Mugwump had a great idea offering services to new grads as a mentor (thank you for that!)
So, I thought having a "sticky" for new grads, OB nurses, students, and others with questions who want to post these can do so here. We also seem to see many of the same questions over and over, so perhaps this would help serve as an ongoing discussion of common issues/questions we all seem to have on our minds. This could serve not just for those asking directly, but others who may be "lurking" and looking for information or considering a career in OB, newborn, GYN nursing, or midwifery, doula services, childbirth education, lactation consulting, or other related work.
So if any mod thinks this is a good idea, mind stickying this?
Let's give this a go and see how it works out. We have many potential "mentors" here among us who, I am sure, would LOVE to help a new nurse/midwife/doula or student on his or her way to a rewarding career. I know I would love to help out!
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
Be prepared to study and work hard.
Be prepared to ask a lot of questions.
Be prepared to absorb like a sponge, all the info given you.
Be prepared for long nights of doing assignments and reports.
Be prepared for the job hunt after school. Start reading books or learning how to write a resume and how to interview for a position
Be prepared, like Betsy said, that some hospitals will not hire LPN's into L/D or the nursery. Others will. Be prepared for what the market holds for you as an LPN once you graduated.
I wish you the BEST of luck!!! Welcome to the forums and ask anything.
Hi, my name is Amber and im still trying to decide what i want to do with my life after highschool. I have one year left and i was thinking about looking into nursing in the maternity ward. I really have no idea where to begin looking for schools and the number of years i need or the things i need to do to get a job... let me know if you can help. thanks so much. Please PM me if you can help me, or wish to correspond by email.
Hi everybody, I have a question I hope someone can help me with. I am a new nurse, I've been training in L&D for about 7 weeks now. Up to this point I've been strictly orienting with laboring patients; however, next week I will start learning to scrub in on c-sections and I am TERRIFIED! I was wondering if anyone has any hints on how to remember the names of all these instruments that look alike to me!! Any helpful hints on learning how to scrub? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much!!
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
You are going to SCRUB IN? Or are you going to CIRCULATE?
there is a difference....
Not that circulating is "easy" but it is less intense than scrubbing in. Being the circulator, you essentially get the patient in the OR, prepare her abdomen w/solution for surgery, count instruments w/the scrub nurse/tech, and be the "gofer" (meaning, you get the items the team or CRNA/MDA need). As circulator, I also assist the babynurse as needed, if baby is "slow to come around" and needs some resuscitation. I also call the ER registration to admit the baby.
After the surgery, I and the MDA wheel the patient back to her room for a Post-anesthesia recovery (meaning I do not leave her bedside for one hour, doing q5 min vital signs, frequent fundal checks and seeing to her stability). If she is feeling up to it, we initiate breastfeeding in that hour too.
After that I resume my role as an LDRP nurse and take care of her for her postpartum course, along w/her baby.
Hope this illuminates what circulators do.
If you are going to scrub in, you are going to be trained to either be the scrub nurse---and will have to know your instruments and how the physicians work/their styles/glove sizes, (a whole other block of training in other words)---- or you are going to train to be an RN First-Assistant. A whole other block of intense training as well.
You need to get clear your role in the OR---will you circulate, First-Assist, or be the Scrub nurse? That will better prepare you for what you are going to be trained to do.
Try not to worry. I never liked being in OR either, til I did lots of cases. Being circulator is not such a huge deal,really, after you have done it a while. I have never trained to be an RNFA or Scrub nurse, however, so I won't speak to that. I am not interested in taking on those roles in addition to being an OB nurse. That is enough liability for me in one position.
First, remember that you're being trained. You're not supposed to know the names of all the instruments right now, you're supposed to learn them. Handle them a lot. Once you're more familiar with them, you can see their individual differences and they stop looking all the same. One problem is that there is little standaridization in the names of the instruments. A Kelly in one place, is a Mayo at another institution. This will not be a problem for you as you are there to learn these things and will not be expected to know them all now.
You will not be scrubbing alone for some time. You will have someone with you and will probably watch mostly the first time. Then pass instruments with the experienced scrub nurse scrubbed in watching you closely, ready to help if you need it. She/he will not let you make any serious mistakes that could harm the patient.
And it's not just learning the names of the instruments, sterile technique is a major part of what you'll be learning. You already know something about that now, but you'll learn more. You graduated from nursing school and passed boards;just approach this the same way you approached all the other learning you"ve had to do. You'll do fine in this as well.
Hi, my name is Amber and im still trying to decide what i want to do with my life after highschool. I have one year left and i was thinking about looking into nursing in the maternity ward. I really have no idea where to begin looking for schools and the number of years i need or the things i need to do to get a job... let me know if you can help. thanks so much. Please PM me if you can help me, or wish to correspond by email.
Amber
I am a maternity nurse and I love it. If you click on the link for nursing schools on this website, you can then search by state and I think maybe by specialty too. Nursingspectrum.com is also a good website. I think if you can handle the gross stuff of med-surg then once you work your way into maternity it is so rewarding. Many people think it is just playing with babies and stuff, but I do high-risk and there is a lot of stuff you see that you won't soon forget. Many sad stories, but also many more happy ones. It is a very emotional specialty to work in. The other thing is that many good hospitals (ones that do high-risk and are well-known), only take RN's and some only take BSN's. My recommendation would be to just go for your BSN while you can because otherwise your career paths are limited and it is not as easy to go back to school once you start making $$. Good luck with everything...I do hope you choose maternity nursing!
Thanks so much for those of you who responded. That makes me feel better. Smilingblueyes- I am learning how to scrub in. I will spend 2-3 weeks orienting to scrubbing, then I will start training to circulate. YIKES! Just say a prayer that this goes smoothly. Thanks
to you experienced OB RN's out there - do the experienced ones get to do things without orders - such as dc'ing IV fluids post c/s, or advancing a diet - like if you knew a doctor would let you get away with it? The facility that fired me was furious that I did such a thing -UNDER THE ADVICE OF THE PRECEPTOR- which did not help my defense. I have moved on and started working in M/S at another facility where I've been assured a job in OB after 6-12 months, but I can't help looking in the rear view mirror on occasion. At my former employer, this kind of thing was just an everyday occurence that was done by mainly the 15+ yrs nurses. -L.
I stop fluidsand advance diets, as well as perform bedside swallows (I work with lots of stroke patients) without an order all the time. All of us dothis.And all of the doctors are appreciative of this. We only do this under certain circumstances. No GI problems? Eating and drinking ok? Had a bowel movement? No nausea? adv to regular and stop IV fluids.
Hi. I am beginning my fellowship on a post partum unit in just a few weeks. I was wondering if any of you have suggestions for a good stethoscope. I just used a fairly cheap one for nursing school and need a new one. I think the nursery has them there already, but I would definitely be using my own for the mothers. And as long as you are all making recommendations, what about shoes? There are no specific requirements for footwear at the hospital where I will be, so I can get whatever works best for me. I'm really not particular, but I also know that with just a few exceptions, I've not worked full 12 hour shifts yet either, and that makes a huge difference!
SmilingBluEyes
20,964 Posts
Be prepared to study and work hard.
Be prepared to ask a lot of questions.
Be prepared to absorb like a sponge, all the info given you.
Be prepared for long nights of doing assignments and reports.
Be prepared for the job hunt after school. Start reading books or learning how to write a resume and how to interview for a position
Be prepared, like Betsy said, that some hospitals will not hire LPN's into L/D or the nursery. Others will. Be prepared for what the market holds for you as an LPN once you graduated.
I wish you the BEST of luck!!! Welcome to the forums and ask anything.