I am a senior nursing student LOVING my OB clinicals and am really considering it as a career.
I have asked my preceptor nurses about whether they thought it was better to start out in PP or Ante and then move to L&D (if I want) or vice versa. One said L&D possibly too fast of a pace for new grad and one said if you start in L&D you get to see the whole picture, which would make you more successful in PP or Ante. Both viewpoints make sense to me.
What is your opinion? I am also looking for the easiest transition from being a student to a Graduate Nurse.
In addition, I have heard a lot about the liability involved in OB. Is it huge enough to keep me away from the field? I am scared. :smilecoffeecup:
Can you give me what you consider to be the PROS and CONS of OB nursing??
I started on L&D as a new grad last June. I was hired into a fellowship with other new grads, there are 10 of us in our fellowship. Our hospital has a wonderful fellowship program that trains us to work in L&D. Our unit tends to stay busy; we had just under 12,000 deliveries last year, and is well organized so nurses do get breaks during the shift. I love my job, and I don't want to work post-partum so starting in LDR was what I really wanted to do.
I did an externship at another hospital in the system the summer before I graduated in L&D, so had an idea of what the job entailed; and then worked in Telemetry as a ClinTech/Nurse Extern until I graduated. That taught me time management in a hurry (nothing like having to care for 12-20 patients on a busy Tele unit to learn how to manage your time, or to make me glad I was hired into L&D as a new grad). I learned a lot, but realized that L&D is definately where I want to be. A lot of the nurses in the tele unit were appalled at the idea of L&D; they loved Telemetry and couldn't stand the idea of working with 'screaming women' (their words, not mine). I'm glad everyone is different and has differing specialty areas they enjoy.
LKB82...My situation is very similar to yours. I am also a relatively new nurse (17 months) and for eighteen years knew Labor and delivery was where I wanted to be. Right out of school went into a different specialty (orthopedics) and I was absolutely miserable After writing to this forum a number times for advice and with the wonderful encouragement of SmilingBlueEyes, I was hired as an L&D nurse ten months ago. I love my job and worked very, very hard and learning the ins and outs of L&D and to this day I still feel I have so much more to learn. I worry every day because the hospital I work at extremely busy (it's not unheard of to have 3-4 patients in various stages of labor) but I too have very supportive coworkers who have always been available to give a helping hand and are always asking "How are you doing?, Is everything alright?, Can we help you in some way?" I also had an extensive orientation period (six months) which really made a difference.
So in response to the original poster, it Is possible for a new grad to flourish in L&D!!! Good luck!!
After writing to this forum a number times for advice and with the wonderful encouragement of SmilingBlueEyes, I was hired as an L&D nurse ten months ago. I love my job and worked very, very hard and learning the ins and outs of L&D and to this day I still feel I have so much more to learn. I worry every day because the hospital I work at extremely busy (it's not unheard of to have 3-4 patients in various stages of labor) but I too have very supportive coworkers who have always been available to give a helping hand and are always asking "How are you doing?, Is everything alright?, Can we help you in some way?" I also had an extensive orientation period (six months) which really made a difference.
StudyingNursing
22 Posts
I started on L&D as a new grad last June. I was hired into a fellowship with other new grads, there are 10 of us in our fellowship. Our hospital has a wonderful fellowship program that trains us to work in L&D. Our unit tends to stay busy; we had just under 12,000 deliveries last year, and is well organized so nurses do get breaks during the shift. I love my job, and I don't want to work post-partum so starting in LDR was what I really wanted to do.
I did an externship at another hospital in the system the summer before I graduated in L&D, so had an idea of what the job entailed; and then worked in Telemetry as a ClinTech/Nurse Extern until I graduated. That taught me time management in a hurry (nothing like having to care for 12-20 patients on a busy Tele unit to learn how to manage your time, or to make me glad I was hired into L&D as a new grad). I learned a lot, but realized that L&D is definately where I want to be. A lot of the nurses in the tele unit were appalled at the idea of L&D; they loved Telemetry and couldn't stand the idea of working with 'screaming women' (their words, not mine). I'm glad everyone is different and has differing specialty areas they enjoy.