ejean

Thanks for your input regarding whether extended Postpartum experience will really help the transition to L&D.

Thanks,I do have a very supportive manager that i am able to talk with about concerns and I do not believe I will be circulating for c-sections until later. Mostly laboring patients on a very supportive unit. I appreciate your feedback.

Here's my story. I went to nursing school because I thought I wanted to do Maternity nursing. I was a straight A student. I am very book smart and have great people skills/bedside manner. I was thrilled when I landed a job in the MCC at a hospital that has a new grad residency program. I oriented for 9 weeks on a med surge unit--an experience that was horrible for me. I struggled with time management and the enormous breadth of knowledge and skills you need as a med surge nurse. I always felt like I was so slow. There was never time to really ineract with patients at a level I would like. Then I went to my OB unit where I had 10 shifts of orientation to postpartum/mother baby and the plan is for me to start L&D orientation in about 6-7 months during which I will receive "up to" 12 weeks of training--I am sure I'll need the 12 weeks if I make it that far. Working Mother baby has been "OK" for me, Although i still find it difficult to work at as fast as a pace that it seems I should working. Time management is improving but I still usually feel as though I am really slow. I really enjoy Mother/baby and believe that as time goes on I will become more efficient but I have serious concerns about my ability to be successful as a L&D nurse after only working as a nurse for about nine months total. I do not have the option of working only mother baby in my current job. I am torn beause I know my current employer has made a significant investment in me and I really do want to stay with this employer long term, however a part of me wonders if I should try to find a different job at a hospital that would allow me to work exclusively Mother/ Baby for a few years and then pursue A L&D job after having a few years of experience as an RN. Will having more experience as an RN make the transition to L&D any easier or is it challenging irregardless. Any thoughts or suggestions would be great. Thanks!

I appreciated your post. I too was a straight A "student" and now that I am actually on the floor I feel like I hardly know anything. I am six weeks into a new grad program and constantly question if I am going to be able to "get" this. I always feel so slow. It seems as if other new grads are doing so much better than me. (Getting charting done, decent time management, clinical knowledge, etc. ) Are some people just better at putting on their game face than I am? DAILY I feel like I just want to quit. The posts I've read encourage me to know I am not alone in my feelings though. Thanks