LOVE maternity nursing so far!

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Specializes in Pulmonary med/surg/telemetry.

Hi everyone!

I've always hoped to go into maternity nursing and have been worried that once I actually did my OB clinicals it would be different than I expected and I would change my mind. I'm in my second week though and so far I absolutely love it! Every other area that I've been in, the aides were the ones who spent most of the time with the patients while other than a few chunks of time the RN was required to do things that weren't direct patient care. In OB I love the fact that the RN is the one in with the patient and that she has so much to do with making it a good experience for the mother and the family. I know that there's charting and all that goes with nursing but overall it seems that there is so much opportunity for interaction with the patient.

I have another year until I graduate and after that I want to get a year's experience in med/surg, but I can't wait until I have the chance to work in OB. For any of you who knew you absolutely wanted to go into OB but worked med/surg as a new grad, was it something you were glad you did and do you feel that it made you a better nurse once you transitioned into OB? I feel like that year is going to kill me because it's time spent away from an area that I really want to be in but I would always regret it if I didn't do it.

Thanks for any input you can give me :)

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Specializes in Ante-Intra-Postpartum, Post Gyne.

I got hired straight into OB but I am working at a small rural hospital so I will float to Med/Surg on slow nights.

Things I have been glad I did was become a doula, work 300 extra precepted hours in L&D through a separate nursing program, and get my NRP. There is so little you can do in your nursing program in L&D, at least in my program we could not do dilation checks and our rotation was very short; about 7 weeks 12 hours a week. I got to do a lot more during my preceptorship including doing dilation checks, getting really down and dirty with monitor strip reading, and working with Pit; plus I worked full shifts and full time; unlike most nursing programs. If you are interested in the program IM me for more info; its very cheap.

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I started right off in OB/GYN. It's great! No way would I have worked Med/Surge first. Number one, it's not what I enjoy. As far as experience goes, you learn what you need to in orientation and the learning continues. Now, after orientation, if I have questions everyone is quick to help. Why would you want to work a year on med-surge? chest tubes, NG tubes, central lines, etc. Yes, great to know about, but if you do have these things on the OB floor, believe me you won't be the only one that needs a refresher. Why spend a year learning about this when they are a very rare occurence on the OB floor. I say start off where you love, you are a better nurse when you are doing what you love. You will jump right in and everyone will help.

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Specializes in Pulmonary med/surg/telemetry.

KYBlueBlonde,

We've been told by our instructors and other nurses that it's a good idea to work for a while on a med/surg floor right after graduation regardless of the specialty that you plan to go into to have a chance to use the skills you've learned and solidify them in your mind as well as have a wide range of conditions and diseases since you'll be caring for maternity patients who have heart conditions and other issues and will be better prepared when you see them. Also, I've heard that it's easier to find a job in other areas if you've had prior experience if you ever decide that you want to do something other than OB.

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Specializes in Labor and Delivery, Orthopedic.
I got hired straight into OB but I am working at a small rural hospital so I will float to Med/Surg on slow nights.

Things I have been glad I did was become a doula, work 300 extra precepted hours in L&D through a separate nursing program, and get my NRP. There is so little you can do in your nursing program in L&D, at least in my program we could not do dilation checks and our rotation was very short; about 7 weeks 12 hours a week. I got to do a lot more during my preceptorship including doing dilation checks, getting really down and dirty with monitor strip reading, and working with Pit; plus I worked full shifts and full time; unlike most nursing programs. If you are interested in the program IM me for more info; its very cheap.

Would you mind telling me where you did these extra 300 precepted clinical hours? I am going through an online RN-BSN program right now but there is no clinical component. I contacted the local nursing school to see if I could participate in a clinical but they don't do that. I really want to get some mother-baby or L&D experience or at least some sort of "in". Thanks!!

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Specializes in Labor and Delivery, Orthopedic.

Oops! Just noticed you said to IM...

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Specializes in Med/Surg/Pedi/Tele.

This is exactly what I am looking to do once I graduate and obtain my RN license as well. I've been looking into becoming a Doula so I can have the experience and possibly volunteering at the womens hospital in my area. It's going to be hard to fit it all in since right now I'm a CNA at a childrens hospital. I'm hoping that by the time I can apply for the L&D job I'll have no problem getting right in. I also do not want to work in another field if I don't have to.

