How much nursing experience do you feel is needed....?

[luv4nursing]

How much nursing experience and/or OB nursing experience do you feel is needed to be a good CNM? Ive been a nurse for a few years, and just started working on an LRDP unit. It has been a long term goal to become a CNM, but it was something I put in the back of my mind when it didnt seem like I was ever even going to get my foot in the door in L&D. The other nurses I work with seem to have the opinion that only nurses who have been in OB for many years have the skills to be a competent CNM. Is this really the case? My other concern is I have a small child (2.5) and will likely have at least one more child in the near future...is it possible/doable with young kids due to the schedule? My husband is in nursing school so we would both be working odd schedules so childcare could be an issue.

Either way, Im in the process of enrolling for BSN and will knock that out over the next year or so and go from there...just trying to decide if becoming a CNM is something I should pursue soon or wait until later on down the road when I have some years in OB under my belt and kids are at least in school..?

[tablefor9, RN]

I'm not going to be popular, here, but no one else answered you. I think you do need a couple of years in L&D to make a good midwife, or at least to save your sanity.

With a couple of years in the L&D, you're comfortable with fetal monitoring, handling emergencies, expert at lady partsl exams and labor management. SO, advanced practice is what you'd be learning, not the whole enchilada.

As far as having a small child...well, I'm a Frontier student midwife right now. And, I'm also a full time L&D RN, a home educating mom of 7 (that's SEVEN) children, and a childbirth educator. I'm also responsible for 4 staff education projects annually. And I'm making it...4.0 so far. I may not sleep as much, but there you go.

Good luck to you!

T