OB wannabes UNITE!

RNLisa · Feb 22, 2006

I originally went in to nursing school because of several reasons, but mainly because I had such a wonderful labor and delivery experience with my 3rd (and last) child 4 years ago. My nurse was wonderful, very caring, joked around with me and my husband, was about to leave after her 12 hour shift, but I hadn't delivered yet, so she stayed until I delivered, about an hour after her shift. She said she wanted to stick around to see my baby since she was there for most of the labor. She was great. I just knew at that moment that I wanted to be a L&D nurse. I had always wanted to be a nurse since I was little, but for various reasons never did it. Now that I am in my 30's, I finally am doing it. I don't know if I will get in to L&D right away, and may do Med/Surg for a year or so, but my goal is OB/L&D.

NJNursing, ASN, RN · Feb 22, 2006

I most certainly want to be an OB nurse. When I did that rotation I absolutely LOVED it and could have eaily did 7 12 hour shifts a week. I like L & D and the nursery. Post-partum was ok. I know that there's a greater liability with lawsuits in OB, but I really don't care. Other than telemetry, that's really my niche.

The reason I enrolled into nursing school was because of my L&D nurse when I had my daughter (nearly 5 years ago). She was so kind, caring, sympathetic, supportive and accomodating. She was like my best friend and worst enemy but most of all she was really there for me when I truly needed her. Here I am on the cusp of graduating (also in a HA HA 2 yr. program) and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel - and this time it's not an oncoming train.

JeanettePNP, MSN, RN, NP · Feb 22, 2006

I'm still in the pre-req stage but I want to do anything but L&D. Oh, I love labor and childbirth but the typical hospital-managed birth just messes up a beautiful natural process and I wouldn't be able to in good conscience be a party to that. I had 2 hospital births, 1 birthing center and 2 incredible, heavenly births at home with a midwife. L&D in a hospital would definitely be the wrong place for me.

guislander · Feb 22, 2006

Count me in. I want to work maternity more than anything. I'm in my fourth semester of a 2-yr program, though I had started part time. I'm praying I get OB for my preceptorship in april. Unfortunately, I have had some major conflicts with my OB instructor. She had me in tears this morning. :uhoh3: Hopefully she doesn't hold me back. If all goes well I graduate may 19th.

allthingsbright · Feb 22, 2006

I originally went in to nursing school because of several reasons, but mainly because I had such a wonderful labor and delivery experience with my 3rd (and last) child 4 years ago. My nurse was wonderful, very caring, joked around with me and my husband, was about to leave after her 12 hour shift, but I hadn't delivered yet, so she stayed until I delivered, about an hour after her shift. She said she wanted to stick around to see my baby since she was there for most of the labor. She was great. I just knew at that moment that I wanted to be a L&D nurse. I had always wanted to be a nurse since I was little, but for various reasons never did it. Now that I am in my 30's, I finally am doing it. I don't know if I will get in to L&D right away, and may do Med/Surg for a year or so, but my goal is OB/L&D.

I have heard lots of people in school say to do med/surg first (and some hospitals will say they prefer that), but then I just talked to a very experienced med/surg nurse who wanted to go into OB, but was told to get a year of med/surg 1st. Now, no one will hire her for OB because she has been "classified" as med/surg. Her advice (and I have heard this from MANY nurses) was to go straight into the specialty I want. I plan to start as a nurse intern my senior year in OB or Mother baby and go from there. I refuse to get stuck in Med/surg. Hospitals are so desperate for m/s nurses they often wont let you move around to a different area. Anyway, think about it carefully whatever you do. GL!