Getting a foot in the door

[NHCNurse]

Hey All!

I will be starting nursing school in Jan. working towards my ADN. I have always been fascinated with L&D, and as of right now my goals is to work there.

My Question:

I keep reading how hard it is for a new nurse to get hired into L&D. Is there any way for me to my foot in the door as a student? Working PRN as a student would be great, but would I really be qualified for anything? It is not a money thing for me, I have even thought about seeing if I could volunteer (can I even do that?).

I was hoping if I could just find a way to get in I would get some experience and hopefully do a good job, and they would want to keep me after graduation. Does anybody have any ideas?

[2blackcats]

I have worked at a hospital here in Rockford IL for the past 7 years off and on as a CNA...I work with some VERY skilled nurses who are overall terrific people...I can't say enough good about them. I have only worked on the MED/SURG floor...and I know of 2 nurses who left for L&D.

To get their foot in the door, I know one of them ended up getting her Masters because she had been trying and trying....

Another who normally worked overtime in MED/SURG volunteered to be on call anytime all the time she wasn't working MED/SURG and maybe only 1 time a month was actually called in...but she got her foot in the door...she had to write a letter to the HR person to facilitate this...but I don't think it could hurt right?

Good luck to you...I love my MED/SURG and can't wait to get into nursing school and be a full blown nurse on MED/SURG. I can imagine if I couldn't how much I would miss that floor...so good luck with L&D.