by mtaylor12

Hi,

I am on my final year of nursing school, I want to work in Labor and Delivery when I graduate, I know the market is tight so I have been looking for opportunities to volunteer. The best opportunity I have found so far is interning for a small midwife practice, that primarily does home birth. I haven't had any success with try to get a L&D nurse assistant job and the only hospital volunteer jobs are serving tea and coffee. So, do you think working with a practice that dose home birth will help me get a grad job, or will it hurt my chances because it is too controversial?

Thanks

Re: Volunteering for a midwife will it help my changes of getting a L&D grad job.

I would investigate carefully the role you will be expected to take on. Does this midwife practice have 2 attendants present at deliveries to manage the posibility of emergencies involving both mother and baby? Are these CNM's or state-recognized and licensed direct-entry midwives? Do they have back-up from reputable practitioners and hospitals?

If this is a well-run, safety-conscious practice, I think it would be a wonderful experience.

If there is the possibility of legal liability related to unsafe or unlicensed practice, it could be career suicide.

Let us know what you learn.

Re: Volunteering for a midwife will it help my changes of getting a L&D grad job.

They are CNMs and state-recognized and licensed. There are always 2 attendants and back up physicians.

Re: Volunteering for a midwife will it help my changes of getting a L&D grad job.

Since the CNMs are liscensed and able to practice in the home setting, I don't see why this wouldn't be an excellent opportunity for you to learn.

Getting an L&D job is hard (since it's a specialty), but not impossible. I was able to secure an L&D job directly out of school through a summer externship on the unit, work as a doula and experience volunteering in a midwifery clinic providing health education.

Good luck!

Re: Volunteering for a midwife will it help my changes of getting a L&D grad job.

I was wondering the same thing. I would like to go back to work for the CNM who delivered my daughter and for whom I worked previously. She is under a physician's direction and always has a partner with her. I thought it would be a good way to get experience for my resume once I have graduated, since my previous experience as a non-nurse won't count. I suppose it would not be a good idea to work for any of the direct entry midwives here in town unless it is just taking vitals at a prenatal appt (