caraway

that's great! hoping mine goes as well as yours this summer when i start :)

i was also debating between these two positions (OR or level III NICU) and i chose NICU. :)

glad you are enjoying it :) my orientation is also 24 weeks ... i start this summer, after i graduate. excited and nervous :)

thank you everyone for your kind replies. this was 3 years ago, but it still bothers me (especially since i am in my OB rotation for clinicals right now, and have to see this doc at the hospital). i still continued to go to the old ob for a couple of years, because i wasn't sure if i was being "overly sensitive" and i was hesitant to try someone new, for fear it would be the same or worse. luckily, i don't have pain during intercourse anymore. it was related to the healing 3rd degree tear and the mirena --- i had a lot of problems with it (excruciating pain, weeks of bleeding at a time for each period, etc.) and finally had it removed, although 2 exams and 2 ultrasounds said it should be "fine." ever since, i've been pain free! i plan to go to an independent midwife (CPM or CNM) for any future children. i also have a new OB that i may have to go to from time to time, because i have a history of abnormal paps and if i need follow ups (colposcopies/biopsies or treatment), my midwife doesn't do those. the new OB seems okay, i guess. PS i feel sort of sad/disappointed because i used to think i'd like to be a CNM or an L&D Nurse, but after these experiences, i was really turned off from it. i'm accepted to work in a level III NICU when i graduate this spring. i'm really hoping to get to do a lot with parent teaching and breastfeeding assistance.

i'm a nursing student and i'm in my OB rotation. the other day i observed a vag. delivery, where the OB attending was the same OB that 'delivered' my baby 3 years ago. i noticed that he did a lot of the same things that upset me during my delivery, although i didn't say a word since i was there for school purposes. he cranked the pitocin on this pt (the nurses said) for his convenience, because she wasn't progressing fast enough for his taste. his office is two blocks away, but he didn't show up until after the mother was already pushing, and he didn't touch the mother or baby whatsoever, not once. he stood back and didn't do or say anything, while the residents did everything. he also made crass "joking" remarks about how his patients would now be annoyed by having to wait in the office while he had to come deliver this woman's baby. he then ran out as soon as possible, after giving perfunctory 'congratulations' and again, let the residents and nurses do everything including the stitching (2nd degree tear), etc. maybe i do not have realistic expectations? is this standard? i was very upset with this doc because when i was pregnant, i was already a long-term patient for 4 years or more. it was a perfectly healthy, routine pregnancy, and i saw his midwives the entire time. it was specifically spelled out, that his midwives would attend to me in labor (barring any major complications which might suddenly arise). even with my pre-admission to the hospital, i specified that it was a midwife delivery. my water broke in the middle of the night at 39 w 2 d -- i was GBS+, so i knew i would have to receive antibiotics during labor, esp. after my water broke. contractions started regularly after my water broke --- it was 2 AM on a sunday (i know, bad me for having the nerve to go into labor on a sunday morning!) --- i called the Ob's office and he was on call. he told me to go to hospital and start the antibiotics --- i reminded him that i was to be with the midwives, he said okay. i go to the hospital, and had a decel during the initial monitoring. however, according to all the nurses, everything was FINE from that point on. i kept begging to be allowed back out of bed to walk around and relieve the pain, but they kept telling me i HAD to stay in the bed because of that ONE freaking decel, supposedly the doc / resident wanted me in bed and on the monitors the entire time. i had wanted a natural labor, but since i was continually told i was not allowed out of bed and the pain and stress were getting to me (i started feeling claustrophobic and a lot of anxiety) i asked for some stadol at last. that just zonked me out, i sort of slept, and they said my contractions slowed down 'too much' (my guess is that they slowed too much for the doc's convenience) --- they then gave me pitocin. of course that was excruciating, so reluctantly, i asked for the epidural at last, because i figured there was no point in suffering in excruciating pain, when i couldn't even attempt to relieve it by walking, soaking in the tub, or anything i originally planned to do. i progressed quickly and was ready to push, my body was pushing by itself, but they were telling me to wait because the doc was on his way and it would be like 15 minutes so some strange resident i never met came in to take over, and obviously i'm in no position at this point to protest. i had been naive, i guess, and thought that my midwives would show up during the morning. wrong. the ob showed up after i was already pushing, didn't touch me or the baby once ... i pushed well for 15 minutes or less, and the baby was ALMOST out. they decided to use the vaccuum and although i didn't think it was necessary, i thought she would be out in one or two pushes, they yanked her and i got a 3rd degree tear. i delivered at 10:35 AM. my baby also wound up with pretty bad jaundice (18), a big lump on her head, and had breastfeeding difficulties, bili-blanket and daily heelsticks, it was a nightmare. got little to no breastfeeding help in hospital, even though i asked repeatedly. she had a nuchal cord x1 which was easily removed and her apgars were 9 and 9, she was perfectly fine in that regard. i have a history of being verbally / physically abused as well as being sexually abused, so all this was very traumatizing to me. i ended up with ppd. my history was noted in my charts even before i became pregnant, and then i talked about it with the midwives many times during my pregnancy. they knew. i felt "betrayed" because the midwives didn't show up, the doc didn't even care for me himself --- i felt like i was a "guinea pig" for the resident and that i wasn't respected as far as my comfort and psychological well-being were concerned. the OB basically said "congratulations" and ran out right after the resident was done stitching. the midwives claimed they were never told that i was in labor, which means the OB and/or his office never told them, apparently. this same doc later told me, when i reported pain during intercourse MONTHS later that was so bad that i didn't want to have sex (due to mirena, which i had problems with, and the 3rd degree tear) --- he acted like it was a joke and blew me off, stating that i was "fine" and that i just "need to have sex more" --- in front of my husband, who was pressuring me for sex all the time anyway. side note, this OB had bugged me in the past (before i had the baby) to apply for a job with him, and when i finally did, interviewed, etc., he never even hired me i don't think he hired anyone for the position after all (i don't think he expanded) -- but still, why have me go to the trouble, bug me to apply, and then blow me off? so is this behavior common to expect in the ob world? i know some / most women wouldn't mind this, but it wasn't the care i wanted. i feel like i was ignored. i really didn't want a resident, but what choice did i have when the midwives never showed up and the OB didn't show up until after i was already pushing and in no place of mind to protest anymore? to me, having a 3rd degree tear, ppd, a very jaundiced baby on bili therapy and needing constant bilisticks, feeding issues, etc. ... almost killed me. succeeding in breastfeeding was so hard, but i did it on my own. i had no family or friends to support me or come help out.

