ICU to L&D? Any advice or personal experiences?

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Hello all,

I am currently a Neuro ICU RN and am really having a serious change of heart. I started last July in a critical care fellowship and completed that after 5 months of various critical care rotations. I started in the Neuro ICU in January. It has been recently that I am feeling I should have went to my gut choice of maternal child. As a new grad I was really torn between maternal child nursing (L&D, PP, nursery, whatever) and ICU nursing. I thought that ICU would allow me more opportunities for advanced nursing degrees and really challenge me. I am beginning to think I made the wrong choice. At times in the ICU I feel as though I am fighting a losing battle. We have patients that never come off the vent, we trach and PEG or withdraw care on. We also see a lot of deaths or people who will never lead a good quality of life ever again. I just feel like at times I am making no difference!

So to make the long story short. I was wondering if anyone has made the switch from an ICU to L&D and any thoughts on this? Also current L&D nurses, how do you feel on a daily basis? Do you love/ hate your job and why? I am just really confused and need some advice. At times I dread going to work because I feel as though my days are on REPEAT! :( I feel like I did not become a nurse to hate my job. Any help would be greatly appreciated !

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Specializes in Nurse Manager, Labor and Delivery.

I am a former ICU nurse and I have loved the transition. I loved ICU, but after I had my baby, labor and delivery is what I wanted to do. It is where I belong. If you are feeling in your gut that this is where you belong, then do it. You will find your skills well used from ICU. I have never regretted the move.

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Specializes in Rural Health.

I came from ER, not exactly ICU but critical care nonetheless.

I love my job. I'm still in orientation and have many more months to go to finish it all but so far, I love my job, I love my patients and I love doing what I do. Such a change from the ER.

I say go for it and don't ever look back!!!!

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