What is the freaking deal with OB?

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Why do so many pre-nursing/nursing/new grads want to work in OB/L&D?

My question isn't "What's it like to work in those units?" But what makes so many not-yet-nurses THINK they want to work those units.

Specializes in Labor and Delivery.
Why do so many pre-nursing/nursing/new grads want to work in OB/L&D?

My question isn't "What's it like to work in those units?" But what makes so many not-yet-nurses THINK they want to work those units.

Well I am not yet in nursing school but I believe L&D or postpartum is where I want to be. I first became interested in nursing after having my first child. I put it off for a few years because I felt like I should not go to nursing school if I felt like L&D is the only place I wanted to be because I likely wouldn't make it through nursing school if I felt that way. Over the years though my interest in nursing expanded and I am interested in many aspects of nursing. So while I still believe L&D is my passion, dream job, whatever you want to call it, I am also open to other areas and certainly won't know for sure how I feel til I do some clinicals!

For me though, I think about being able to help women who are in labor...being there not only when it is a good and joyous occasion and everything goes well but also for those terrible times when a mother may lose the baby and times are hard. Don't really know how else to explain it but I'm definitely not one of those with stars in my eyes, can't wait to hold babies, it's all rainbows and unicorns kind of outlook.

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Specializes in PACU.

I want to be as far away from OB as possible. It just does not interest me whatsoever. I don't understand how everyone seems to want to do it, but I am also not a fan of pregnancy and childbirth. I don't think it's a super special event, it's just a natural event that happens all day, every day all over the world. I love kids and babies, but just not interested in working with them as a nurse. I think my skills are best utilized in other areas.

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For me though, I think about being able to help women who are in labor...being there not only when it is a good and joyous occasion and everything goes well but also for those terrible times when a mother may lose the baby and times are hard. Don't really know how else to explain it but I'm definitely not one of those with stars in my eyes, can't wait to hold babies, it's all rainbows and unicorns kind of outlook.

And don't forget the anger. Meaning that you will be dealing with a mother with entitlement issues who has just delivered a drug-addicted baby. A baby that YOU will now be dealing with, because SHE is too busy taking selfies and drinking ginger ale. Anger about the "father" who insists on seeing his girlfriend/wife and is causing holy hell at the nurse's station because he is not allowed to go near them (and this is not a freak occurrence, it DOES happen).

Empathizing with a woman who has lost her child to a stillbirth is one thing....maintaining a professional image when you are thinking "I have to hand over a baby to that piece of crud mother?!" is quite another.

You might very well be prepared for all that; you might be great at it. I do think, though, that even those who feel they are going in with their eyes wide open don't always "get" what they are going to see in reality.

Hope for you, it's better :)

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Mavrick, I was also thinking the OTHER side of the "I wanna go into ___" is ED/ICU. Seems like every male student wants to be a Trauma King, as well as enough of the women to make me realize L&D/OB has a run for it's money when it comes to "Most Popular Among Students"!

Definitely an upsurge since the popularity of television shows spotlighting the glamorous, sexy lives of Critical Care Gods ;)

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Specializes in Labor and Delivery.
And don't forget the anger. Meaning that you will be dealing with a mother with entitlement issues who has just delivered a drug-addicted baby. A baby that YOU will now be dealing with, because SHE is too busy taking selfies and drinking ginger ale. Anger about the "father" who insists on seeing his girlfriend/wife and is causing holy hell at the nurse's station because he is not allowed to go near them (and this is not a freak occurrence, it DOES happen).

Empathizing with a woman who has lost her child to a stillbirth is one thing....maintaining a professional image when you are thinking "I have to hand over a baby to that piece of crud mother?!" is quite another.

You might very well be prepared for all that; you might be great at it. I do think, though, that even those who feel they are going in with their eyes wide open don't always "get" what they are going to see in reality.

Hope for you, it's better :)

Absolutely, I understand that part of it too. I still think it's where I want to be but like I said, I haven't even done clinicals so I have no way of knowing yet :)

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I want to be as far away from OB as possible. It just does not interest me whatsoever. I don't understand how everyone seems to want to do it, but I am also not a fan of pregnancy and childbirth. I don't think it's a super special event, it's just a natural event that happens all day, every day all over the world. I love kids and babies, but just not interested in working with them as a nurse. I think my skills are best utilized in other areas.

I am with you, I wouldn't touch OB/L&D with a 150' pole that had an extra 20' extension. But that's the beauty of nursing, choices!

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I just finished my specialties rotation in nursing school and I must say, OB and L&D seem very attractive to me right now, and I'm just saying this from experience. It was the clinical rotation I enjoyed the most (thus far) and I did also see the downside.. we had a premature rupture of membranes, stillbirth, etc. but I still enjoyed it very much. Being in the room during the birth of a baby was a privelage and wonderful experience.. I can live with experiencing that on a weekly basis. :) Despite the circumstances of the process being a painful experience, there was actually an overall sense of "calmness" on the unit, something I had not experienced during any other rotation.

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Specializes in ICU.

You won't see me in L&D. I don't want to deal with the drug addicted mothers that are in high number in my area, I couldn't see the stillbirths, and in no, way, shape, or form do I want to try and put a needle in a 1 or 2lb baby. No way. Plus, I don't want to be in a nursery with lots of crying, wailing babies. I can take my own baby crying but not lots and lots of others. I've enjoyed my medsurg rotation so far. I may look at that or PACU or maybe ED. We are getting a new cardiac unit in my town so I may look at that too.

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I am currently in nursing school and would like to work in women's health or OB. And there are two others in my class who are interested in the same. Everyone else wants ED or ICU. I was actually told by an instructor that OB/L&D was one of the less sought after specialties (for obvious reasons), with NICU being the exception.

Why do I want to work in that specialty? Definitely more for the moms than the babies (I am not a kid person). I want to be a part of helping mom have a positive, safe, happy pregnancy/birth.

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Why do so many pre-nursing/nursing/new grads want to work in OB/L&D?

My question isn't "What's it like to work in those units?" But what makes so many not-yet-nurses THINK they want to work those units.

Word up. OB is gross. I'd rather be elbow deep in a stage IV than deal w/ that. Too much estrogen on those units as well.

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Most common answers to your questions seem to be "oh, I just love babies. LOTS of babies. Can't wait to hold them and bathe them and spend LOTS of time with new mothers....being around all the babies". And so on.

Well . . . . you are talking about me! 19 years ago. As a second-career student with NO medical experience.

I do love being around babies. I had no idea what L&D truly entailed. I did work L&D for 8 years along with ER and med-surg in a small rural hospital. I left bedside nursing about 10 years ago (wow. . .that's a long time ago).

But I'd never go back . . . it isn't all glitter, rainbows, candy canes, puffy clouds, etc.

I just think people have no experience in L&D or any other specialities so I'd cut them some slack when they think about what they want to do as a nurse. ;)

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There is a lot of devestation, sadness, and very painful goodbyes in nursing. There are more happy celebratory moments in L&D than there is sadness, and I think that while all nurses have a calling to help people, the end of life sadness is hard to take. I wanted to work L&D because of the happiness. It is stressful and there are some really horrible days, but overall it normally is the happiest place in a hospital and I love it!

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