First of all, let me say that I have absolutely no disrespect for any of the specialities or nurses working in certain specialities. However, OB nursing...I just don't get it. We've only gone through two lectures and one exam, which I didn't do too well on. I'll just be honest, I didn't pass. I didn't get a 'F'...whoot whoot ...but I didn't pass. From day one, I thought it was boring and just...I don't know...all over the place. I want to understand the material and pass the class, but receiving my first bad grade (in nursing school) and not finding it interesting doesn't help the situation.
Also, I'm taking Med Surg I this semester and I absolutely love it. You know, putting everything together and just...*sigh* :heartbeat.
With OB, it's almost as if I dread reading the information. When I get to lecture, it makes sense, but it's still not interesting to me. I would really appreciate if someone could give me some tips/advice on my situation.
I would like to thank everyone for their feedback and encouragement. It really means a lot to me! I've spent most of my time studying OB this weekend and I plan to use the online study aids, as well. I know that nursing school isn't meant to be super easy and that's why I love it. I plan to do everything that I can to pass this semester because I definitely don't want to take OB again. Again, thank you all!! :-*
@sirI---Thank you! The whole time I was thinking, "Maybe it's just me" (about the fact that I feel as if OB seems all over the place). I think that is really amazing that you hated OB and ended up being an OB-GYN NP!
@Esme12---I've never thought of it in that way. Just a year or two ago, I was encouraging my younger siblings to stay focused on the prize (they were high school seniors) because they stressed how much they hated high school. Now, I'm feeling exactly how they did...but over ONE course. Wow, thank you for helping me put everything into perspective.
I didn't do great in my first OB test, and I work on OB. Our class average was 74. The nurses I work with told me their most difficult topic was OB, and to keep my chin up. Our second test is a different professor, and my OB rotation instructor. I have a feeling we will all do a lot better on this one. It's a lot of information for 39 hours of clinical??
When I needed motivation I just thought about the tough job market and how much tougher it must be for those who don't show up every day and attack each subject they encounter.
If you have cable, try watching some of the shows that have to do with pregnancy and birth. Studying what seems like a bunch of random facts can feel like slow torture. But when you have a context that includes those facts, it's amazing how it can all come together for you.
You'll hear the nurses and docs talk about various pregnancy complications and follow several families on each show. This will not only let you put some of the puzzle pieces together, but it will also help you understand the progression of the decision-making and observe what the families go through.
I remember watching one of these programs several years ago having to do with a mom who had placenta accreta. A short time later one of my postpartum patients had to have a hysterectomy following her child's emergent birth because this mom had the same thing.
Shows like these are no replacement for actual study, but they can be a very user-friendly visual aid after you have done the homework. They can help you anchor the information in your mind and give it meaning.
As the others said, do well enough that you don't have to do the course again. Best wishes.
We had OB/peds stuff in the first year and it was so general, it was kind of a yawner. Still, I studied and did pretty good. The high risk OB in the second year is what was really interesting because now we're talking about stuff that goes really wrong and it's more like ICU patient care and involves other body systems like the heart, lungs, and kidneys. Just memorize what you need to just before the test --- yes, get one of those test books thats splits up the different subjects ---- and then that info can go straight out of your brain when you've passed the test.
...but I didn't pass. From day one, I thought it was boring and just...I don't know...all over the place. I want to understand the material and pass the class, but receiving my first bad grade (in nursing school) and not finding it interesting doesn't help the situation. 
i<3u
177 Posts
I would like to thank everyone for their feedback and encouragement. It really means a lot to me! I've spent most of my time studying OB this weekend and I plan to use the online study aids, as well. I know that nursing school isn't meant to be super easy and that's why I love it. I plan to do everything that I can to pass this semester because I definitely don't want to take OB again. Again, thank you all!! :-*