i don't graduate until may, and i'm already hired to our level III NICU. my hospital has a 6 month internship program for new hires to the unit, and they accept people fresh out of school, if they're qualified. i start in june, about a month after graduation.

i thought the group interview was 'hard' because i never had done the group format before -- i found it distracting to have the other people there all asking / answering questions at the same time, it made me more anxious. they asked some interesting questions like describe a time when you were an advocate for a patient, what is the most complex case you have handled so far, etc. the one on one interview was great. it wasn't so much as question-answer as it was a back and forth exchange. we talked nonstop for an hour! i read up on some relevant topics such as necrotizing enterocolitis, ROP, and so on -- and i discussed them during the interview. i mentioned all kinds of things like community service, family centered care and parent teaching, culturally competent care, and so on. we talked about so many different things! it was really good because i didn't just wait for her to ask me things -- i asked HER questions that were intelligent and thoughtful, too. it also helped because i have some pediatric experience already.

i was accepted into the critical care internship program for next summer to be a NICU nurse (GN) at our level III NICU.

i had my interview last monday and i am anxiously waiting to hear back. i've completed the group interview and the individual interview. i already work at the hospital part time in the regular peds dept, as a tech. i know the HR person is busy, so i don't want to be a pest. tomorrow will be a full week since i had my individual interview, which i thought went spectacularly. would it be appropriate for me to send an email to the HR person to inquire when i might hear back from them? i am so anxious about this - i can hardly concentrate on my studying!

thank you -- i think i did REALLY well on my interview. we spoke back and forth nonstop for an hour! hope to hear back from them soon.

these aren't even from a unit, just from people i have met personally -- diamond january september ulysses denver unique malakai malaysia (i just met this girl today, she's a triplet ... didn't hear her sibling's names, though) ginga orchid the list goes on and on ... i love unusual names, but some of those are just way out there.

interview at level III NICU today. i work as a PSNA (student nurse / tech) at the hospital already, on the regular Peds unit. i want to work in the NICU so very much. hoping this interview goes well. already had the group interview, today is the one on one interview. i have heard the NICU is really looking for help, so that gives me hope! super nervous. last night i "floated" to a renal med/surg floor and had a 1-to-1 combative dementia pt who was on lasix ... had to change the brief 10 times, plus he used the urinal 3 times. kicked and cursed at me the whole night, only fell asleep the last hour of my shift. cross your fingers that i get into the NICU! i really love working with children and infants ... the 'adult world' is not for me!