They want me...maybe

[Jo Dirt]

My search for a med surg job in a hospital has been a dry run but there is a particular hospital I applied to who seems to be scrambling for L&D nurses, especially on the night shift. I mean they have a lot of openings.

They said they are willing to train me even though I have never worked in a hospital.

I'm terrified at the thought of L&D, but I can say right now I'm even more terrified of having no income.

I have so many conerns, can someone help me?

1.)I'm a very sensitive person and don't know if I'm emotionally stable to handle seeing sick and dead babies. I can deal with dying in adults much better but babies and children, I am thinking this will be extremely hard.

2.)I absolutely could not participate in abortions, even therapeutic ones or one's where they say the baby will die, anyway.

3.)I might also find it hard to assist the doctor with circumcisions. I made up my mind that is barbaric and cruel.

4.)I will find it very hard to see little babies going home to what I know is a bad situation. You know, trashy junkie mothers that reek of cigarettes. It makes me sick.

5.)I have tiny hands. How will I perform cervical checks on patients?

6.)Is newborn nursery more routine and laid back than L&D? They only have one opening there, so I don't know if they would consider allowing me to have that.

When it comes down to it, I will do what I need to do to support my kids (and I guess the old man...) so if they offer me this job I feel like I would have to take it.

Does it look really good when you want to do agency nursing if you have worked in L&D (or newborn nursery)?

[secretspectrum]

I think you should def. ask about the newborn nursery job.

To address a couple of other things you said- I don't think small hands would impede your ability to do cervical checks.

If you did get hired in that area, maybe you could tell them that you could not participate in abortions? They might be willing to accomodate you.

I don't agree with circumcisions either. It IS barbaric, and the saddest part is that some babies get complications(severe infections even death) from it and have sexual dysfunction later.

[Jolie, BSN]

The only statement that really concerns me about this job is that they have "a lot of openings" in L&D. That raises big red flags for me. L&D is a challenging area to learn, because there are so many aspects of care, including high-risk ante-partum, L&D, scrubbing and/or circulating for C-sections, recovering post-operative moms, "routine" post-partum care, which can include patients with a number of medical and surgical complications, and newborn care. Certifications required to work in L&D include fetal monitoring, Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP), and possibly ACLS. Anyone undertaking this training needs to have a lengthy orientation 1:1 with a consistent preceptor for at least 3 months, and then an identified mentor for another year or two. Any unit which is lacking experienced nurses can not possibly orient a new one.

Your other concerns, while valid, can probably be worked out. I know of no hospital where a nurse is forced to care for a patient undergoing an abortion if this violates his/her religious/moral beliefs. The only possible exception may be a dire emergency in which the mother's life is in immediate danger, but this is truly a rare occurance. Likewise, I don't know of any hospital in which nurses are required to assist with circumcisions against their moral code. These are issues that are appropriate to discuss during an interview. Hand size is of no consequence in performing lady partsl exams. Your patients will probably appreciate your delicate hands :)

I don't know that the nursery is any "calmer" than L&D, but it is a very different clinical area, one that may be more suited to your personality, especially if you enjoy teaching, and supporting breastfeeding moms. Is this a separate nursery, or a mother-baby unit? It also eases my mind that the nursery has only one opening, as that seems to indicate a more stable staff that could help to orient you.

As for homecare, there are agencies that focus entirely on maternal-child care, such as moms in pre-term labor, newborn jaundice and home phototherapy, and NICU graduates. Any maternal-child experience in the hospital setting would be great preparation for such a job.

Good luck to you!

[SmilingBluEyes]

I concur completely with Jolie's post. Nothing to add. Good luck.

[Jo Dirt]

Yea, my first impression was there must be a good reason they have so many openings.

But I'm used to taking the jobs no one else would want.

[psalm, RN]

Yea, my first impression was there must be a good reason they have so many openings.

But I'm used to taking the jobs no one else would want.

You would probably fit in very well in newborn nursery. Actually you would probably do well in L&D, but as Jolie pointed out, would there be someone there to teach you the ropes on a longer term basis. Let us know what ya do.

[jenrninmi, MSN, RN]

The only statement that really concerns me about this job is that they have "a lot of openings" in L&D. That raises big red flags for me.

I totally agree. Around me, L&D can be really difficult to get into and a very desirable place to work.

[SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN]

Any news?

[Jo Dirt]

Any news?

Today has been silent, except for a call from AmericanMobile. I had received a call about a job on the renal transplant unit at a hospital but had no luck getting back in touch with the NM today.

L&D...the more I hear the more leary I am. I had always thought things like L&D and ICU were areas nurses had to wait years to get into. I can't speak for ICU because I have not inquired into that job but it looks like they will basically take anyone in and from any background, as long as they have a nursing license.

I've been reading this book I got at the Goodwill called "Delivery." I recently came across this book as I was looking through some boxes and thought I would pull it out and read it. It is supposed to be based on real people but there hasn't been a whole lot of action yet.

I'll be sure to post as soon as I hear something..."if" I hear something. You never know how these things will turn out. I went for an interview on a med surg unit when I first got my RN license and they sounded like they were sure going to hire me. We sat in the NM's office and had the best conversation, talked about starting pay and how the schedule worked and everything. Then I left and that was it. I couldn't even get in touch with them again to hear I was rejected, they just left me out in the cold, no return calls or emails, all I could ever get was an answering machine...are NM's really that fickle or are they just so used to putting on the BS they don't know when to turn it off?

Anyway...all I can do is wait.