L&D electives

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I've wanted to become a L&D nurse for a long time. Now that I'm planning my career and starting prerequisites for a BSN program I'm researching what happens after I pass NCLEX RN. The pathways I've searched on google are vary vague stating that I'd need to take electives. Does every college have these electives or do I take these in a hospital? Thanks in advance. :)

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.

There aren't really "electives" required. The pathway is nursing school to job orientation. There may be classwork required as part of the orientation, such as NRP. However, be prepared to not be able to work in L&D right away- in many areas, there is a glut of nurses competing for jobs. If you can't get into your first choice, a job at a facility in another unit will provide an employment history with the facility and access to internal job postings.

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Thank you. That makes more sense. I figured I'd need experience first from reading other threads. Do you know how many hours are needed for certification? I read you'd need to gain experience in some type of ob/gyn nursing before you can gain neccesary certification for most L&D jobs? I'm in GA if that matters.

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OP, I wouldn't worry about getting certifications for L&D before you're hired in. When you're hired, your unit will make sure you're up to speed on NRP, EFM, etc. In my experience, having these credentials already won't do you much good. Without experience working in L&D and therefore the ability to apply the knowledge learned from those certifications, they won't really mean anything--just that you have the book knowledge without the actual experience.

Work on forming strong assessment skills and getting the fundamentals of nursing down on whatever floor you're hired on first. Work on time management. If you have the ability, see if you can train to become a doula before/during your prereqs in nursing, even if you don't do a whole lot of work as a doula. The knowledge and interest that shows will likely be valuable. Shadow L&D nurses in your area hospitals. See if you can volunteer on an L&D unit or OBGYN office. Talk to the nurses, midwives, physicians and managers you encounter and let them know you're interested in working L&D after nursing school. We recently had a new grad hired directly out of nursing school onto our unit, and it wasn't because she had certifications or experience of any kind--it's because she knew one of our L&D nurses who put in a good word for her. Often times in the hunt for a job, it's not about what you know, it's who you know!

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Thank you. I haven't heard much about what to do after finishing nursing school. I'll look at different places. Yesterday I read doula training was $400! I was like geez

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Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.

OB certifications require 2 years of working in the specialty

https://www.nccwebsite.org/Certification/Exam-detail.aspx?eid=1

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Specializes in Dialysis.
Thank you. I haven't heard much about what to do after finishing nursing school. I'll look at different places. Yesterday I read doula training was $400! I was like geez
Doulas are usually a private pay deal, not a nursing specialty, so not billable to insurance. In fact, the doula I know is not a nurse, and she told me that her cases are private pay, and far and few in between lately (she's in CA). Most certs require actual time in the specialty. Good luck to you
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Doulas are usually a private pay deal, not a nursing specialty, so not billable to insurance. In fact, the doula I know is not a nurse, and she told me that her cases are private pay, and far and few in between lately (she's in CA). Most certs require actual time in the specialty. Good luck to you

Thank you

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Specializes in L&D, infusion, urology.

NRP, fetal monitoring, and ACLS are required for many positions here, and none of these certs require experience. See what's required when the time comes that you're applying for jobs.

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NRP, fetal monitoring, and ACLS are required for many positions here, and none of these certs require experience. See what's required when the time comes that you're applying for jobs.

Thank you for the information.

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The best thing you can do to get a job there us to get to know nurses and managed there. Pursue them (not in a crazy way). Make your face and resume known. Take a job in another unit first if u don't get hired there right away to gain experience. L&D is on the job training to start. But it wouldn't hurt to join awhonn and get some education (outside of school)

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The best thing you can do to get a job there us to get to know nurses and managed there. Pursue them (not in a crazy way). Make your face and resume known. Take a job in another unit first if u don't get hired there right away to gain experience. L&D is on the job training to start. But it wouldn't hurt to join awhonn and get some education (outside of school)

Thanks. I was playing with the idea of shadowing a nurse when I start working as a phlebotomist. Maybe come in on one of my days off.

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