why OB/Peds?

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It seems like most NS have the basic Med/Surg and then they throw in OB/Peds. OB/Peds is a specialty area, right? Why do they include one specialty and not any others? How come you don't see an ED rotation, or a critical care rotation? We only get one 10-hr day in surgery. :madface: That's a specialty area that I'd really enjoy more of.

With more guys jumping into nursing you'd think they'd be given a choice about whether they did an OB/Peds rotation or another specialty area.

After all, our instructors already told the guys in our group that they'd probably spend the entire OB rotation answering phones and emptying trash because there aren't usually any patients or husbands willing to have a male student around. That makes for a long, boring rotation for the guys! :(

Our school doesn't have OB/Peds for the LPN program anymore. Instead, they have a Geriatrics rotation. I think I'd like that better than OB! :mad:

Any ideas? Would anyone else like to see other specialties besides OB/Peds during NS?

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Specializes in OB.

I had OB, Peds (36 hours in each) OR (24 hours) Geriatrics (32 hours) and Critical care (ICU) for 36 hours.

In the OR rotation, I followed pts thru from pre-op, thru surgery, PACU and back to the floor.

THe OB rotation was L&D and postpartum and it was totally hands on, with a precepting nurse. We werent allowed to touch pit, or do vag exams, but did way more than emptying the trash and sitting on our butts. Boys included. No one was excluded from anything by anyone during my semesters.

Specialty rotations are offered to show you the "whole" picture and help you to decide where you want to be

Maybe you should look into a different program that would offer you the clincal experience you desire?

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hi,

i'm a guy and just got done with my ob/peds rotation. I don't know why prof say such negative stuff. it puts a doom feeling in a guy before they even get on the floor. with that said, ob was probably the best experience i have had in nursing. i have one semester left. I was fearing going on a postpartum unit. But, i acted confident and gave the mother LOTS of compliments. my prof, "give lots of compliments, women love them and their free." haha. anyway, i never answered phones or emptied the trash. i was too busy dealing with the baby and mother. i even saw a birth, i stayed in the background with gloves on and the father didn't say anything to me and my clinical partner, a guy.

During my peds rotation, my CS would ask who wanted to volunteer to go to the ED. i did, twice. it was a great experience. i got paired with a guy, which was cool. i didnt enjoy peds, depressing and the parents. yikes!

We do have a critical care rotation, its the last semester, its paired with mental health nursing. which is weird.

Don't buy into the hype of these profs. the experience is what you make of it. this is for an RN program. i wish you the best of luck.

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Your program sounds great!

I'm in the only ASN program that is within driving distance of my home and I'm married with 2 kids & 2 dogs, so relocation isn't an option.

I'm hoping to land a position in the ED at the facility where I work. I'd love to try out a few other specialties, but OB/Peds is one place where I know I don't want to work.

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My husband went to the same school I'm in. He was in the LPN program before they dropped OB/Peds. He never got to enter a single patient room during that rotation. Of course, he was thrilled with that! He said he'd seen his share when our 2 were born.

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I'm hoping to land a position in the ED at the facility where I work. I'd love to try out a few other specialties, but OB/Peds is one place where I know I don't want to work.

You're answering your own question! :) You may know that you don't want to work in OB or peds, but you will see plenty of pregnant women and kids in an ED, and you need to be familiar with the basics of OB and peds in order to be competent at your job.

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Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.

I don't know how your school has chosen to structure your clinical rotations, but in my nursing program some years ago we not only did rotations in OB and Peds, but also in the ICU, CCU, OR and Recovery Room and the ER. If you are unhappy with the clinical experience being provided, discuss it with the dean of your program. Ask why you can't have clinicals in these other areas. Ask if there is a way to get clinical experience as a student in these areas. An externship or internship might be a way to do that.

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We do OB, Ped, Psych, Cardiac, and Oncology rotations in addition to our med/surg rotations. We also do day observations in the OR, wound clinics, a peds clinic office, etc. It's exactly what someone else said. You might never go directly into OB or psych, but you are going to deal with pregnant women, people who need psych (and really, your psych training is helpful for all your patients), people with cardiac issues, etc in most general fields of nursing including med/surg where most of us new grads will start out.

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.
How come you don't see an ED rotation, or a critical care rotation? We only get one 10-hr day in surgery. :madface: That's a specialty area that I'd really enjoy more of.

I got all of the above and fwiw in LPN school I did OB and Peds also so while it is unfortunate your school doesn't offer more clinical opportunities for you, it kind of is what it is, just get through and then you can do whatever speciality you want/

As for the OBportion in my class one guy was very proactive and had a great experience, another stood around like a dope and didn't make any effort to see or do things and that is exactly what he got out of it, nothing. Obviously some cultures are more modest when it comes to a male in the birthing arena but I find it hard to believe that most husbands today are that worried about the sex of their wife's caregiver under those circumstances. :uhoh3: Good luck and I hope this is one of those rotations that you never thought you would enjoy but ends up being great. I had quite a few of those.

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State boards of nursing generally require didactic and clinical exposure to OB Nursing. The state boards set what you must have in your program at a minimum.

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We have done med/surg, OR, pre op, and pacu for our first astwo semesters. Our third semester is ob, peds, and mental health. 4th semester is icu, ccu, and er.

I know the males I have talked to really liked ob/peds, I think alot of that has to do with how the school sets it up.

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Specializes in Acute Mental Health.

I have no idea why we have to have an ob/peds rotation either. I've had 2 children and have gone in the delivery room with a close friend and I pretty much am done with that area. We have ob in our 4th and final semester. I can hardly wait (yes, that is sarcasm). I would so rather be in surgery or ICU. I wish they could give us a choice. I just have to get through it and make the best of it. It is a leaning situation and that is how I'm going to get through it. We follow a mom through delivery and post. I hope I can get a scheduled c-section. A single mom with 2 children here, so I definately won't be able to get a page and run out the door. Hopefully, it will prove interesting and I will end up loving it. I am the type to always find something postitive, though right now I'm dreading it. You are not alone!

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