OB clinical...long lament

[JMG2207]

Hi everyone,

I am a second semester nursing student at a BSN program. We are finishing up our maternity rotation (I only have about two weeks left, which means about 3 days at the hospital), and I have some major concerns.

So far, I have not seen a delivery...lady partsl or cesarean, and everyone else in my group has. Thus I also have not been given the opportunity to give IM injections, start IVs, do foleys, etc. This is not for lack of trying on my part.

When I am assigned to the L&D unit, I either have a nurse or patient that does not want me (and by this time the other nurses already have students) or a patient who is progressing very slowly (so by the time I leave she is still in transition). Obviously, babies come when they want to! :-) When I am assigned to another unit (post-partum, lactation) I ask to be paged if there is an opportunity for me to see a delivery.

I am naturally not an "aggressive" person, but I have tried as hard as I can to make this happen. I have been polite and I have been pushy. I have raced around the hospital in my efforts to get experience. My clinical instructor is fairly young and new, and although I have asked her repeatedly to help me (and just finished writing her another email to please try to assign me a good nurse/patient) she has not been very helpful.

I really would like to know what will "happen" if I come out of this experience without having seen a delivery. Meaning, will it greatly affect my future as a new grad if I'm interested in OB? I know I am probably making a mountain out of a molehill, but I'm so disappointed. I have spent a great deal of time in PP, doing mother/newborn assessments and have learned alot there, but I feel like my education has this gaping hole.

I will fight to see a delivery if I have to, but at this point (after weeks of struggling) I will not be surprised if it doesn't happen for me. I am devastated because this is the area in which I am interested in working, and I have been so let down by this clinical experience.

Does anyone have any words of advice/encouragement? I would appreciate any input! I hope I don't come off as too whiny or trying to blame others for my problems. I really am trying so hard, but there have been days where I feel like I'm in the Twilight Zone.

Thanks so much for taking the time to read this:).

[kwagner_51]

Hi there,

I also didn't get to see a birth. However, I was able to shadow and did get to see a lady partsl birth and a c-section. I cried like a baby on both.

The shadowing report didn't count toward my grade because the rotation was over, but it was worth it to me to see it!!

See if you can shadow.

Good luck!!

[elkpark]

I can hear and understand your disappointment, but don't worry about this negatively affecting your future in OB nursing. What matters is that you complete and pass your OB course and clinical rotation, not what specific experiences you may or may not have had in the course of that rotation ... No student gets enough direct, hands-on experience in the clinical rotation to "count" as experience when it comes to job-hunting, so you will not be at any disadvantage compared to other new grads. :)

[JMG2207]

Thanks for your response, I appreciate it!

I have definitely thought of shadowing on my own time just so I can get the experience. I have been working so hard this semester and have kept hitting roadblocks for various reasons. Part of the problem is that my nursing program is very new and they are still working out alot of kinks, including scheduling clinicals and hiring good instructors, but I know that it is my responsibility to get the most out of my education.

Thanks again for writing. :-)

[JMG2207]

Thank you elkpark for your response as well, I really appreciate the support! I'm starting to feel a little better!:nuke: I know that in the end I will be a good nurse if I want to be.

[MOMTOFIVE]

So far, I have not seen a delivery...lady partsl or cesarean, and everyone else in my group has. Thus I also have not been given the opportunity to give IM injections, start IVs, do foleys, etc. This is not for lack of trying on my part.

Good for you for trying different approaches to getting the experience you want. Remember, it is not that uncommon to leave a BSN program with out having the oppertunity to start an IV or inserting a foley. Developing critical thinking skills and understanding the rationale behind interventions are the tasks to be mastered. I was told by a neighbor who hired nurses for a major hospital that it is expected that BSNs do not have as much experience as ADNs. Hopefully you will get to see that vag birth.:nuke: