Obstetrics Clinicals SCARE me so much im considering dropping out :(

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Feb 29, 2012

I have a feeling that you might just be pulling my leg but I'll bite anyway.......

When I started nursing (1977) I was innocent, I was one of 3 girls, and in those days, "good girls" didn't talk about those things. I was fresh out of high school and although I was aware of what the male anatomy was for and looked like.....I had never really looked or touched one. Although difficult at first you can still go forward. You will be performing very intimate tasks for your patients and if you really don't think you have the "physiological strength" then maybe you are right and nursing isn't for you. Nursing is actually more intense than clinicals and you need to decide that you are willing to do what it takes to be a nurse.

About those secure career considerations that forced you in the direction of nursing........many new grads are not finding employment or finding employment extremely difficult after graduation.

What is keeping New Grads/less experienced Nurses from being hired and solutions?

https://allnurses.com/nursing-activism-healthcare/what-keeping-new-663383.html

Nurses Are Talking About: Jobs for New Grads

The Big Lie?Losing Our Skills

The Holy Grail

Take a Job, Any Job

Get Out of the Hospital

Back to School?

Does Uncle Sam Want You?

Feel Like a Little Golf?

Give Us a Chance

Medscape: Medscape Access (requires registration but it is free.)

Good luck

canadiandude · Feb 29, 2012

Thanks for the prompt reply and no im not pulling your leg and im not fresh out of highschool so it makes things that much worse (particularly how western culture looks at guys in my "not teen but not quite-adult position" in life and how it makes us feel). Ive been thinking for a while now that nursing isnt for me but theres not much i can do and dont wanna be stuck in minimum wage job all my life but I guess thats better than doing something that you hate for the rest of your life (elderly care like changing diapers and cleaning also makes me very uncomfortable and i always thought that i could become a psych nurse or ER (or you know like assisting in surgery like on medical shows) nurse where there would be little of that). I guess I had a very wrong image of what is required of a nurse or had been watching too many medical tv dramas.

cayenne06, MSN, CNM · Feb 29, 2012

Most likely all you will be asked to do is take vitals and stand in the corner. Don' worry, you won't be touching anyone's genitals in an L&D capacity as a nursing student. HOWEVER. You should already have done peri care ( I am assuming you are already a nursing student?), and if you haven't you will have to do it at some point. You do need to have a certain amount of comfort with the genitals of both sexes, no matter what specialty of nursing you go into. Actually L&D is the least of your problems, because most of the time these ladies are able to completely care for themselves after the initial postpartum period!

Maybe spend some time researching female anatomy? Sometimes all it takes is more exposure to become comfortable- just looking at picture in a textbook and becoming familiar with parts/names might help. Good luck!

sue4bs · Feb 29, 2012

A couple of suggestions - Use some self talk to remind yourself...the patient is in an unfamiliar situation as well. Many patients find that it is just as embarassing to have to void or move their bowels in front of you and by this point in your classes, I am sure you have been exposed to this so try keeping that in mind.

Maintain eye contact. Practise conversations...ie. introducing yourself, describing to the patient what you are going to be doing, etc. Practise questions which let the patient take the lead. " Patient Name, your doctor is going to examine you now...do you need any assistance getting ready.."(remember they will have been exposed to this in during the prenatal visits) Create some scenarios and work your way through what your role will be and what you might say during these times. As a student, it will be mostly observational.

Quietly observing will get you a long way and help you through this experience(it is when a person talks alot that the patient realizes what your comfort level is). If you have a good relationship with your instructor, talk to her about being shy and ask that she help. I had a female classmate who lived in dread of her clinical obs experience. She got through it and like she said...that is all that is needed. So break the clinical into chunks in your mind, cross off each day and you will do fine.

ggoodman · Feb 29, 2012

When I worked as a Fire fighter and med provider I learned to put on a hat so to speak. One hat was the work hat that could take all of the drama and horrible situations and experiences remain professional and think, and one for home. The work hat stayed at work and the home hat at home. This helped me remain myself around the family and act accordingly to situations and treat my family one way. My work hat comes with a hole different persona that can handle all sorts of smells, situations, people that the home me cannot. The more you can separate the two the better. When my wife asks about parts of my job I keep it simple and definitely sensor what comes out because I know some things are just best left at work. Some people can do this, some can't. One way to get better is to engage with those people at work and talk about you feelings like previously mentioned exspose your self to as close to the situation as you can..

