Job opportunities on L&D floor?

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Hello all,

I am completely new here and new to this whole nursing thing. I am a medical transcriptionist and my work is fading FAST. I am wanting to get into nursing, will be applying for college enrollment for the 2 year program spring of 2010. HOwever, I really am clueless. Any advice would be appreciated. I want to work on the L&D floor, with the newborns and mommies, what are all of the options here? I want to narrow it down a bit more as to what exactly I am looking for, but am clueless as to the "job titles" associated with the nurses/techs/ etc. on that floor.

Any and all advice please?!?! Thank you so much! :)

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Specializes in NICU.

Hi there! I just wanted to give you a brief response because your post caught my eye. With regard to working as a nursing assistant and/or a registered nurse, there are a few options. You can work in labor and delivery, where you would mainly work with the mom throughout labor and then briefly care for the baby following delivery. If you are leaning more toward babies than moms, or maybe a 50/50 split between babies and moms, then couplet care is more likely where you want to be (some places just call this postpartum). Couplet care nurses and aides do not participate in the labor and delivery, but take care of the mom and the baby following delivery (most nurses who work in couplet care end up working in the nursery as well). If you really like the baby side of things, and don't mind working with sick babies, then maybe NICU would be a good fit for you.

The nice thing about nursing school is that you will get to see all areas and experience them first-hand, which is the best way to determine where you really want to be. If there are any smaller hospitals near you, you might want to apply for an aide position in the maternity department because in some smaller hospitals, the nurses and aides do everything from labor and delivery to postpartum to nursery. It would give you a lot of different exposure.

Good luck!!! Let me know if you have any other questions.

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Thank you so much for the advice. I guess it's postpartum nurse that I'm looking at then because you described just what I would love to do. I have no clue how shifts work either, are they set in stone or do you have to rotate shifts every so often? I am soooo lost......I really appreciate your help and advice!!! Thank you soooo much!

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I think getting a job as an aide on a mother/baby unit now would greatly benefit you because you will get to know the staff and the routine. I went into nursing because I wanted to be an L&D nurse but imagine my disappointment to find that I could not get a job without experience in that field! (catch 22, huh?) Your chances of getting hired, even as a new grad, will be much better if you "know someone". Good luck to you!!!

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Thank you so much! There is an opening right now for an ob tech at my hospital, however I am concerned because it says it's evenings? That's when the classes will be, so I have no clue what I would do then? Ahhh, this is so confusing lol! Thank you so much!

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Specializes in NICU.

Where do you live? I know that all of the hospitals around here are different (Lancaster County, PA). There is one hospital that offers almost all rotating shifts; however, many of the hospitals do not have rotating shifts at all. For the most part, you should be able to find a hospital where you could just work one straight shift.

Again, if you have any other questions, please ask. I know how aggravating it can be to have so many questions and feel so confused about things!!

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