No jobs in OB nursing!!

Hiya!! I just found out I was accepted to Frontier to become a CNM and I have no L&D experience. I can understand you wanting to get some, because I did too, but I ran into the same problem you did, no one would hire me. I found it harder to get into L&D than to a CNM graduate program, what is wrong with that? LOL, and programs usually view it in a good/bad light. It does make some of the material more relatable, you understand it faster, but on the other hand, it also indoctrinates you to the medical model of birth VS the midwifery model, which is very different schools of thought. Wishing you luck!!

Sorry to hijack the thread, but it does relate.

For those of you who have done this, if you couldn't get L&D; what other nursing would be a good fit?

I'm in an OB rotation and finding myself challenged philosophically. I don't know how the RN's do it- day in /day out- the struggle to advocate for your patient and having everything against you from hospital policy, drs, documenting, et cet. It started me thinking "Must I do this?"

I was considering the ER might be a good place to hone those intuitive diagnostic skills. Any other areas to examine would be really helpful!

Thanks!

Have you thought about getting trained as a doulah and volunteering to assist some births? Around here, organizations that provide volunteer doulahs can't find enough doulahs to serve their clients. I don't know how strongly midwifery schools consider this kind of experience, but I know that it helped a friend of mine feel much better prepared for her CNM program. Sure, it's not as extensive as working in L&D, but you have a better chance of learning about the midwifery model of care rather than the medical model of care.

Just a thought.

A good one too.

For me personally, I'm less concerned about Midwifery Model, I have Doula exp. and began my didactic training for CPM- until I got side lined by deciding CNM was a better fit for me. My knowledge gap is in the medical model, and as much as I would probably prefer a sweet, uncomplicated birth center birth, I know that not ALL women I intend to serve will have that. So, I need to be prepared.

I just wish there was some way to do so without spending a few years in a traditional L&D.....