What I want vs. reality

[busymommy]

Okay. So I graduate in December with my BSN (finally!!) and after clinical experiences in many, many areas, postspartum nursing is where my heart is. As you know, this is a popular specialty and many of my fellow students are interested in OB nursing, although I'm the only one who specifically wants postpartum - everyone else wants L&D. Even though I'm in my mid-40s and have experiential knowledge (note user name ), I know I'm not anywhere near ready for the pace of L&D - yet.

So, although I'm going to apply to the hospitals in my area that accept new grads into PP, I'm considering other options, because I don't have much hope for getting my 1st choice for that 1st job. Unless there's a drastic change in the job market, my class is being told to "be open to other possibilities" and I'm taking that advice seriously. It might sound like a weird combination with PP, but I like the geriatric patients too and I'm seriously considering long-term care as another possibility. Does anyone think that if I have, say, a year of LTC nursing, I can transition into PP? If not, where would you suggest I try to get experience?

Looking forward to hearing your advice!

~Busy Mommy

[LLLovely, BSN, RN]

I think it depends entirely on the hiring climate where you live/work.

That said, if I were hiring and I had two otherwise equal applicants, one who had LTC experience and one who had med-surg experience, I would probably pick the med-surg nurse. I think med-surg is more relevant and comparable.

Where I've worked, there is also the possibility of floating between med-surg and PP, or between peds and PP. Floating from more specialized areas to PP is unlikely because the experiences are so different. My guess is that this would be true in any hospital that didn't have a float pool or an extensive on-call plan. They try to set people up for success. That is the basis of my comment; I don't actually do hiring.

You may have a better chance than you may think. As you mentioned, most of your peers are interested in L&D. While PP has its moments, it doesn't have the exciting draw of L&D or the ED. I think that someone with children who knows that they enjoy infants has a better shot of getting directly into PP than you might think. If you want to up your chances, you might consider doing an additional certification like electronic fetal monitoring since sometimes antepartum patients are put on PP/Mother-baby for overnight monitoring or breastfeeding education, or even getting NRP certfication before getting hired. Those things can show your dedication to your preferred area of nursing. Don't sell yourself short.

Good luck!