Any Advice for student going into OB who wants to do L&D?

[Katie71275]

Do any of you have any advice for a student who will be starting OB Clinicals in the Fall? I believe we will have 3(8hr) clinical days in L&D, and 3 in Post Partum/Newborn. We will also do 1 observation day at Perinatology, and 1 obs day at a Clinic(I think they said Planned Parenthood).

L&D and working with women is my passion and something I am highly interested in. I am very interested in becoming a L&D nurse(intrapartem) and eventually a CNM....Would you have any specific things that I should do, learn, watch for during clinicals/class? I'm an older student with 4 kids(with complicated pgcy) so I do feel this is more my area too. Thanks!

[hakunamatata, BSN, RN]

Yes, my advice is to network and get yourself a job! That is a hard area to enter, with and without experience. Most places often require that you have L&D experience to get an L&D job...so network your pants off to start there. Ask for the manager, and go in and introduce yourself. Tell her you want to work there and why you'd be a great investment.

It is great that you want to focus on your learning, but you mainly learn everything on the job anyways. Thus, I'd focus on networking, and show hard work and dedication during your clinical!

[Katie71275]

Thanks! I will actually be working as nurse tech at one of our local hospitals in Peds starting mid August and then moving to L&D in November when there is an opening. From talking to the recruiter, most of the nurse techs end up getting hired on and a lot of the times in the dept they wish to be in. Im a former child protection investigator and the recruiter is a former L&D nurse, so she was discussing how hard it can be to work there, and felt I had the proper attitude and confidence due to my past history. So Im hoping I have an in..We MAY get to have clinicals at this hospital as well this qtr if we get a 3rd instructor..Im hoping so!!