Harlem05

Hi, I am currently a new Army nurse. It is required of all brand new nurses in the Army to work on med-surg before we can specialize. I want to specialize OB and in order to apply to the OB specialty course I have to have had at least 1 year med-surg experience. However, my supervisor and the director of the OB course "highly recommend" at least 2 years. I would like to know what other OB nurses think about this. How many years of med-surg do you think is needed to do well in OB? Does having med-surg experience make a dramatic difference in OB? What are other people's opinion about the med-surg experince before OB debate? Thank you for hearing me out :wink2:

Hi, I just started nursing in March and I am on a surgical step down unit. I am not interested in med-surg at all. I have always been interested in OB/GYN nursing, especially L&D. I am currently an Army nurse and I am stationed at a hospital that does not have an L&D unit but only a small obgyn clinic which I can't work in due to policies. I would love to start getting some experience before applying to go to the OB specialty course. I can moonlight to civilian hospitals but I think I would be too overwhelmed with 2 nursing jobs right off the bat. Is there a possibilty that I could perhaps volunteer at one of the civilian hospitals on an L&D unit, just to see what it's like and maybe learn some basic ob nursing? Does any one have any suggestions?? Thanks!