How hard is it do get into another area after OB?

klone, MSN, RN · Dec 21, 2012

In this economy, I found it very challenging. After six years of working in OB (L&D), I was looking for a change and wanting to step away from bedside nursing, and started applying for other jobs, and I felt almost like a new grad all over again. Being an experienced nurse at least got me some job interviews, but it took five months and literally about 75 job applications before I was able to find another job outside of OB, and I didn't really step that far outside of OB (I now work in perinatal research, so it was my OB experience that worked in my favor). What was my downfall is that I went into OB as a new grad, so it was the only experience I ever had.

It was quite humbling and eye opening!

nursekolrn · Dec 27, 2012

I am a Registered Nurse who has been in L&D for 15 years and an additional 4 years in Post-Partum. I am trying to get out of the specialty and am struggling to find a job in another area. I am finding that prospective jobs in other areas don't want to give me a chance because L&D is too specialized. My suggestion would be to get at least 2 years of Med/Surg experience before going into the speciality so you have something to fall back on. My Med/Surg experience was so long ago that employers are overlooking it and have even said they wish I had current Med/Surg experience. It is extremely frustrating because, unfortunately women are so much sicker in their pregnancies these days it is like working in Med/Surg if you work in a high rish OB area, but employers don't see that or understand that. If I had only known I would've taken a different path in my career. Best of luck to you.

LDRNMOMMY, BSN, RN · Dec 29, 2012

I completely agree with Klone. I also went into OB straight out of nursing school and worked there for 5 years. Two years ago, when we had to relocate for my husband's job, I knew that I was not going to be able to work the floor due to several daycare/school issues in combination with my husband's work hours and commute. I felt like a new grad all over again. I applied for almost 40 jobs in various outpatient settings and clinics. I do believe the fact that I had some experience landed me a few interviews. At one of the jobs I applied for I had a nurse recruiter call me and tell me that I had no chance at a job I applied for (pre-op holding) because they were looking for a nurse with med/surg experience. However, she did offer to put me in touch with the women/children's nurse recruiter but they did not have any positions available at the time. It took me about 3 months and many rejection letters, but I am fairly happy where I currently work. I work in an outpatient wound care clinic with hyperbaric chambers.

klone, MSN, RN · Dec 29, 2012

THe thing is, though, is that five years from now, the economy and the job front in nursing could entirely change again and it could be different. In 2006 when I was a new grad, they were throwing jobs at us and all of us new grads had multiple job offers with sign-on bonuses. An experienced nurse could decide she wanted to find a job somewhere else and within a day, could have 5 job offers. It's not like that right now, but it might be like that again in the future, who knows?

So I don't think my difficulty in finding work was due so much to having only L&D experience as it was to the economy. EVERYONE was having a hard time finding work.

I spent a lot of time looking on Craigslist, and one of the interviews was from an ad I answered there. The woman who interviewed me was the wife of the physician, and we got to talking. She said that the ad she wrote generated 150 resumes. Can you imagine? And it was for a job that I had NO experience in. She told me only reason she called me for an interview was because I had a very well-written cover letter. Ha.

LDRNMOMMY, BSN, RN · Dec 29, 2012

I know you are not currently looking, OP but if you are able to work nights etc. it may be easier to land a non-OB position. Due to my personal circumstances I was looking for a 8-5ish, no weekend, holiday or call type job. Those are hard to come by!