Is this your "calling"?

JailRN · Sep 15, 2002

I think every specialty is a 'calling'. I take my hat off to OB nurses, wouldn't want to work there, although I floated there once or twice. Actually, I take my hat off to all of my sisters and brothers who do ANY kind of nursing. We take so much crap from pts, families, and administrators, not to mention each other, that sometimes I'd rather my calling was working in a candy or ice cream factory.

Ah yes!!!

mother/babyRN, RN · Sep 15, 2002

Nope, it wasn't my calling. I don't even know if I had a calling. I remember feeling burned out in cardiac care, and applied for OB to get the heck out of there. Now, I enjoy it, but some of us are adrenalin junkies, as much as we hate to admit it, and definitely cardiac, er and especially delivery, certainly give you a rush, whether or not you want one..I actually miss dealing with other sorts of patients, and don't always feel as confident as I should when I float. I don't know, if I were to make a change, that I would go into OB, as much as I do love it.....At a crossroads, I guess....

mother/babyRN, RN · Sep 15, 2002

I wasn't "called" to nursing such as some of you were. I needed a job after high school and worked as a nurses aide in the same hospital in which I currently work. Somewhere along the line I noticed that the nurses were getting paid quite a bit and I was doing most of the scut work. I wanted to be an archiologist or oceanographer. Nursing was as far away from that as anyone could imagine, BUT once involved, I knew it was the right place for me.....

finallyRN · Sep 15, 2002

From the moment I started nursing school I wanted to work NICU. When I graduated school I passed up some job offers because they weren't in NICU. Then I started getting desperate so took the job at my current hospital with an understanding that once I finished my New Grad orientation I would be trained in Peds and then NICU. Well I finished the New Grad Program on M/S and never could get oriented in Peds. So I stayed on Med/surg until I got totally burned out. Floated down to OB one night and was recruited by the manager. FOUND MY HOME. So to answer your question it wasn't a calling for me but it is where I belong. I absolutly LOVE my job. I love being able to help create families. Seeing a baby being born is still one of the most amazing things (no matter how many I have seen) There are the sad moments in OB but you get through them.

I would NOT want to work anywhere else. (possibly a little stint in NICU, I love babies.)

KRVRN, BSN, RN · Sep 16, 2002

Heck, I wanted to work ER before and all through nursing school. Then I did a semester clinical in the ER with a preceptor and decided I didn't like it. I had just done my peds and OB clinicals the semester before and found that I really missed it. I thought I wanted to do L/D. I interviewed for it at one hospital, but didn't get the job. Then I saw an ad in the NEWSPAPER of all places about a preceptorship starting up in the NICU at a different hospital. Got the job, love it, can't imagine doing anything else.

OBNURSEHEATHER · Sep 16, 2002

Originally posted by ohfeelyafundi
Ohfeelyafundi!

BTW - I just LOVE your name!! :chuckle :roll :chuckle

Heather

NurseAngie · Sep 19, 2002

originally posted by sbic56
ob is definitely a "calling" type of specialty. the only other specialty i felt i really belonged in was psych...i think it is very closely related to ob in alot of ways. i really don't want to take care of "sick" people. don't alot of ob nurses feel this way?

i also love ob and psych! i think psych is relevant in all nursing. ob is definitely one area in which 'holistic care' is important. i think both of my loves mesh well together!

i would say it is a calling because i never had an interest in nursing before i developed a passion for ob.

~ang

MelissaCT · Sep 29, 2002

When I was a nursing student, I felt that labor and delivery nursing was my calling, with the intent to be a midwife after working for 5 years or so.

NOW: (I posted this in the new grad thread too):

It is very very stressful and overwhelming!!

Some days I think, "am I cut out for nursing?" and other days I think, "I'm cut out for nursing, but maybe in a less critical/stressful area!"

But I don't think I would be happy doing anything else.

The nurses on my floor say most new grads, and even nurses who are new to L&D but not new grads, feel this way. Do you agree? I hope I'm cut out for this, but I'm still on orientation and very worried about finishing up and being on my own.

SmilingBluEyes · Sep 29, 2002

Melissa, I was a new grad in L and D 5 years ago and many,many times I questioned whether I belonged. Now, I know it is my gift and talent and I love it. I can picture doing nothing else in my life. You hang in there. PM me if you ever need encouragement or just a shoulder. I only wish allnurses existed 5 years ago when I felt so lost and inept. Give it time; you need at least 2 years' experience to feel "strong", in my personal view. Work hard, fine a mentor you can follow and follow your instincts. You will make out well. Iwish you well!

mark_LD_RN · Sep 29, 2002

take your time mellissa and don,t worry to much in advance about what is to come. concentrate on the here and now and do the best you can. hopefully you have a good mentor like i had, even after orientation i could go to her for advice and to this day if something bothers me or i am not sure i call and ask her opinion even though we no longer work together or at the same hospital. it comes with time. It will take at least a yr to get somewhat comfortable and confident usually longer. give it your best shot it will work out. if not there are many other things in nursing to check out. but if you need advice,or feel like chatting or venting feel free to PM me or email me at [email protected] or just use the pm feature under my profile. well good luck and let us know how it goes.

joyrochelle · Sep 30, 2002

Originally posted by SmilingBluEyes
Give it time; you need at least 2 years' experience to feel "strong", in my personal view. Iwish you well! [/QUO\TE
oh man....*2* YEARS??? they have been telling me on my unit i would feel better after one good strong year!! just when i thought i was making some headway!!!!
i went into nursing school knowing that i wanted to go into ob, specifically nurse midwifery.....and i definitely have my days ( well nights actually) when i feel that i couldnt care less.....but then you get a patient who you think is just going to set you over the edge and you end up developing a fantastic relationship....and deliver a baby! its wonderful! you work very hard, and deal with a lot....and i mean from fellow staff....( like last night when we got like 6 sroms' within a 2 hr period, (all the vets kept mentioning barometric pressure change today, and yet it hasnt rained except for in our unit!), and you are scrambling between them all trying to get them admitted and checked.....but you feel so good about it!
now if i could only pass my friggin prereq chem course for the nurse midwifery program!!!!

SmilingBluEyes · Sep 30, 2002

2 years....yea AT LEAST! well if you want the truth, after FIVE years I feel like I STILL have a helluva a lot to learn. I don't know WHEN one "clicks"---- maybe I am slow.... Maybe you are much smarter and quicker than me..... Or MAYBE OB NURSING IS COMPLICATED, let alone MIDWIFERY. I used to think I would go on to midwifery. I am not too sure when and if I will......I say, don't rush it! there is a lot to learn; trust me. I'll let you know when and if I ever get "totally comfortable" in my knowledge base. Good luck!:stone