Hi all! New to the Specialty!!- Long Read

Elvish, BSN, DNP, RN, NP · Jan 29, 2008

Chloe,

I started in OB/Gyn as an experienced nurse and got 12 weeks of part-time orientation (so would've been ~6 weeks FT) and felt that was ok for me. But I was not a new nurse, and had already had experience with babies. I wasn't learning how to be a nurse AND learning how to be a MB/AP/Gyn nurse.

It doesn't sound like a lot to me, and I would gently approach whatever contacts you have (the NM of the floor, if possible) and ask if there is any way you can have a longer orientation to the floor. Classroom time is helpful in, say, learning how to read a monitor strip or having a basic intro to breastfeeding. But so much stuff is OJT, and you really need to have someone to go to those first few weeks. My personal experience has been that new grads in this specialty do best with about 12-16 weeks of orientation. After that it might be a good idea to have a 'resource nurse' - someone you can go to with general questions, bounce things off of, etc.

I wish you the best of luck, and welcome to OB!! :)

Chloe'sinNYNow · Jan 29, 2008

Thanks Johnny Mike. That's what I thought too. I asked some of the new grad nurses working the unit when I shadowed, and they seemed to think it was enough. The NM was pretty insistent that this is their time frame and is hardly a warm fuzzy person to get info from so I felt really uncomfortable asking anything from her. The staff on her unit just said, be glad you won't have to interact much with her. So she affects everyone this way.

I'm glad I got so much experience fr my other position on the Onc unit. Otherwise I'd feel terrified about starting here. Less terrified, more curious at this point. The infusion pumps I saw looked old and were noisy. Baxter. I will have to learn them since we used the Alaris in my other clinicals. Now those were nice!!

Seems overall like this new hosp is just really cheap when it comes to funding the rearing of their staff and providing updates and good equip.

I feel like I'm settling by taking this job. Great job, wonderful town, crappy hospital?

Chloe

Elvish, BSN, DNP, RN, NP · Jan 29, 2008

Chloe,

Good luck in whatever you decide....just remember that there's nothing worth losing the license you busted your butt to get, ok? :) But you're the one who can judge that better than any of us here. Best of luck to you, and there are numerous threads (and one sticky at the top of the forum) on good reference/reading material for this specialty.

Take care,

Arwen

(Johnny Mike is my baby brother, now a Marine )

Chloe'sinNYNow · Jan 29, 2008

Yes yes, good advice Arwen. Esp since now that it's all behind me, it's easier to look back and forget how difficult it was to get here.

P.S. Elvis has my vote at this point too! :dzed:

NurseNora, BSN, RN · Jan 29, 2008

Communicate with your preceptor. As you go through your orientation period, make sure you get feedback from her. Also give her your feedback: what you are feeling comfortable with, what you just aren't getting. What teaching style works best for you. If your preceptor tells you to do something, do it. Later you can discuss the situation and why she made that particular suggestion at that time.

As your orientation period passes, keep her informed as to how you feel you are doing. And get her feedback as to how she feels you are doing. If you feel that you aren't ready when your orientation period comes to an end, sometimes additional time can be arrainged. Once the unit has time and training already invested in you, they're more likely to be willing to invest a little more so as not to lose what they've already spent getting you up ready for the job.

Good luck, I'm sure you'll do well. Remember, even experienced nurses ask each other for help and advice on dealing with troubling situations; just because you've finished orientation and are "on your own" doesn't mean you're all alone.

Chloe'sinNYNow · Jan 29, 2008

Thanks Nurse Nora,

it's good to know that I'm not alone. It's gonna be hard enough being in a strange place without knowing anyone or where anything is, in or outside of the hospital. I tend to like to know what my options are, such as where to park, where to hang my coat, can I get a locker to secure my purse/belongings/etc...none of this has been explained to me yet nor will it til I pass my pre-employment physical and start orientation. I feel that by asking lots of questions, I'm already stepping on toes.

Are they scattered by not providing basic information, or is my stress level rising?

Chloe

oncnursemsn · Jan 29, 2008

Hi- though I'm not an OB nurse, I do work on complex BMT unit and teach. I think 12 weeks as a relatively new grad is NOT enough time, and agree with other posted about not risking your license. On my onc/BMT unit, our new grads get minimum 20 weeks, and even when off orientation, don't take "sick" patients or even go near chemo. They must have minimum 6 months of just solid floor experience. There's too much going on, patients are sicker today and the technology far exceeds what I had to learn 25+ years ago. You need time to learn organization, prioritization and just when to worry, or not. Can't get all that without putting in time. Hope this isn't discouraging, I agree with other posters- communicate with you NM and preceptor(s). Do they have a nurse educator? Another good resource. Even after all my experience and teaching, I still bounce questions off my co-workers. Hope that the environment is a supportive one for your learning! Good Luck! :up:

Chloe'sinNYNow · Jan 30, 2008

Hi- though I'm not an OB nurse, I do work on complex BMT unit and teach. I think 12 weeks as a relatively new grad is NOT enough time, and agree with other posted about not risking your license. On my onc/BMT unit, our new grads get minimum 20 weeks, and even when off orientation, don't take "sick" patients or even go near chemo. They must have minimum 6 months of just solid floor experience. There's too much going on, patients are sicker today and the technology far exceeds what I had to learn 25+ years ago. You need time to learn organization, prioritization and just when to worry, or not. Can't get all that without putting in time. Hope this isn't discouraging, I agree with other posters- communicate with you NM and preceptor(s). Do they have a nurse educator? Another good resource. Even after all my experience and teaching, I still bounce questions off my co-workers. Hope that the environment is a supportive one for your learning! Good Luck!

Thanks Jess,

I didn't meet the educator, but they tell me she's a maniac about teaching as long as you're not intimidated by her. I'm just so afraid I'm leaving the frying pan for the fire; my last (actually first RN job) was on an Onc/Heme/Hospice Unit and those are the skills I'm bringing with me. I learned a lot there!! But they too only offered me 6 weeks orientation as a new grad straight out of NS and boards.

I thought I was being led astray by this forum (please don't throw the tomatoes) when I read about 12 week and longer orientations...I made myself literally physically ill and ended up quitting that job when I was peeing and pooping blood fr stress, dehydration, aggravation, sleep deprivation...OMG. It was horrible.

So how can it be that I have found myself in a similar pickle 1000 miles away in another state on another unit?

Ugh, please say prayers and think really happy positive thoughts that this [dream job] works out!!!

Chloe

oncnursemsn · Jan 30, 2008

((((Chloe))))) hugs go out to you. You had an initial awful experience and are now wiser, and know what you *don't* want. Nursing can be the best, most rewarding job, or it can nearly ruin you and your health. Seems like you've already accepted this position, so now you don't want another terrible experience. My best advice is to communicate, communicate, communicate. If your nurse educator is a maniac about learning, make this a positive spin- and use her. (As an educator, it never hurts to let them know if they do something that you like/appreciate. I covet feedback, hope it makes me a better instructor. ) If something isn't going well, try to let the educator know ASAP, so that change can take place early. You're going to have to put on your assertive, professional hat and take the bull by the horns. I'm not saying it's going to be easy, and you will have some frustrating days. My hope is that you can pick yourself up, dust off, and forge ahead and find yourself in a rewarding, satisfying profession. Good luck to you! :hrnsmlys:

Chloe'sinNYNow · Jan 30, 2008

Thanks Jess, I needed that hug more than you can imagine. I'm having an incredibly difficult time rationalizing how I got to this place. :innerconf

Forging ahead...:pumpiron:

Chloe