What are the chances..

Nurses Career Support

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I am interested in being a labor and delivery nurse or a nurse-midwife. However, I'm 34 and never worked before (I have been living off of my inheritance). By the time I graduate from school, I will be near 40. What are my chances of getting a job with no prior working experience and being a new nurse at 40?

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I actually think nursing would be more forgiving in this area than most other professions. Hiring managers in nursing really only care about your nursing experience; anything non-nursing may be slightly helpful, but is not given a lot of weight.

There are a lot of things you can do to build up your resume so you'd have a strong new grad application when you graduate. Become a doula (probably not a bad idea to ensure you actually love L&D/midwifery), volunteer in healthcare settings, get your CNA certification and work as a CNA while taking pre-reqs and during your degree. This will give you a work history and references to draw from.

Do realize that you may not be able to land an L&D/post-partum job right out of school, which means you may have to work in another field (i.e. med-surg) for a couple of years.

I also wouldn't be too worried about your age; it's fairly common nowadays to see second career adults in nursing programs (you can find several forums related to this topic on this website if you search 'too old'). Best of luck!

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Thank you. Currently, taking CNA classes now.

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