a fit. I called the local womens hospital while in week 5 at other job, interviewed for postpartum mom / baby care and shadowed and got the job. I am almost done with orientation, the teaching on the job is great, the patients are in general in better health, there is a lot of teaching involved and everyone that I work with has been suppotive and kind. I don't regret switching and don't feel that I have sold myself short. I did learn a lot of charting, IV med , and clinical skills in the 5 weeks on the other job, but the largest thing I learned is that I was so very miserable there, that I could endure most anything here ,and I have a great appreciation for my new position. The stress is reduced, I can think more clearly and I am more pleasent and myself again at home and at work. certain floors are not for everyone. I love this one.

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Specializes in Obstetrics.
I graduated in May and had a rough start on a Neuro med surge floor, thought that being specialized there would be more education there. I felt shoved through without teaching on the way and that they just wanted me up to my quota of patient load and off of orientation to the floor. after 5 weeks, I took a good look around me, the nurses on my floor were vendictive, cut throat and stressed out individuals and I knew I did not fit there, and I did not want to be like them. I could see making it through and learning the job OK but I knew it was not a fit. I called the local womens hospital while in week 5 at other job, interviewed for postpartum mom / baby care and shadowed and got the job. I am almost done with orientation, the teaching on the job is great, the patients are in general in better health, there is a lot of teaching involved and everyone that I work with has been suppotive and kind. I don't regret switching and don't feel that I have sold myself short. I did learn a lot of charting, IV med , and clinical skills in the 5 weeks on the other job, but the largest thing I learned is that I was so very miserable there, that I could endure most anything here ,and I have a great appreciation for my new position. The stress is reduced, I can think more clearly and I am more pleasent and myself again at home and at work. certain floors are not for everyone. I love this one.

See that's exactly how I think I'll be. I know I can't judge quite yet as I am A) not a nurse yet and B) don't have full experience on the floor. But having floated to those floors, it IS the environment I just do not like. Work is blah enough, I don't want to have to dream doing there. I love where I'm at now.

Thanks everyone for your input! I really appreciate it. :redpinkhe

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