tell me about L&D/PP clinicals

shortnorthstudent · Dec 8, 2010

I think it's interesting that many of you seem to do maternity fairly late in your programs. I am there next term and appreciate all the information everyone has been providing. But, for us, it will be our first hospital based clinical. We have 8 different clinical rotations over the course of our program - starting with LTC, then OB and so on from there. I think it will offer a nice progression. Considering we know so little at this stage a clinical with mostly healthy moms and babies seems like a good way to get immersed in an acute setting without it being too overwhelming.

Bobbkat · Dec 8, 2010

I loved my Maternity clinical. I was a little dissapointed that the c-section rate was about 50% at the hospital I was at, but that's a different issue altogether. I observed a dual surgery c-section. First, the OB's performed the c-section, then mid surgery the general surgeons came in and switched with them and did an umbilical hernia repair. I was particularly impressed with the CRNA's ability to keep Mom relatively calm and comfortable throughout the process. The Mom was starting to freak out a little bit, but the CRNA was ON TOP of calming her down.

I also saw a lady partsl birth really up close. The OB grabbed me and helped me hold Mom's legs for her. We spent a bit of time in the NICU too. (I'm in the NICU now, so obviously I enjoyed that part).

I think a lot might depend on the unit you are on. My unit was really busy, so most of the time there was something to be involved in. Postpartum.....that was another story. I didn't particularly enjoy that at all. It was pretty boring.

I have to chuckle a little at the 'Mom's not enjoying having students' comment. I had 2 nursing students from a different school assigned to me when I had my daughter (I was a student at the time)......it was NOT a great experience. They almost threw me off my stretcher. Definately did not leave a good impression with me...

CrunchyMama, ASN, RN · Dec 8, 2010

I am so thankful that one of our instructors is a certified nurse midwife, and seems to be pretty supportive on natural birthing and definitely was pro-breastfeeding in our fundamentals lectures. Where I live, people are so ignorant of things like cloth diapering, babywearing, and extended breastfeeding. I turned pretty crunchy with my second child.

My instructor was a CNM, she was awesome! But still a little Americanized around the edges, lol. But yeah I had to correct a couple nurses after they left the room regarding breastfeeding. Such bad info given out by people who SHOULD be informed about the topic. :uhoh3: It was not a fun time for me.

hiddencatRN, BSN, RN · Dec 8, 2010

Our L&D clinical was one of our first "real" clinicals, so we were all super nervous for it but it ended up being really relaxed. We learned to do a post-partum assessment , a newborn assessment, my first IM injection on a human being was vit K on a newborn, my first subQ injection was lovenox on a post-c section mom, and I got to see 2 vaj births and 1 c-section. I helped hold a mom still while her epidural was inserted (she was in transition while they were doing this, so was writhing around a bit). I got to shadow the lactation consultant and spend a day in the stress test lab.

I saw some really great things, but it was also very boring at times. Postpartum was my least favorite place to be because that's where there was the least to do- checks every so often of pads and uteruses, help to bathroom, change the baby.....and then a few hours of nothing to do, even asking around (most nurses on that unit had 2 couplets, so they had a low workload too).

The thing I really liked about it was that we were working very closely with our nurses, so were basically shadowing/assisting them. Which was good and bad. I think it would have been a bit much to be on our own in the labor suite trying to coach a mom through labor! One of my favorite nurses was on this clinical.

DariaT · Dec 9, 2010

i thought it was pretty boring too. I saw a few things, did a few things, but for the most part it was just watching, mostly a c/s. Nursery was probably the best part because we'd just talk without being interrupted to go record contractions q30 min :)

having kids myself i actually enjoyed PP teaching.

LuckyinKY · Dec 9, 2010

Maternity will be our second semester clinical, we did one semester split between LTC and Med-Surg already. I can't wait, since NICU is one area I am really interested in. I spent my first semester at the VA, so I have not had a female client yet.

decembergrad2011, BSN, RN · Dec 9, 2010

Maternity is our fourth semester, coupled with pediatrics.

I'm in a BSN program though.

daniedi77 · Dec 11, 2010

Well, I just finished my OB rotation and all I can say is that I tolerated it. I was lucky enough to be in a large county hospital that had many L&D units (high-risk, Low-risk, private). It also is one of the few hospitals in the country that has a Women's emergency room, which I loved!!!! I was able to do Soo many things. It made up for the boringness of PP. L&D wasnt so bad because my facility delivers over 100 babies a day, so everybody had lady partsl and C-section births. You will either like it or not. The majority of it is teaching. It is what you make of it, so make yourself available to do as much as possible. I went to discharge classes, newborn classes, birthing classes. I put in foley's, IV's, drew blood, so make yourself available!!!!! It's the only way you will make it or be bored!! Good Luck!

HyperSaurus, RN, BSN · Dec 12, 2010

I just finished up with L&D. The only thing I enjoyed about it was NICU. We did a lot of sitting around, waiting for the next assessment or call light, or chasing down our instructor. Also, the instructor was very...hands on, and tended to 'take over' when she came with us into a client's room, resulting in more observation than action. I did have a 1-to-1 experience (where I was assigned to a woman late in her pregnancy, go to a prenatal with her and go with her to her labor). Mine went from being a smooth, fast labor, to 'oh crap, FHTs are nonreassuring and there's meconium stained amniotic fluid, lets do a c/s' and then the APGARs were 2, 4, 7. It was very educational, but overwhelming (and resulted in another NICU visit).