In a few shorts weeks I will be transitioning into my dream role as a nurse…. In L&D. My background in nursing is in Psychiatry and Urology. However, my passion has always been obstetrics. I’d like to know some of your experiences as well as advice.
Good for you for hanging in for your passion. Your background will come in handy. Make sure you get into a place that gives you a good training program during your orientation. You want to make sure you are being trained in the most up to date, best practice protocols. Always be leery of "we've always done it this way" type of training. OB is highly litigious area of nursing because of expectations of the perfect experience, or perfect baby. But it also one of the most rewarding. I truly believe that the care families are given in the hospital sets the stage for what happens after they go home. As with any other form of nursing, patient safety always comes first. And listen to the patients - their wants and needs - which are not always what we want but there is always room for compromise. Could go on and on. Maybe specific questions will help.
L&D is one of those specialty that is not easily accessible to new nurses. However, you being an established nurse in another aspect of the discipline and since you are passionate about it, without a doubt, I believe you will, during the orientation period become acculturated into that culture. Just a few tips: lots of learning to include: becoming familiar with the language of L&D, learning to read and interpret the monitors including the tocodynamometer, performing initial, intermittent and continuous assessments and the implementation of your critical thinking and clinical judgement are high priority for this area of care. Best wishes as you embrace your dream.
Hope this helps. Ena-Lorraine
Be watchful of the clicks! I worked in Mother/Baby for 7 yrs and there are serious click issues and if you don't hang out with your fellow nurses on your days off or 'party' with them, you won't fit in and will always be the outsider. I wasn't want to deal with that in high school and wasn't expecting to deal with that on the floor as a nurse. Watch your back and sharpen your skills as it can be a stressful environment when anything can happen at any time.
The best advice is always to be willing to learn, watch and observe, and know that sometimes that the situation does not always turn out perfect such as the birth of a preemie or stillbirth or that mother is a drug abuser and baby has been affected.
