Labor and Delivery Nursing: The First year Journey...month 5

Orientation to labor and delivery was a daily lesson in humility, facing imposter syndrome, linking concepts and distancing myself from the safety of what was known, strong and confident. I truly had very little understanding of what I was in store for when I began this journey in January as a second career new grad.

I thought my biggest hurdle would be juggling the BSN program through Western Carolina University and the new grad nurse orientation process, but I was wrong. My biggest hurdle for the first time in a LONG time was being OK with NOT knowing and learning how to empower myself in this VERY uncomfortable role of novice.

"I need you to set aside where you feel most confident and bravely step into the role of novice." ~ a great nursing Manager

As a new nurse, I find myself navigating gaining the confidence of providers and coworkers while also demonstrating humilitiy, a strong desire to learn and grow and hard work.

In month 3, when I only had 4 months left of being attached at the hip to an experience L&D nurse, the reality that I would be ALONE in a room with a laboring mom truly set in. Decels, interventions, the beeping pump, charting baby and mom, swiftly assisting the provider while also remaining calm and connected to my patient...AND so much more would be my responsibility!!

BLESS!

So, panic set in to prepare, get some sort of a foothold on the situations I may face, (THERE ARE A LOT OF THEM!!) and most importantly understanding what it is that I am doing. There was a specific day that I was scheduled to attend an arrhythmia education class DURING my orientation shift! This class was a requriement for the ACLS certification required for working in the PACU after patients leave the OR. Well, I truly paniced because I could not imagine losing 6 hours of a 12 hour shift to a class. I requested a change in schedule to attend the class on an off day and was denied, intitally. The flood of stress hormones which just happened to coincide with being on a course of prednisone for inner ear swelling from my first EVER bout with COVID was a bit more than I could tactfully manage. Let's just say, my pleading skills reached a new level and fully engaged to allow me to successfully negotiate a reschedule of the class.

Now...5 months into this process and a couple weeks of solo nursing under my belt, I am empowered to bring in habits from previous experience. I OWN my education. Knowledge is POWER!

Education brings confidence into situations where there is no way to prepare for every deviation from the norm. Having a baseline understanding of different emergency conditions, terminology, physiologic birth processes and interventions makes the unknown seem WAY less daunting.

I am using my resources, heavily! I ask providers questions in EVERY situation. Even when I know the answer, I want to know their perspective! I am working to develop relationships with my coworkers who are so skilled. And most importantly...I am trying to be very brave when I just want to duck and run! GUESS WHAT!!

Practicing confidence pays off A LOT because every patient that I have had on my own has commented that they felt very confident and comforted with me as their nurse.

One patient even asked, "How many babies have you 'delivered', I bet it is too many to count". Needless to say, once she was safely delivered, comofortable in her postpartum room and onto her next step, I responded. I told her I was fresh off orientation as a new grad nurse and still long from being skilled and experienced. She replied with, " well, I am glad you did not tell me that before and I never would have known it if you did not tell me now". I shared, "it's not the best introduction and thank you"!

I am still figuring it all out, navigating being a learner while also "doing the thing"!

There are many stories of me fumbling and some of my confidently navigating this journey. But, as a mom that is only ONE small piece of this puzzle! I am 46, I have two sets of twins. The boys are 15 and the girls are 11. I have a husband, an aging mother, a family member with complex medical needs, a sister and a brother. There are a lot of spinning plates that require attention. Oh yes, then there is Gunner...our 7 month old English lab (I know! NOT the best timing!) AND, I am in a full time BSN program, working on a 'nurse athlete' project, actively training clients on days between work and keeping my own physical/mental health intact!

LIFE!!! Beyond the hospital...outside the contained chaos of learning the ART of nursing requires strategy, grace and patience. BUT...unlike entering into the world of nursing as a new grad, I knew this was all coming and I have been preparing my body and brain for the last three years for what was to come.

FOUNDATIONAL habits that allow me to learn, stay malleable, recover, be resilient and NOT dissolve into a puddle of overwhelm and deconditioning are NON-negotiables! Twenty-three years as a coach, an insatiable desire to demonstrate resilience for my children, and the BIG carrot to continue to participate in sport, enjoy exercise and ONE day ride my bike/hike/paddle when my time is on my side ARE GREAT MOTIVATORS to invest in NOW!!

I hope you enjoyed thsi first story capturing bits of the last three months! As the days unfold, I will share more stories, wins, inevitable hard days, training strategy, nutrition and supplement protocols and WHAT is going on in my world on the road to midwifery!

XX,

Amy

A story from a patient