mzjennifer

I hope that wasn't a typo...did you have only 12 hours total in those 6 weeks in L&D?? Or were they 12 hour days? I'm a new grad (May 2001). Did 1 week general hospital orientation, 1-2 weeks postpartum & gyn orientation, and have been in L&D for orientation for the last 4 weeks or so. My manager is already talking about when to switch me to nights (my position I was hired for was FT nights...am orienting on days right now). I take boards on Aug 1st. I have only been exposed, so far in L&D to high risk...had ONE low risk last night...but it was a precipitous delivery, the MD & CNM did not repond to pages, and my preceptor RN ended up catching the baby. NOT the way to be oriented in L&D, she said!! Needless to say, I'm scared to death of the time that I will be finally on my own....though my manager reassures me that I will not be alone for a while....ha ha...I managed this labor yesterday almost entirely on my own. My preceptor had 2 other labor patients that she was trying to manage, while TRYING to keep up with what I was doing. Luckily, I was giving her frequent updates as to what was going on with my patient. I am VERY glad that I grabbed her when I did...this pt when from "pushy" to delivery in less then a few minutes. I've never seen a baby pop out so fast! Jennifer, new grad in L&D

We use something similar to that - case studies. Only one instructor right now uses them to teach her section of theory (cardiac). I'm a senior nursing student in an associates degree program. I'm going into my last semester next week (yeah!!). I have mixed feelings about the case studies. I'm very much used to traditional lectures, but the case studies really make you think critically.