Is L&D/PP as Stressful and Scary as I've Heard? Need Career Guidance

[CMV2254]

Hi everyone. Looking for some personal antidotes, good or bad, from anyone who has worked in L&D. 

Teaching was my first career. Left that for an accelerated nursing program that began in June 2020, right as pandemic chaos was kicking off. I was 10 weeks pregnant when I graduated and began working in an ED RN residency in the Spring of 2021, but I didn't get much experience before leaving to give birth. I then stayed home full-time for 7 months. 

I then took a PRN positon at a pediatric complex care facility. I've been here about 9 months and it could not be a worse fit. I *need* to find a different job. 

I have thought about L&D/PP several times in the past, and there are quite a few opening near me. However, every time I start to apply I get cold feet and stop. From everything I've heard/read/researched, L&D is extremely stressful. I've heard so many stories about people dreaming of being an L&D nurse their entire life only to hate it because it made them nauseous to go to work every shift. 
I also just get super paranoid that I would do something stupid in a sleep-deprived state that would harm a newborn. ??‍♀️

It just seems like a field where so many things could go wrong and where things could go from fine to tragic in an instant. 

I am also lacking a lot of confidence because it's been over a year since I started an IV and feel as though I have lost nearly all of my critical thinking skills and hands-on skills and nursing knowledge. I don't know if I'd be cut out for a high-stress field anymore and wouldn't want to be the reason someone received subpar care during such an intense time. 

Anyway, would love to hear experiences from anyone, and whether you would advise for or against it. 

Thank you! 

[Journey_On, BSN, RN]

I can’t speak too much for L&D, as I have only floated there a couple times, but maybe look into a postpartum unit? I do not feel it is super stressful.

As for nursing skills, they will come back to you in your orientation - prior to my postpartum job, I hadn’t worked in a hospital for about 9 years! But as I went through my orientation, it sort of came back to me like riding a bike (hanging IV fluids, drawing labs, etc.).

It might be good to start out on postpartum and then see how you do there.

[LibraSunCNM, BSN, MSN, CNM]

I second the poster above--based on what you describe, if you do make a jump to the hospital, postpartum would probably be a good first landing pad rather than L&D.  You can always move on to L&D in the future if you still want to.  Postpartum is busy, but not as stressful as L&D.