New Grad in the OB

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Specializes in obstetrics, forensics, women's health.

Hello!

I recently graduated and landed my dream job in the OB. I'm starting in a few weeks and I'm incredibly nervous. I did an academic presceptorship at a very small hospital that only had around 150 births a year. The hospital where I've been hired has more than 400 births a year. Any advice on how I should prepare myself? What do I absolutely need to know before starting? Thanks!

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Hello!

I recently graduated and landed my dream job in the OB. I'm starting in a few weeks and I'm incredibly nervous. I did an academic presceptorship at a very small hospital that only had around 150 births a year. The hospital where I've been hired has more than 400 births a year. Any advice on how I should prepare myself? What do I absolutely need to know before starting? Thanks!

Are you sure you don't mean 400 births/month? 400 births/year is about the number that I see a single OB practitioner deliver at my hospital (the busy ones, but still). You could read up on OB emergencies, fetal monitoring, the labor process, terminology, etc. but the key is knowing the hospital polices and standards of care. I just started in OB as a new grad myself. Good Luck!

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Specializes in Ante-Intra-Postpartum, Post Gyne.

I would recommend taking an OB review course. I recently took a review course to help me get my RNC-OB. I found if very helpful to myself, but I think it would be a great course for a new grad starting out in OB:

http://www.proedcenter.com/cart/courses.php

I would recommend taking an EFM course as well. The above link offers one as well as a general OB nursing course. I have the luxury of attended UCSFs (where most of the research and decisions in the new EFM Categories were

created) advanced fetal monitoring twice a year, being that I live in California. Where do you live? What local or semi-local education opportunities are in your area? Ask the nurses you work with how they get their CEUs.

I think the biggest tip though would be have confidence in yourself. OB departments are full of estrogen...the nurses can smell insecurity before you even get out of your car. Hold your head up, have confidence, but never ever have a "know it all" air about you. Remember what you learned in your preceptorship, but know that you can learn different tools from each nurse with whom you train.

Take notes, carry them in your pocket for reference. Are you doing just one department or all? I work in LDRP in a rural area with no MDs on site, so I had a lot to learn, note cards were my friends for my first few weeks.

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Specializes in obstetrics, forensics, women's health.

Yeah 400/year. I'm moving from a town of 7,000 to a town of 30,000. Small populations but still a big difference.

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Specializes in obstetrics, forensics, women's health.

Thanks for the advice! I'm living in northern Maine right now but I'm moving back to my home town of Juneau, Alaska. I'm not sure what educational opportunities I'll have but I'll definitely ask around when I get there. I was told that I will be trained in all the units (which I'm completely excited about!).

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Specializes in labor & delivery.

Get the book "Intrapartum management modules". It is a wonderful resource. I would try to find it used,as it is expensive. It has been a great source of information for me just starting in L&D this year. AWHONN has a good basic fetal monitoring class online and a book that goes along with that. They are good as well. I hope you are getting some kind of training and orientation from your new facility. Good luck!!

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First, congrats on landing a L&D/OB job! That's quite a feat! I have been trying to land one for about 6 months now. :banghead: I will tell you what I have done just to make myself a more "competitive candidate" - it's kind of a good start and/or foundation.

- Join AWHONN and attend meetings, there is nothing like learning from seasoned nurses, and most of them are willing to impart their knowledge on those who seek it

- NRP (usually required), ACLS & or PALS (usually one or both of those required to work any Mother/Baby here in DFW)

- S.T.A.B.L.E. class if you can find one. It is a phenomenal course in assessing/stabilizing neonates

- AWHONN Intro to Fetal Monitoring is an online course that will walk you through the basics and prepare you for FHMCAT (previously Intermediate KRA)

I wish you the best of luck!!

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Congrats on the new job new nurse! :) It makes me happy to see that the "You must have experience to be an OB nurse" isn't always the case. I feel like telling everyone who says you need to do med-surg first... THATS NOT TRUE!

Hope you settle in well and learn a lot your first few months. My advice: learn the assessments & emergency interventions first and go from there. What is most important? Know what is an emergency and what isn't. As a nurse, I need to know what is a PRIORITY. So, I would focus my learning on what is a need to know & what comes with experience.

Here's a few from a OB class.....

  1. Malignant Hyperthermia (MH):
    - Define MH & its prevalence
    - Review the nurses’ role in MH emergency.
    - Identify what is needed in MH emergency cart.
  2. . Eclampsia in the Hypertensive Patient:
    - Define the epidemiology & risk factors of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy.
    - Describe the priorities for treatment & management of care.
    - Explain the guidelines for anticonvulsant & antihypertensive therapy.
  3. Obstetrical Hemorrhage:
    - Identify the signs of hemorrhage using the ABC’s.
    - Describe the causes of maternal hemorrhage in the intrapartum and postpartum periods.
    - Describe the interventions for treating hemorrhages.
    - Review the basics for a crash c-section.
  4. Shoulder Dystocia (SD):
    - Define SD & the risk factors associated with it.
    - Describe actions & maneuvers to be taken when SD occurs.
    - Describe documentation timelines when treating SD.
  5. Mock Code- ACLS OB:
    - Describe the physiologic changes of pregnancy that may affect resuscitation.
    - Identify the different interventions used for a pregnant woman during resuscitation.
    - Identify the nurses’ responsibilities in a mock code.

Good luck! :)

MrsHurstNurse

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Thanks for all the tips. I also just graduated in May and started in OB 2 weeks ago:) I am definately going to use this advice!

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AKtome: Hi! I am so excited to see a feloow Alaskan here! I too, an going into ob/gyn nursing as a new grad. I just accepted a position at SouthCentral Foundation (The native hopital in Anchorage) in their ob/gyn clinic. I am an LPN working on my RN, but I too want to know what I can do to become more prficient and and advance in ob/gyn. I worked in the same field as a medical assistant, I am stoked to have landed a nursing position in it!

I know I haven't answered your questions, but just wanted to say hi!

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