Need help deciding

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Ok so I'm trying to decide what to do with my life in the future and I've been thinking about becoming an OB nurse. I'd like to know in depth what an OB nurse does. What are the best and worst things about this job? What schooling do you need? How much schooling? Are there lots of job opportunities? All that sort of stuff. I really appreciate your help. thanks :)

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Are you a nurse already?

Do you want to be involved with Labor & Delivery? Post Partum? High Risk perinatal?

Have you asked yoursely "Why OB"

What size hospital are you working in, or will work in?

Small? you will probably do a little of everythin.

Big? You will probably work on ONE type of unit and never see the others.

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Specializes in Community, OB, Nursery.
Big? You will probably work on ONE type of unit and never see the others.

Count me as the exception, then! :) I do everything but L&D.

Regarding schooling, you'll need to go to nursing school - whether this is an associates degree, a bachelor's degree, or a diploma program is a discussion better suited for another thread. But once you have the schooling, then you take the licensure exam. Once you are a RN, you can work anywhere. Some people choose to go into OB right off the bat, others do a year of medical/surgical, others find their calling in OB later on in their career. The point being that there's more than one way to get there. During nursing school, though, you'll rotate through many different areas - medical, surgical, possibly critical care, community, OB, pediatrics, outpatient - so keep an open mind as to what else you might be interested in. :)

For me the best things about this job are:

Helping new families adjust into their new roles

Watching a new mom go from clueless to competent, and realizing that she can do it

Babies! They are so cute!

Caring for high-risk pregnancies for weeks/months and seeing them go home with a baby that stands a fighting chance

Watching breastfeeding go well, like it's supposed to

The worst things:

Delivering miscarriages, or taking care of a mom post fetal death

Sending a baby home with his 12yo mom who was raped

Having a baby that everybody anticipates being healthy go bad

Everybody's answers will be different, but this whole forum has tons of threads about what OB nurses do and what we like/don't like!

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