[KK7724]

First of all, Happy 4th of July to everyone! About the title.....I just completed my OB rotations for the summer this week! I loved every minute of it!!!! I started out with Labor and Delivery....it was amazing! I had to tell myself not to cry when my first patient gave birth! Then, the week after that I went to post-partum....this was a little bit slower pace than what I had experienced with L&D....but still a good experience. Then, just this past week I had two days of well-baby nursery and I loved it too! I helped my instructor with 4 admits, I gave 3 shots, did 2 heel sticks, and one PKU, and mangaged to "love on" 3 babies in my downtime. It feels so good to finally know what field of nursing I want! Now, here's where I need some help: How in the world do I get myself onto a LDR or well-baby unit when I get out of school (May 05'). I am going to precept back home with my required 200 hours of medsurg at the Univ of South Alabama Med Center, then I am thinking about doing my 50 specialty hours at Univ of South Alabama Children's and Women's hospital on their LDR floor. What advice do you guys have to give me?? Do I need to make sure to express my interest to my preceptor and charge nurse?? Please give me some feedback--I am the first person in my family to do anything in the medical field. Also, I guess this is good too....my instructor for OB is also my advisor. She said it really helps to precept at a hospital you would want to work for after school and that is how she got her job fresh out of school straight onto the LDR unit. Also...I'm a little bummed....I look at the websites of all the 6 hospitals in my hometown (Mobile, AL) and there are NEVER any positions for OB nurses....is it going to be really hard to get myself there?? In all of my rotations I have seen girls in LDR and Nursery that just graduated from my school in the spring. I didn't get a chance to really sit down and ask them how they got their positions, so if anyone has any advice, I am all ears! My email's krissy36522@hotmail.com

[SmilingBluEyes]

I just worked a LONG night shift so my brain is foggy. Ask anyone here, I am full of advice regarding getting into OB nursing and working there.....I am just too tired to fill a page with all I think you need to know. MY succinct advise is make EVERYONE clear in your desires and intentions to work in OB....---anyone and everyone you can think of. Call Human Resources depts and managers at OB units at hospitals to express your interest.

Networking is a GREAT way to find an "in" to the job you want. Just because there are no public postings of positions does not mean there are NO possiblities. I was hired into OB right out of nursing school, into a newly-created position. The manager called me, on recommendation of one of my school instructors! Never underestimate the power of good networking.

Best wishes and I hope you get your dream!!! More to follow later when I have more to say (awake lol).

[KK7724]

Thank you and btw, I love your Britney Spears quote! How many births did your unit have last night?? It's pretty special to be born on the 4th of July!

[RN123456789]

I did my mentorship experience on a level 2 nursery, and am going to start my first job as a nurse on L&D, July 19th. When I was there as a student, I worked really hard, and tried to make a good impression on the nurses and nurse manager. Half way through, the nurses started thinking and treating me like I was part of the staff By the time I graduated, there were several positions open, r/t people retiring, and leaving for another position. Then I became very persistent with the nurse manager and HR. I also had some of the staff pulling for me. I ended up being one of three new grads hired onto the unit, and a friend of mine was one of the others. She also did her mentorship there, and was persistent with the nurse manager. So my advice is try to get a mentorship, or preceptorship on the L&D unit of choice. While there, make as many friends as possible, and create an everlasting impression, i.e. always arrive early, and help out when not asked to. Also make it known to the nurse manager that you are very much interested in working there. And then be very persistent, believe me when I say that it does pay off Good Luck

[KK7724]

Thank you...the only thing that worries me is that my school makes us do 200 of our precepto hours in med/surg...the other 50 are for a specialty such as L & D...so I have that small amount of time to make a good impression....hopefully, it will go okay. I'm going to precept for L & D at a teaching/specialty hospital (University of South Alabama Women's and Children's) The hospital I'm precepting at for med/surg is Univ. of South Ala Medical Center and they have a labor unit as well....should I go down and try to shadow a L & D nurse there too?? That way I have my name put out there for both hospitals??

[RN123456789]

Sure, I would do whatever it takes. It can't hurt, right?

[HazeK]

"all the 6 hospitals in my hometown (Mobile, AL) and there are NEVER any positions for OB nurses..."



Leave town...find a hospital with an OB internship program, work postpartum for a year, then transfer into the internship program! You'll have enough general experince by then to be ready to do L&D well!