How do I enter the world of OB?

[aubmom.rn]

i am an rn with a bsn and 5 years of acute medical/surgical, orthopedic and oncology experience. i have my chemo provider certification. i did home health for about 7 months. i currently work in a quasi-leadership role (i'm the only rn) at a radiology imaging center, primarily in mri, ct and nuclear medicine. i also work at a kaiser hospital on a med/surg/ortho/onc floor. i am tired of med/surg!!! i started in med surg upon recommendation from my professor at school to get a solid foundation in skills and time management. i figured i'd do a couple years until i got confident, and then venture off into something else. i never wanted to make a career of it. but then the economy tanked, and jobs got scarce and extremely competitive and i feel stuck.

i always knew women's health is where my interest was, specifically in prenatal/postnatal care and labor & delivery. i have considered (since nursing school) the possibility of getting a master's in midwifery. i certainly tend more towards natural child birth practices, although i would be fine working in a hospital setting labor & delivery as well. i recently pursued my passion for lactation and got a lactation specialist level certification and would love to continue towards ibclc, although nothing lucrative has come of this certification. only that i now am a great resource for all my friends.

how do i enter the world of women's health??? i have to continue working at this point in time. our finances will not allow me to quit work and go back to school for example. i have been told by the ob manager at kaiser hospital that i would only be considered for a training position, same as the new grads. the last time they offered this, there were over 800 applicants for three spots!!! and they don't intend to open any more until fall at the earliest. i have applied at various times to l&d and postpartum positions at my local hospitals (northern california) and have never even gotten an interview.

any personal experience or advice would be greatly appreciated at this point. i feel like i'm in a career midlife crisis. i do like the job i have with radiology, but i'm so sick of med-surg and radiology is getting me no closer to women's health. help!! (sorry so long)

[RN/Mom]

I will be trying to enter this field in a few months as a new grad RN, so I am anxious to read any replies to this!

[PMFB-RN, RN]

My hospital, and some others, have nurse residency programs for new grads going into specialty units. Ours is a 9 month program for those going into SICU, MICU, NICU, PACU, L&D, and ER. Nurses with experience in other areas of nursing are hired into the residency program but they go through lust like a new grad. Nurse residents are hired by the managers of the individual units. Some prefer a nurse with a solid work history, some prefer a new grad. Up until about 2009 it was pretty easy to get into the residency but since then it had become very competitive. Hospitals in your area may offer similar programs.

The professor who advised you to go into med-surg first did you a disservice. I cringe whenever I hear this advice and consider it to be hopelessly old fashioned.

[sue4bs]

Speaking from the managers side there are a couple of things to keep in mind. A large percent of the new grads that both do their clinical as part of the student experience and as job applicants, want to work in maternal child area. I get it, did it myself...its a nice happy place most times but with the change in available applicants out there, I will always look for experience in other areas. So I think your professor was right and it is something to keep in mind and highlight when applying for jobs. You have acquired maturity and skill in the nursing role and you have some great transferable skills.

That being said, one of the best things you can do is make an appointment to meet the manager of the area. Let him/her know about your interest in the area and what skills you have aquired over these past few years. Then, ask about opportunities both current and what she may see in the future. Ask about suggestions for enhancing your chances. Oh, and one other thing....do some research...how many babies a year do they deliver, what level of care do they offer, is there any quality improvement activities going on related to their program.

No matter what is on your HR file in terms of you having expressed an interest to go there, once the manager has a face to a name, your chances will improve.

[fiveoffive]

I work on a very busy OB floor. We have HUNDREDS of applicants for every job opening. My manager always says she wants to hire someone with a PASSION for caring for new mothers and infants. Don't ever discount the experience you have, most OB patients these days present with multiple comorbidities and your experience will come in handy. I agree with the above post, go and introduce yourself and tell them of your genuine interest.

Good Luck