med-surg to OB nurse

BETSRN · Jan 10, 2005

Hey guys,
I am a new grad with only 4 months under my belt on a surgical floor. Did any of you start out on a medical/surgical floor, and can you tell me about your transition into either L & D or mother/baby? I am very interested in changing. I already know that med/surg is NOT for me.
Thanks,
ROONS

I did med-surg before going onto OB but that was almost 18 years ago. No matter where you come from, you should have a good orientation. First is usually mother/baby (or at least PP) for several weeks. Then we move people to nursery and then to L&D when the new person is comfortable on her own on the mother/baby unit. L&D is intense and it takes months to even begin to feel comfortable. Around here, units which are just L&D give a new person at least 16 weeks full-time before even beginning to function alone. There is so much to learn and learning is an ongoing process (as it is in many areas of nursing. Of course, we are an LDRP unit and so the concept is broader than a single unit.

NurseMelissa · Jan 10, 2005

I graduated one year ago in December with my RN. I worked nights on a med/surg floor for 11 months, and then transferred to the LDRP unit in my hospital. I really feel the med/surg experience helped prepare me for L&D. I became comfortable with routine nursing duties and the art of balancing patient care for 6+ patients. I absolutely love working L&D! Don't get me wrong, it is VERY different from med/surg, so it was a BIG change, but it has been fun. The person above posted it takes a while to feel comfortable, and I agree. I have been in L&D for a little over 2 months, and I definitely don't feel that comfort zone I had in med/surg. Our orientation where I work is only 14 weeks, so next week I start out on my own. But everyone in our unit has been very supportive, and always willing to teach when they can help. To me one of the hardest things has been remembering which doctor prefers what. They all have their preferences from the type of stool they use in delivery to the formula of meds used for epidurals. That will come with time and practice! And of course there are is a whole new set of language in L&D (names of instruments not used on other floors for example!), but the more you are around it, the more you pick up. Besides we all had to learn a new language when we became nurses anyway! Good luck with your transfer. Hang in there even when it is hard and you are frustrated. It will get easier! I think a good preceptor is the key, so if you and your preceptor don't click, talk to your nursing educator or supervisor. Hope everything works out for you!