L&D experience and employability

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Does anyone have any sense of how employers view graduate CNMs who don't have an L and D background? I don't want to set myself up for an unemployable future by going through with CNM school without having that prior L&D experience.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

What type of experience do you have? NICU, post-partum?

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I have med-surg and ICU. Despite two years of applying (getting NRP, joining AWHONN, etc), no one will hire me to anything related to perinatal or women's health, including post-partum positions, clinic positions, you-name-it. I feel that this is where my interest has always been, but for a variety of reasons I have been stuck for over 6 years in different areas of nursing. I just don't know what to do. I don't have the option to relocate and I don't know what more I can do to move into this specialty. So, any insight you have is very appreciated.

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Specializes in Cardiac.

I was wondering this too. I want to apply to Frontier,but I have no L&D experience and dont know if I'll get the chance before graduating! All CNM/WHNP jobs I have seen require L&D experience.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

I think you would do better with L&D exp but do the schools you are interested in accept students w/o L&D experience? If so, I say go for it.

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Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.
All CNM/WHNP jobs I have seen require L&D experience.

They require it as an RN, or as a CNM? I can't imagine too many employers would care so much about your experience PRIOR to receiving your NP/CNM certification. Most look at what you've done SINCE your advanced degree.

Frontier does not require L&D experience to get into their program. I can't speak for other CNM programs.

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I have a very short time (around a year) as an LDRP nurse. I have several good friends with no OB experience at all who are CNMs. There are some people out there who believe L&D experience is very important and some who think L & D experience is less important and there are some who think any L & D experience at all is bad because nurses learn bad habits that way. Obviously it depends on which one of those people is doing the hiring! I don't think you will have any issues- there are many programs graduating CNMs with no nursing experience at all (grad entry programs) and those graduates are doing fine. In my opinion the jobs are totally different and although the background you get as an L & D nurse is helpful it is not essential. It's like the difference between being a nanny and having your own kids. You could be the best nanny in the universe and work 24/7 but when you have your own kids it is still an adjustment and a learning curve.

BTW, I worked in a terrible facillity and being an RN was really frustrating because I knew I wanted to be a CNM and that I would never treat my patients that way. I did not blend well with the staff because they were totally content with the way things were always done and had no desire to research or read. So be careful what you wish for if you truly have a passion for midwifery- you may hate being an L & D nurse.

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Thanks so much for taking the time to respond. I am right now torn between two motivations: to find some kind of work in perinatal or women's health nursing because this is my interest and I want to move in that direction before/while getting my CNM degree... OR to take something, ANYTHING, that will take me out of my current job. Since my OB searches are going so poorly, I have started to apply to a wide variety of areas with that second goal in mind. I have an interview tomorrow for a position working as a coordinator for a specialty clinic (not AT ALL related to women's health or OB) and I am completely torn between taking it for the better hours and setting, or holding out for the elusive OB job. (This is all hinged, of course, on the unlikely event I get offered the job...)

I would imagine that taking an advanced position in a specialty would make it even more difficult to be considered for an OB job, or for a CNM position down the road. The employer will be like, "are you just totally confused about what you want to do?" And I will be like, "yes and no." And they will be like, "good bye."

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Specializes in Cardiac.
Thanks so much for taking the time to respond. I am right now torn between two motivations: to find some kind of work in perinatal or women's health nursing because this is my interest and I want to move in that direction before/while getting my CNM degree... OR to take something, ANYTHING, that will take me out of my current job. Since my OB searches are going so poorly, I have started to apply to a wide variety of areas with that second goal in mind. I have an interview tomorrow for a position working as a coordinator for a specialty clinic (not AT ALL related to women's health or OB) and I am completely torn between taking it for the better hours and setting, or holding out for the elusive OB job. (This is all hinged, of course, on the unlikely event I get offered the job...)

I would imagine that taking an advanced position in a specialty would make it even more difficult to be considered for an OB job, or for a CNM position down the road. The employer will be like, "are you just totally confused about what you want to do?" And I will be like, "yes and no." And they will be like, "good bye."

I am totally in your exact position!! I'm hoping fate will send me a big sign sooner or later..

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