I just graduated and I am a new nurse in L&D. I am currently expecting my first baby in March. My husband and I started having a conversation last night and it came up about students being in the delivery room. He is a nurse is well and had a very hard time being able to witness a delivery during his OB rotation. I feel a little awkward because I am delivering at the hospital I work at which is where I did my OB rotation as well. I was president of the Student Nurse Association at my college so I know several of the juniors and seniors this year. They are scheduled to be in OB when I am due.. I would have no qualms about students in my room but these are students who I have a friendship/relationship with and I am thinking I do not want them to be in there....I will most likely see them again in and around the hospital. My husband kept telling me that I am overthinking this because they are only in there to learn.
How does everyone feel about students in the room observing?
It's up to you. No offense to your hubby, but would he be ok with a bunch of people (especially some he might know) staring at his crotch while he was in pain?
I love OB. I hope to get a job there when I'm done with school. I have a friend who's thinking about having a second baby and she asked if I would like to be there because she wants it taped and she doesn't know anyone else (besides her mom and husband) she'd be ok with having there who would be ok seeing that lol. After working in LTC for 9 years, body parts don't bother me. Other people's body parts lol. I'm not sure how I'd feel having a bunch of ppl watch me give birth; although I allowed a future Women's Health NP watch another NP do my exam at the GYN's.
Personally when i have been in labor (all 3 times!) I couldn't have cared less who saw my lady parts!!! The queen and Obama could have been there i would not have even registered!!!
But i think it might be weird for you as well as the students!
I just graduated and I am a new nurse in L&D. I am currently expecting my first baby in March. My husband and I started having a conversation last night and it came up about students being in the delivery room. He is a nurse is well and had a very hard time being able to witness a delivery during his OB rotation. I feel a little awkward because I am delivering at the hospital I work at which is where I did my OB rotation as well. I was president of the Student Nurse Association at my college so I know several of the juniors and seniors this year. They are scheduled to be in OB when I am due.. I would have no qualms about students in my room but these are students who I have a friendship/relationship with and I am thinking I do not want them to be in there....I will most likely see them again in and around the hospital. My husband kept telling me that I am overthinking this because they are only in there to learn.
How does everyone feel about students in the room observing?
You probably are overthinking it, but now you have an idea of how patients feel when students are around. The choice is always yours, though. Any patient can decide that they don't want students in at any time.
that is your call, when i had my son a month ago, i went for (and got) a VBAC and a good friend of mine from high school (and still today) was the RPT on that night and she had to be there in case of a stat section she was in the delivery room when i delivered. she saw it all, it was kinda strange at first but then i had way to many drugs to even care.....i said some goofy things to her, but she didn't care...(not only did she do her job after he was born but she was also great support for me too)
You already have your answer. YOU aren't comfortable with it and you're the one who gets to make the final call here not your hubby. If he would be comfortable having his privates looked at in front of students he knows that would be his right to make that call for himself. In this case as it's your privates so you make the call.
DO NOT give in or feel guilty here. Do what makes you comfortable and brings you the most joy and peace of mind. Let the nurse and doctor know how you feel upfront and move on to having a happy and healthy baby.
If it were me, there is absolutely NO WAY i would want people I know on a proffessional level in the room. I mean, I could care less if they were strangers or people I would not have to see every day over lunch in the break room. But you have to work with and see these people again. Certainly it is your choice, and if you are comfortable with the idea, then god bless you. But if you have even the least discomfort with the idea, set healthy limits for yourself by saying no. You have enough on you plate right now without worrying about how many of your future coworkers will be in the room with you while you are having your child and how it may affect your future interactions with them.
I have 3 kids. The first two were born with a bunch of people in the room. For the second it was neccessary because of the situation we were facing. None were students. However, with my third, there was only my dr and two nurses. AND I NOTICED. Why? Because it was so quiet and peaceful.
So no, I would not want people I know in there with me. I would not even want my own mother in there. But that's just me. As a student, I would opt out of being in the room if it was someone I knew.
You already answered your own question: "...these are students who I have a friendship/relationship with and I am thinking I do not want them to be in there...." Maybe if there was a nursing student who was a complete stranger present to witness your deliver, you would be fine with it, or maybe you would still feel uncomfortable. Either way, it's your body and your birth experience.
You could always have a student present while you're in early labor so they can learn about fetal monitoring from your nurse, or have them be with your nurse after the birth to assess your baby, give the prophylactic eye drops, or something along those lines?
When I was a student during my OB rotation one of my neighbors who is also a CNA went into labor the evening before our clinical group was due to be at the same hospital she was delivering in. She wanted me to see her delivery as a learning experience. I was not comfortable with that. The next morning I saw I was assigned to her room, I told my teacher that I knew her and wasn't comfortable looking at her privates either. My instructor understood and assigned another student to that room with the mother/baby nurse. My neighbor then requested me by name anyways we compromised and my teacher assigned me to the baby nursery that day. That made my neighbor happy, she was able to get some sleep and had someone she knew in the nursery with her baby which is really what she wanted was someone she knew besides her husband being with her or the baby at all times.
It's your birthing experience and if you don't want your student/friends in there that is fine. They may not be too comfortable either :))
I gave birth at a medium-sized teaching hospital and everyone except housekeeping took a tour into my room that day--even a group of paramedics who had never seen a birth!
That being said, though, had I known any of them on a personal level I would have shouted them back out to next Tuesday. Just too odd.
As a student starting my OB rotation soon, I know of at least 2 friends who will deliver @ my hospital during my rotation. If I get assigned to either, I will pop in, say hello (as long as they are not in transition or pushing) and then ask for a different assignment.
klone, MSN, RN
14,857 Posts
I agree that it's completely up to you and what you're comfortable with. It's absolutely okay to draw a line and say what you're not comfortable with.
I personally wouldn't have minded, and I've allowed students to do vag exams on me. I also volunteer my veins regularly for IV attempts.
For other people, the act of giving birth is one of the most private events of their lives, and they don't want it to be a spectator sport.