PedsRN9999

Can a male RN work in obstetrics? The answer is YES!!! been floating there for several years now.

If that is your calling you MUST pursue it!!!!!! Remember patients won't know how much you know until they know how much you care. I hope you are able to find the way to get hired in post-partum unit or labor and Delivery. Do not give up just because one persons opinion. I have been floating to the Post-Partum unit for now almost three years and the nurses from that unit have been very supportive in every aspect. I am a guy and the families and coworkers respect me because I treat everyone with respect. At the end of the day I am just a nurse, and I am there for my patients.

The procedure requires a signed concent form. The Physician has the obligation to inform the patient about what is involved in the procedure as well as the risks and benefits before it happens. By the time the procedure takes place the patient should know what to expect. Perhaps he thought you were being out of place when explaining things to the patient. Dont get discouraged; there are many opportunities for patient teaching. Good luck

I work in the Post-Partum unit 3-4 times/month sometimes more depending on the needs of my home unit and Med-Surg. I have not had the opportunity to work in the delivery unit yet, I have been thinking about it for the last two year and ofcourse often I have had this fear of rejection then think about my experience in the Post-Partum unit wich has been good and makes me think that yes I can do this! There is always somebody who will think that men dont belong in nursing even less in obstetrics. I agree with you the people with that mentality tend to be the older nurses who have been there many,many years. That problem is not abpout to change anytime soon, and yes at the end of the day we all are nurses. We need more men in obstetrics but the chances are slim since only 6% of the workforce are men and a very small % of that work with laboring/new moms. Sorry to hear about your experience during your OB rotation. Have you looked into working obstetrics in a different hospital? Does you hospital have a policy stating that only women should work in Labor and Delivery? I hope to hear from you.

I must say that nursing school is the hardest thing I have ever done. It was a very difficult time for me since i never stopped working (45-50 hrs/week) and school and there was just enough time to get my school stuff done and get 3-4 hrs sleep/day. Belive me, very insane!!! Countless times I had to ingnore my wife and kids so I could get some studying done. If you truly care for your girldfriend give her your total and unconditional support, all the way to the end, you'll see how things get much better once everything is said and done.... on the other hand if your concern is about her not giving you "the time" you deserve this would be a good time for both of you to stop seeing each other before things get very stressful and you end up hating each other.... Sorry this is plain and simple truth. Good luck to both of you.

Excelent! I work Post-Partum often ( Not my home unit) and have had a good experience so far. The nurses have been very supportive and able to help me when the patient is unstable. I get to teach new parents what I know and what I have learned and continue learning and preparing myself by assisting to conferences (Breastfeeding, post-partum care and the AWHONN ) as often as possible so I can teach my patients better. I also acknoledge dads since often they get excluded ( Or slightly ignored since they are not the patients.) and they are actualy part of this process. How can we expect mom and baby to get help at home if we dont include fathers? Anyway I love maternity. Good luck to you. Would like to hear more about your experiences

Truth is YOU MUST TRY. If you thinks parents will be upset you better know that MOST parents are already stressed out! If you are serious about succesful IV start then you must give it a try. Sorry no other way around! Practice makes perfect. Cannot learn from watching. With babies often you will not see a vein but they are there, use you touch and find them and ofcourse use an extra set of hands to keep the child from kicking. You can always suggest to the parents that "This is the best time for you to take a coffe break or just go for a walk" that way there is less pressure. Good luck

Yes there are benefits of being male versus female. Last year I had the opportunity to attend the AWHONN conference and while women had to wait in line to use the bathroom, I did not.:)

Nursing can be very stressful at times that sometimes there is just not enough energy to absorbe other nurses issues. Just roll with it and brush it off and at the end of the day enjoy driving back home... Good luck.

Whe I first started as a new RN (two years ago) my plan was to work in E.R. At that time I knew that working there I would have to deal with the pediatric population. For that reason I decided to start in pediatrics and the main reason was because I was a little bit scared of working with babies and small kids and perhaps anxious parents thinking that this would give me some experience and get me closer to the ER. After two years of working with kids and post-partum moms/newborns I am starting to take even more interst in this population and actualy had the idea of transfering to L&D in the near future. I know that alot of things could go wrong during labor and firmly believe I would be a good nurse in that specialty.