Need some insight

ssaarraahh · Apr 16, 2013

Everything gets easier in time. Before I started nursing school, I watched a nurse put in an IV and can you guess what happened? I fainted at the blood that came out when the nurse was drawing blood. That was almost 5 years ago. I am now a labor and delivery nurse who has to put in IVs. I have no problem with blood now.

The more you see something, the more you get use to it.

FutureRN_Neak · Apr 16, 2013

@ssaarraahh. ....I have a couple questions for u if thats ok.....was it hard getting into L&D and are there any suggestions or classes I should take to prepare me for a career n that specialized department? ??

MommaTy · Apr 16, 2013

The thing is you know blood and stuff grosses you out. Being a nurse, you see things like that every day (In L&D you do for sure with every delivery). You have been working as a CNA so you do see some blood and stuff. How long have you been a CNA? Truly I think every nurse/person has something that grosses them out but are able to work through it. Like mine is sputum and hacking, it grosses me out but I can get through it with no problem. But please don't enter the nursing program if you think you won't be able to handle it. Every semester someone enters the program and drops because they couldn't handle something about it. It sucks for people who really wanted it that have to wait a whole year for that spot.

FutureRN_Neak · Apr 16, 2013

@Mommy ive been a CNA for 3yrs n yes I have seen blood its more like open wounds n bed sores that grosses me out

MommaTy · Apr 16, 2013

Well since you've been a CNA for 3 years you seem to get through it just fine :) I love everything about L&D, still brings a tear to my eyes when the baby cries for the 1st time. Reminds me of my births (I have 5 kids). Good luck, I think you'll do fine.

ssaarraahh · Apr 16, 2013

To answer your questions: yes, it was hard getting into labor and delivery. It's a popular department. Most nurses that I have talked to don't want to leave l&d until they retire. I did my senior preceptorship (last semester of nursing school-at my school, you get to pick a dept you want to work in and do 225 hours) in l&d and I think that really helped. Also, once you get to senior year or even after you graduate, get your NRP (neonatal resuscitation). That will help.

I was luck to enter l&d as a new grad. It doesn't always happen like that. Some people go into a different area of nursing before l&d. I say area because new grad nursing jobs are very hard to get into right now. Some of my fellow graduated work in hospitals, clinics, schools, surgery centers and so on.

I wish you the best of luck. Nursing is very rewarding.

Fireman767 · Apr 16, 2013

After doing my LDRP rotation i will say you see a good amount of that stuff. I saw 4 lady partsl deliveries, and 3 C-Sections preformed over the 5 week rotation (also delivered 6 babies as an EMT over the past few years). As always, there will be plenty of blood (lochia-discharge after the birth). We also did an outpatient where we had to assess patients who had delivered and had to assess the incision site for C-Section, and the body for lady partsl birth. On the otherside, I'm sure there are patients who don't have problems with delivery, and very little wound, or discharge. Maybe some LDRP nurse can give input, but the nurses I followed and worked with said there can be hemorrhages, or extra discharge, not to mention the clots and red blood discharged after the birth which the nurse must look through to make sure the patients body is ok. what the nurses do in LDRP probably vary a little from department to department, but the general idea is there.

Also the nursing program may vary, I was at a very active delivery department in PA, if you were in other parts of the country you may see more or less action or conditions.