Is it possible to stay in med surg too long before going OB?

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Hi everyone. So I am starting my second job in a med surg/ psych unit. Before that my first job was med surg for 5 months. I obviously want to stay at this job longer for resume purposes. But I really feel passionate about labor and delivery. I figured I would use the time to chew out my BSN and get certified in med surg while I wait for OB.

So my question is can a nurse stay in a med surg unit too long before they are considered a valuable hire for labor and delivery? How long should I wait?

I figured in a year I would try to get an appointment with the labor an delivery manager within my hospital organization to introduce myself.

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Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.

Short answer, no.

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Specializes in L&D.

Absolutely not. You will just be well better prepared when you do make the switch.

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Thank you for your responses. I have to stay in my current position for a year before I can transfer within the organization. But I met a nurse that works labor and delivery where I work and she gave me helpful tips related to the hospital system I work at when I apply next year.

Did I mention I am counting down the months until I can apply?!

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Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.

Good luck! I love to hire med/surg nurses to L&D. They come with valuable time management skills, and it's helpful to have some experience in non-OB related comorbidities.

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This isn’t the case everywhere, but our L&D unit will not hire former med surg nurses.

Management says they have too hard of a time switching from the mindset of “what the doctors ordered” to more independent decision making, and that many are unprepared for how stressful the speciality is. Basically, every time they hire a former med surg nurse, they leave during or shortly after orientation.

They will hire former float nurses and from the ER and ICU. Sometimes former clinic or dialysis nurses as well. And if they do make an exception, it’s for someone who can convince them they understand they won’t just be “cuddling babies,” but dealing with very sick moms and babies and a lot of stress. Usually they just hire new grads, though.

That said, the hospital where I was a student tended to hire people from med surg after two years and as far as I know it went fine. They also grabbed new grads whenever they could.

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Specializes in Medical Surgical, Postpartum, Derm/Allergy, Hemonc.

I tried to transfer from med surg to postpartum within the same hospital and my transfer was rejected. After i made a year i quit plus i found out i was pregnant. Now im currently looking for jobs outside of med surg. Hopefully you currently have an understanding manager that will not block your growth. Best wishes to you and your future endeavors. ?

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