mstacer

I currently live in Austin, Texas. I'd be willing to move, but of course I'd rather not.

I am currently an RN working both in med-surg and L&D. I am going to get my CNM. I am more of the mind of home-birth; I had a home birth. I've worked in places that were not doula-friendly or were snarky about home-birth transfers. I don't want to work in that type of setting and I don't want to learn from instructors who feel that way. I would like to attend a school that approaches midwifery in a way that is friendly to doulas and home-birth. I have a feeling most schools will touch on this, but I'd like one that is explicitly supportive of natural birth; one that approaches natural birth as the norm and all else as variations. I'd even like to do some of my clinical hours with a home-birth midwife. Does anyone know of schools that fit this description? It's very hard to find this information on their websites and before I go emailing a million advisors, I'd like to see if I can narrow down the search. Thanks in advance for your help.

I am currently working as a med-surg nurse; 3 12-hour shifts per week. I like that it's challenging, that you have to address multiple disease processes, you keep moving. I do better when I'm busy. However, we just had a baby and my little family is never all together any more. I also really would like to have a consistent schedule. I feel like I can never get into a rhythm if my schedule is different every week. So I'm seriously considering a 9-5 job. My conundrum is that most 9-5 jobs I see are clinic jobs. I've worked clinic before and it just doesn't suit me, I was bored. Not that clinic work is easy, it just doesn't fit my personality. So if you have any suggestions... I'm looking for a challenging, busy nursing job, preferably in a hospital setting, where I'd work 9-5. Anyone been in a similar situation? Anyone have a job now that fits that description? Know of a field that might suit me? Thanks for any help, M

I'm very grateful to have found this thread. I have been struggling with my ADHD lately in a way that I haven't since I was a child. I had some great help from an amazing woman in elementary school that helped me learn to focus and showed me I was actually smart if I could just slow my brain down. I was handling things more or less well for a long time (good grades, happy life). But now that I'm in nursing (and maybe also because I'm 34)... it's really causing trouble again. I graduate in August, but I'm nervous that safety may not be 100% if I don't address it. I'm having a really hard time focusing on the med-surg floor. Other students are taking 4-5 patients with ease and I struggle if I have more than 3. I get distracted so easily... I'm always focusing on the next thing that I have to do and not what I'm doing. I end up having to redo assessments because two seconds later when I'm charting, I can't remember what I saw. Then I get behind, then I get even more frustrated with myself. I love nursing, but I have a feeling med-surg is not where I can best contribute to the field. I sometimes wonder if I need to work somewhere where I'm just focusing on one patient at a time... I'm very seriously considering getting back on medication, but we're trying to start a family and I can't be on those meds and be pregnant. From reading this thread, I'm pretty convinced to see a behaviorist/ coach to help get me through until we have our first kiddo. I want to be a good nurse. I take pride in doing things well. I'm so grateful to hear that it's doable and that I might actually be able to handle it. Thanks for your honesty and willingness to share, Michelle