Recent Graduate-Want OB-History of "Near" Fainting

[melmacrn]

Ever since my OB rotation, I've been certain that I wanted to be an OB nurse. However, I seem to have a psychological response that causes me to get really dizzy, hot, shaky, the room goes gray and I have to leave before I hit the floor. I had to leave the room during an epidural when someone starting screaming from the pain (pre-existing spinal injury), another time during a debridement from road rash, and I didn't even make it to see an emergency c-section because the feeling kicked in strong before an incision was even made. I felt so bad about the c-section because I took that opportunity from other students. Unfortunately, my instructor wouldn't give me a second chance to watch a C-section.

I'll be starting to apply for jobs and I really want to work in OB, but after my experience with the C-section--I'm scared I'll never have that opportunity. My instructor assured me that one of the tenured nurses had passed out watching her first lady partsl delivery and she is now one of the best OB nurses. I'm really scared to apply for something and find out later that I can't handle it.

Any advice or past stories from OB would be helpful. :-)

[monkeybug]

Have you talked to a doctor about this? Could it be anxiety? I was in L&D for 15 years, and I fainted in the nurses station one night. No big deal, no one got upset with me. I also had a near faint while scrubbed in on a C-section. Again, no one got upset with me. One of the scrub techs I used to work with would routinely have to leave the OR if her blood sugar got low. We knew that if she had several sections in a row, we would have to give her a break so she could eat. And, my last example, my best friend (another L&D nurse) passed out after leaving the OR. She awoke to find the automatic doors opening and closing on her head.

[Blue Roses]

All throughout nursing school I was having issues with fainting as a result of the anticipation before watching or taking part in an invasive procedure. My worst one was while watching circumcisions in OB clinicals. The doctor doing the circumcisions was my former pediatrician whom I knew very well, so it was VERY mortifying.

Anyway after nursing school I went right into a very bad job situation on an acute neurospine/ trauma unit. I started having the fainting spells more and more often, and it got to the point where I would have them a few times a day and when I wasn't even facing stressful situations. At work they usually happened during report at the begining of my shift. I finally went through the Employee Assistant Program where I had several sessions with a very kind mental health professional and she was shocked at all the trouble I had been having. Together we found out I have severe anxiety, panic disorder, and moderate depression. The fainting spells were my panic attacks. To make a long story short, I left that awful job, got on medication, found an amazing job on a medsurg/ rehab unit, and even though I feel the anxiety deep in my gut sometimes, it doesn't affect my daily life and I am very happy. I haven't had a panic attack in months, unless you count at my wedding in May (very mortifying)!

Your fainting could just be something that will pass as you become desensitized to watching invasive procedures. I would talk to your doctor about it. I hope it's not what I had to deal with. But it still turned out alright for me. If OB is your passion don't let this get in your way. Listen to your body, talk to a friend you can trust, keep your head up, find ways to gain confidence in your field through experience, and talk to your doctor. Don't give up hope! You may not find your dream job right away, hardly anyone does, but you will get there.

[melmacrn]

I do have generalized anxiety disorder, so that always is a possibility. Especially since my near fainting during the C-section was before the operation even began. I feel like nerves are definitely getting in the way before I even see a new procedure. I felt like I was having these episodes more often than others in my class, so that was getting my spirits down and it was embarrassing. I watched a bunch of circumcisions (the first one I kept mentally telling myself--breathe, don't lock your knees, etc...), but I was so busy comforting the baby that it didn't bother me after that. If I'm doing something hands-on, the problem happens less. I'm definitely feeling better about my decision, so I'm glad i posted. Thank you.

[Kooky Korky, BSN, RN]

I say go for your dream, don't tell a prospective employer about your past, and go on from there.