grpman · Feb 29, 2012

Don't make a rash decision while you're emotional. They tend to never be the right one. So, suck it up, go to clinical, and act like you've done it before (no pun intended).

nurse2033, MSN, RN · Mar 1, 2012

OB is the coolest thing ever. And people don't just go home after getting sick, they go home with a baby! Stop freaking out, it's just another chapter in your schooling. As one poster commented, no one is going to let you do anything important so relax, you don't get to see babies born every day, unless you work in OB of course.

elavalley3 · Mar 14, 2012

Your instructors are going to pre-screen your mothers to make sure they are ok with a male student so you need not feel awkward. Remember you are there to learn some very interesting and important skills. Your interaction with the mother is a very superficial and casual one at best when you are the nursing student. In my own experience the mother I was assigned to questioned me relentlessly about why I chose nursing , if I liked the L&D aspect of it etc. She was perfectly fine with me straight cathing her ( with all 8 ofer family members watching me lol ) and she was 100% ok with me and my classmate witnessing her lady partsl birth. I too was very nervous about L&D but you just got to put your nurse hat on so to speak and get the job done. On a funny note I remember doing Nursery with 14 babies , I have never seen so many angry little humans in my life rofl. So CHIN UP and DO IT cause it is all worth it in the end.

Kiwiguy · Mar 16, 2012

When I worked as a Fire fighter and med provider I learned to put on a hat so to speak. One hat was the work hat that could take all of the drama and horrible situations and experiences remain professional and think, and one for home. The work hat stayed at work and the home hat at home. This helped me remain myself around the family and act accordingly to situations and treat my family one way.

Pretty much what ggoodman wrote! When you go onto any ward/nursing environment put your nursing hat on. Even if your not a natrually confident guy..you can bluff it! walk with your back straight shoulders apart and when you talk to people keep eye contact. It is helpful :)

mindlor · Mar 18, 2012

I loved OB. I am older (47) and I am very confident so the clients and families responded well to me.

I did a lot of triage, hooking the moms up to the fetal monitors, taking vitals, histories etc.......

I tried to be respectful and stay out of the line of sight when it seemed appropriate.....

I loved OB. So complicated and so much can go wrong sooo quickly.

I too was dreading it but it turned out GREAT. Loved every minute.

Stand strong

Wanahakalugi · Apr 6, 2012

OK, first and foremost I am a male nursing student as well! I understand where you are coming from with the exception that I am a Husband and Father of 3; so I have been in the L&D before and have some "experience" in that situation. Regardless, I was once a first time father-to-be in a room with around 5 other people staring at my wife while she was "presented" for birth. There is a slight awchwardness to the situation, but please know that you have nothing to worry about.

I recently completed my L&D/Mother Baby rotation and I have a HUGE passion for that type of nursing given the life situations I have been presented with. I am not a perv or anything, I just love kiddos and the teaching aspect of nursing. After having seen the process with my other kiddos, one going to the NICU for a stay, I have a desire to be included in that field. After doing the actual rotation, I saw that I was very comfortable with the situation, but the moms and some dads find it a little strange. I find it quite funny actually as there are plenty of Male OB/GYN and people are fine with it, but throw a male nurse on the L&D floor and they get funny.

What I am trying to say is that this is a needed part of a long term goal you are working towards. Anything worth having doesn't come easily. Just focus on the learning aspect of the whole process; observe the nurses at work, the transitions of labor, and the emotional status of the client/Patient (what ever they are wanting us to use now). Most likely they will do to you what they did to me; toss you in triage and then call you for a C-section if there is one....Got to see a C-Section of twins at 26 weeks due to pre-term labor. I got to take them up to the NICU (Where I plan to place my carrer) and do assessments up there.

The best thing that you can do is jus be there for the mom and don't forget about dad. The whole birthing process is about the Mom and making her labor the best that you can. Just concentrate on your skills learned in class, apply the thoery, and do your best. Chin up and push through it! Nursing isn't a sexual practice; it's professional. Don't think of it as a sexual experience, think of it as a job and learning experience and get through it.