Career Suicide??

Yes it would be. You need experience in hands on skills, time management, organization. Take 6 months and get the experience you need to go along with your basic education. Also, start looking at specialty courses you could take.

I went to a surgical floor, for 6 months, started critical care courses and now work in ICU. I wanted to START in ICU. GLad that I had the experience.......... experience is a great teacher.

I am definitely with JMP on the extra courses. There are plenty of schools which offer courses you can take part-time at home. Are you willing to move or are you stuck in one place? If you're willing to move I don't see why you couldn't get into L&D right away, or try getting onto a post-partum floor.

If that's impossible and you really hate med-surg, you could always see what other areas are open to you, like the OR (a very useful base for L&D ecause we do our own c-sections) or rehab or peds or gyne. I think med-surg time is overated when it comes to L&D. We get new trainees to our unit who have been in med-surg for years, and it really doesn't seem to make them any better than the new grads. If anything, it is often harder to break them of their habits and get them used to the routine of L&D.

Yep...it's suicide. I agree w/Fergus on this one especially...my solution is to always try to get a job on Mother Baby or peds first. Or look into hospitals that have internship programs on the specialty units and try to get one of those.

Somewhat of an update.

I still have no job in L&D or mother-baby.

Mother-baby seems just as hard as L&D if you don't know someone (at least around here).

Thus, if I end up in an outpatient setting or clinic, it will be ONLY until I find a hosital job that I can stand (which regular med/surg I know I couldn't).

I won't be stayin in that position forever.

Also, I am no longer in a rush to get my masters (for a variety of reasons) so if I don't have the job I want right out of school, it will be okay.

I'm going to try to get into a gyn floor.

I have applied to 2 hospitals and am in the process of applying to 3 (one is 45 min drive though and a lot of other cons).

It is med/surg basically, but I think the "least evil" type of med/surg for me.

I have read many posts that said med/surg doesn't necessarily help you with L&D, but guess what: it definitely seems to at least get you hired in L&D! That is what I am seeing, since a lot of nurses just got hired that already had nursing experience (not OB) where I am doing my senior practicum.

How could I not end up being more well rounded??

I would look for a job in the hospital first, some require that you work 6 months in the unit that you were hired in before you bid on another job. With the shortages of nurses 6 months flies by. I definately think med surg would be helpful for you to develop skills in any area that you end up. Remember is doesn't have to be forever but it is a good start. Good luck

I will try for the gyn floors.

If I don't get hired there, then I give up!

Clinic here I come!

The clinic is tempting becuase of the hours as well.

I tell you though, I am in a mood of "why did I become a nurse" because I am not happy that I'm not getting hired into the area I want.

Melissa, good luck. I feel for you. I wanted to do L&D and the thought of doing med/surg made my head spin! I luckily DID get hired onto L&D out of school and loved it. I DID have a few ideas in mind about other floors I could tolerate if I wasn't hired; like OR and possibly ortho.

Be careful with clinics though - the one I am currently at wouldn't hire you unless you've been a nurse for one year. Just some things to think about. Please keep us posted. Otherwise, there is the option of going right on to school again. Some nurses don't thrive in clinical areas and truly excel in academia. Just something to think about.

Well, WHEN I get my masters, it will be as a nurse midwife, so I will need clinical experience.

:)

I tell you though (this is due to my current mood) if I won the lotto tomorrow, I would finish nursing school, get my RN, and then NEVER WORK and move to Hawaii!

HA! Not a bad idea!

Don't worry Melissa. I am fairly confident that in this state of shortages, you will get onto L&D. I remember feeling just like you did; it seems like yesterday.

Don't worry. You'll get L&D and then, off to be a midwife. How awesome!

Well I'm having no luck with all the hospitals in my area in L&D, because everyone and their mother is interested in L&D!

Have you interviewed for an L&D position yet?

Yes.

At 3 hospitals that hire new grads.

The first 2 have already hired experienced nurses; the 3rd one I have not heard anything yet because they had an "overwhelming response" and she is still interviewing.