In need of some good advice

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I’m struggling to decide if I want to stay at my nurse externship and then be a permanent RN there after I graduate.

This Summer I received a great opportunity to be a nurse intern on a labor and delivery unit but I was not prepared for what I encountered. This unit does labors, postpartum care and has a special care nursery. The first few days were rough. Me and my preceptor had an IUFD patient (intrauterine fetal demise) which was kind of intense. On my fourth day my preceptor went home early and an emergency placenta abruption comes in! Everyone runs to the back to help with an emergency c section and I had no clue what to do. It was very scary and I did not feel safe. The baby did not make it.
After those incidences it really had me thinking if I really want to do L&D. My last couple of weeks have been good thus far. But I’m still unsure. I’m going back and fourth between starting on a med surg unit first or staying on the unit as an RN once I graduate. I hope you all could give me some insight or words of encouragement please and thank you. 

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Specializes in Medical-Surgical.

I understand how you feel. When I did my L&D rotation, it was very scary for me and I already knew it wasn't for me before I had to go through it. For some of us that start our journey into nursing, it's rough. It sometimes takes a year or even longer before we get the hang of it. 

Though L&D is a difficult job to land in the first place, I would recommend giving it some time if you truly wanted it before you started your externship in that specialty. I started on Med-Surg and I didn't really want to be there, it was also very difficult and I experience a lot of lateral violence. Once I got the hang of it though, I became an informal leader at another location. Some things take time. But! I don't recommend staying in a place that has poor nurture and you don't enjoy your work. It's up to you what you want to do, in this regard it's all about where you see yourself doing in the next couple of years. 

Anything in life is hard-earned. 

If you have more questions or need other advice, there are many nurses on here that can be that online support for you. 

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On 7/2/2021 at 6:58 PM, The Blatant Nurse Shannon said:

I understand how you feel. When I did my L&D rotation, it was very scary for me and I already knew it wasn't for me before I had to go through it. For some of us that start our journey into nursing, it's rough. It sometimes takes a year or even longer before we get the hang of it. 

Though L&D is a difficult job to land in the first place, I would recommend giving it some time if you truly wanted it before you started your externship in that specialty. I started on Med-Surg and I didn't really want to be there, it was also very difficult and I experience a lot of lateral violence. Once I got the hang of it though, I became an informal leader at another location. Some things take time. But! I don't recommend staying in a place that has poor nurture and you don't enjoy your work. It's up to you what you want to do, in this regard it's all about where you see yourself doing in the next couple of years. 

Anything in life is hard-earned. 

If you have more questions or need other advice, there are many nurses on here that can be that online support for you. 

Thank you so much for your advice. I decided to stay on as a nurse intern permanently. Wish me luck! 

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Specializes in Medical-Surgical.
On 7/16/2021 at 9:00 AM, MA2NP said:

Thank you so much for your advice. I decided to stay on as a nurse intern permanently. Wish me luck! 

You know it. I will pray for your success. May you excel in all that you do.

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