Desire to be OB RN : What can I do to strengthen my chances employment?

[SnowboardRN]

I live in a larger city and I have sent in applications to about 6 different hospitals for their Labor and Delivery department and have yet to get a call back on any of them. I know the problem is that I have no L&D experience. I'm not a new grad but I don't have hospital experience at all, just a year and a half of being a charge nurse in a Skilled Nursing Facility. After graduation I applied to L&D many times but being a new grad and not having done my preceptorship in L&D (smacks own forehead) I was lessbthan desirable. We have a surplus of nurses in this area so can someone offer suggestions to make me more desirable? If there are classes I can take to add to my resume I would be happy to do them, but I know nothing replaces experience... which I just can't get without having experience!I messaged a local birth center asking if could be an unpaid intern... just shadow and observe. I thought that may help me but I have no idea what their response will be.Will getting a job in med-surg in a hospital help at all? I really don't want to do med-surg but if I have to in order to get my dream position (the whole reason for becoming a nurse) then I will do it.Thanks for reading my post. I appreciate it!

[SnowboardRN]

Sorry for typos, I am on my kindle. :-)

[Flyboy17]

Coming from a person that also was not hired on L and D. I would say get some critical care experience. L & D is not all cuddling babies and teaching breast feeding techniques. It requires skills to assist with a mother that is bleeding, a baby that is not breathing, CPR, airway adjuncts, etc. I would recommend getting some ED or NICU experience then they will probably come to you.

Jonathan RN

[SnowboardRN]

Coming from a person that also was not hired on L and D. I would say get some critical care experience. L & D is not all cuddling babies and teaching breast feeding techniques. It requires skills to assist with a mother that is bleeding, a baby that is not breathing, CPR, airway adjuncts, etc. I would recommend getting some ED or NICU experience then they will probably come to you.

Jonathan RN

I have spent the last two years researching everything about potential birth complications that I can get my hands on. So yes I am not naive on what can happen in L&D. I just can't exactly put "reading and watching videos" on my resume, haha! Thanks for the suggestions, I will apply to some NICU and ICU positions and see what happens!

[SnowboardRN]

ED I mean. But probably critical care as well.

[nina_RN]

i am a new L&D nurse. i was a cardiac /med surg nurse before transferring to this specialty. IMO, L&D managers appear to prefer critical care experience.So, if you can get a hospital job, try for an ICU position. Next option would be medical surgical w/ telemetry.

A basic course in fetal heart monitoring, Neonatal resuscitation , EKG reading, ACLS ,IV venipuncture and therapy can all come useful and enhance your resume.