Good luck! All the information from the previous posters has given me positive hopes. :heartbeat

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Specializes in L&D/postpartum.

If you can get an OB job as a new grad I would take it and forget about med/surg. These units typically favor people with experience and the conditions of the unit have to be just right to allow for new grads or people without experience to start. It's great that you see the value of working in med/surg so that if there aren't any openings you can gain other types of experience in the meantime, but where I work we will typically always hire an experienced OB nurse before considering even the most experienced med/surg nurse.

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Specializes in OB.

I agree with the previous post. Why go through Med surg when L&D is really what you want. You will be trained in what you need to be trained in. I went straight into L&D and have never regreted not going to Med Surg first. It was not what I wanted. Our instructors also told us we needed a years experience, but my nurse manager told me she would rather hire new grads. They are able to be trained just for L&D without having to learn a new way to think about a situation. Do what is best for you and good luck!!!

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Specializes in Birth center, LDRP, L&D, PP, nursing education.

I disagree with the above. I HATED med surg while I was there. It was new, overwhelming, and scary. But it taught me SO much about time management and critical thinking. Just because a mom is in OB doesn't mean that she doesn't have some of the disease/issues of people that I was able to care for. I'm more familiar with giving blood transfusions, giving cardiac medications, what to do when a family member faints....

Everyone has different opinions on it, and I believe that if you KNOW you love OB... Why not go in it? But you won't develop a lot of the skills med-surg has to offer. You will develop OB specific skills which will be beneficial if it's all you ever want to do.

I love the idea of OB, but am struggling with the institutionalized feel that certain physicians push. I didn't get this feel in my 320 hours of OB clinicals, but I look at it slightly different then before.

Sorry to differ from everyone, but I switched to L&D in April, and am only NOW appreciating my med-surg time.

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I got hired straight into OB but I am working at a small rural hospital so I will float to Med/Surg on slow nights.

Things I have been glad I did was become a doula, work 300 extra precepted hours in L&D through a separate nursing program, and get my NRP. There is so little you can do in your nursing program in L&D, at least in my program we could not do dilation checks and our rotation was very short; about 7 weeks 12 hours a week. I got to do a lot more during my preceptorship including doing dilation checks, getting really down and dirty with monitor strip reading, and working with Pit; plus I worked full shifts and full time; unlike most nursing programs. If you are interested in the program IM me for more info; its very cheap.

I would LOVE to get more info on the 300 hour program you were in heartsopenwide, but since I have not posted 15 messages, I am unable to private message, but I believe you can private message me? ( I think this is how it works anyways, who knows?!) I am not sure, but I do NOT want to miss out on such valuable information!!! I am not quite sure what to do...

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Specializes in Ante-Intra-Postpartum, Post Gyne.
I would LOVE to get more info on the 300 hour program you were in heartsopenwide, but since I have not posted 15 messages, I am unable to private message, but I believe you can private message me? ( I think this is how it works anyways, who knows?!) I am not sure, but I do NOT want to miss out on such valuable information!!! I am not quite sure what to do...

The Rural California Nursing Preceptorship Program (RCNP) is designed to give student nurses and graduate nurses an opportunity to work in a rural clinical setting. The opportunities are varied and encompass a large geographic area in Northern California.

The placement period lasts a minimum of four weeks to a maximum of eight weeks. During this time, students work one-on-one with a preceptor, engaging in as much independent nursing practice as their skills permit.

Applications and subsequent placements are made on a first-come, first-served basis. The application deadline for each term is the last day that applications will be accepted.

http://www.csuchico.edu/rcnp/

Summer is full but they do a winter session. Sign up as soon as you can. its first come first serve.

Its very cheap too:

All applications are subject to a $100 non-refundable application fee. The cost of the course is dependent on the student's school of credit. There are no fees charged for students participating through their own nursing program. Schools that don't accept RCNP as a clinical option, or RNs participating independent of a nursing school, will be charged $120 for the 150-hour course option, or $240 for the 250-hour course option (in addition to the $100 application fee)

They help provide housing as well which I believe is like $350 and you stay with a family. Its all on the website linked above

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