NEW job!! WOW!!! Am I nuts?? Opinions PLEASE!!!

2banurse · Jan 31, 2003

CONGRATULATIONS JACKIE!!! :balloons:

That is so wonderful!!! Although I'm not in nursing school yet (keeping my fingers crossed for fall!), OB is an area I hope to go into. I think it is the one specialty that it doesn't matter, day or night, there is always some action. I'm sure it'll be a little tougher working nights, but for the majority, your kids will be sleeping and working three days a week, you may be able to work on the sleep thing without missing too much of your kids.

You'll have to share your experiences with all the wanna-be-ob-nurses so we can live vacacriously (sp?) through you!!

Kris

imenid37 · Feb 1, 2003

good luck to you! i hope you like your job. i went from mother baby to a rural ldrp/mb/gyn unit 6 years ago. best move i ever made. nope my job is not perfect, but pretty interesting and i do things i never thought i would. i have delivered 3 babies! i never thought i would have the guts for this type of job, but i didi it. you can too! best of luck. no you are not crazy.

EmeraldNYL, BSN, RN · Feb 1, 2003

Jackie, Congrats! Try out the night shift, and if you don't like it, maybe you can ask to switch to day shift when something opens up.

cindyln · Feb 1, 2003

Congratulations!! You will adjust to nights and working 12 hours you are only at work 7 days out of 14. So you will be home alot too.

Sable's mom · Feb 1, 2003

:balloons:

CONGRATULATIONS!!

I've worked OB since (are you ready?) 1977:imbar and there is no better place in the world IMHO.

Anyways, I have moved 12 times and had different jobs each time so I can imagine your concern (fear) :chair: . My advice is to

#1 find a mentor - someone who has been at it a while and is happy with L & D

#2 refuse (yes, REFUSE) to go off orientation until you are ready. :nono:

Good luck - let us know how things go.

Linda

Wren · Feb 1, 2003

Congratulations!

My daughter worked in telemetry for 2 years and just tolerated it until she got hired for L&D. She loves L&D and says she will NEVER leave. (Been there 4 years or so) She did have to work nights in the beginning and it takes an adjustment but she transferred to days after about 6 months. With your experience you will be fabulous. Good luck.

jaxnRN · Feb 1, 2003

You people are the BEST!!!! I just found this board a couple of days ago and you have already given me the confidence and advice that I so desperately needed. Nurses are good at that and I sincerely thank you ALL from the bottom of my heart!

Also, I am in a small hospital, only about 10 RN's in the unit TOTAL for all shifts, and sometimes when it is slow, we "float" out to Med-Surg, so it might be a while until a days position opens up there.

My dad is an OB/GYN/Female surgeon and my mother was a LAbor & delivery nurse for over 30 years, worked 2 night jobs to makes ends meet BEFORE she met my dad, and I admire her for all those sacrifices!!! I never realized how much she did but she LOVED her OB life and so it MUST be in my blood!!!

I am so excited!!! Everyone (my brothers and some friends) are saying that I am "nuts" to go to nights from a perfect day weekend package but they are also supportive of what I decide. But the look on their faces when I tell them about the change of jobs is not disguised well!!!

Thanks to all....and I am still open to any tips!!!

~Jackie

emily_mom · Feb 1, 2003

Yay!!! I hope to get back into OB someday too. Right now, I'm biding my time in Med/Tele/Onc.

Kristy

mother/babyRN, RN · Feb 1, 2003

Congratulations! I am starting a new OB position at the end of the month, ALSO 12 hour nights, and even after being an OB nurse for 14 years, I am still nervous. New people . New job. New ways of doing things..Hang in there...You will do great...Sometimes the hardest thing to do is RElearn vs learn new things...So you have an advantage over me...As for nights, well, they rot BUT you will never find a closer shift of people and comeraraderie, usually because you are all you have...Speaking as a current night nurse....