Interview Advice, decision making

HI to all, and thanks for your help.

I have done med-surg for several years, some cardiac exp also. I have always wanted to be a nurse in the OB area or babies.

I have put an application in for the only two open positions in my hospital system: a 3 12's nights on Mother-Baby Unit ( couplet care) and Baylor Days on Labor and Delivery. I have never applied for a Baylor position... I know I need to find out whether I 'd be paid for 32 or 36 hours, if benefits are the same as full time, if the weekend shift differential is included, how much PTO I'd get, if I could work elsewhere during the week, any others? The area I desire the most ( I think, at least) is the NICU, but there are no openings at all. I don't remember the last time I saw an opening there, if ever.

I am a day shift person, I assume, as I didn't do nights well several years ago when I tried. That being said, I believe if the job is worth it, I will make a way. I remember doing jumping jacks in the hallway to stay awake between 2-5 am...

Since this is a new area, and I have been out of nursing school about 10 years, I have purchased Maternal-Child Nursing Made Incredibly Easy and the pocket laminated guide. I am also reviewing other books- most of them being more textbook like.. Wong, Perry, et all, has the best full color pictures, but I digress....

I have been reading posts on this board, and finding that L+D can be very stressful. However, so can MB (pp) in terms of pt ratio, esp. with couplet care- and some babies are in the nursery, so you pick up other mothers..

What types of questions should I ask? What questions are they likely to ask of me? What observations should I look for when I tour the unit? I would dislike giving up every weekend for work, but it might be a good thing- I'd have the whole week free, and no internal clock disturbances. I have fibromyalgia. The higher rate for malpractice also concerns me for L+D. I am a little afraid of complications, poor staffing, etc. I have read the guidelines of AWHONN, but some have reported that even with those guidelines staffing patterns can be bad, depending on the complexity. When I interviewed for a part time position ( and didn't get it) 3 years ago on the MBU, the manager said a lot of nurses go into L+D, and then leave soon after they see it's not what they thought it would be. Should I become a member of AWHONN before my interview? How do I see if the manager will be good? I assume weekends on L+D will be less busy (no scheduled inductions or C-sections, right? or do they do that?)

I know I am asking a lot of questions. I appreciate your patience with me. I have been 'burnt out' in nursing before, and so I am careful to make my decisions now. I am a person who needs to analyze things, research things, etc.