Experience recommendations?

[Preppyyankee13]

I've been an ICU nurse for 5 years now. I'm frequently applying to labor and delivery units so I can gain some experience before going on to continue my education hopefully as a midwife. However, all units in my state want you to have previous experience in this specialty prior to them hiring you. Does anyone have any recommendations as to what kind of experience I can gain as a nurse that will help me get a labor and delivery job?

[labordude, BSN, RN]

ICU is a pretty good start. Most hospitals I have worked for consider L&D a critical care specialty (usually bonus dollars or higher pay go along with this). Get your NRP certification ahead of time. Make friends, go to job fairs. You are an experienced nurse, it's much easier to train you than a new grad, use that to your advantage.

[Emcdunn]

I have also been an ICU nurse for 5 years and was just accepted into Frontier's midwife program. I have absolutely zero L&D experience. The midwife I shadowed with preferred precepting nurses who do not have L&D experience because they don't have to "un-teach" any bad habits.

[Laur318, BSN, RN]

I have also been an ICU nurse for 5 years and was just accepted into Frontier's midwife program. I have absolutely zero L&D experience. The midwife I shadowed with preferred precepting nurses who do not have L&D experience because they don't have to "un-teach" any bad habits.

Interested in Frontier myself... sorry for hijacking the thread, but how long are you on-campus stays?