L&D nursing an NICU

[cxe008]

I'm a student about to graduate in 6 months. I was curious. I'm really interested in both L&D and the NICU. I realize that I'm not going to get a job in either of these right out of school but I was wondering if it's possible to work on both these units at the same time. Like doing one part time and one per diem or something like that. I've heard of nurses picking up hours in other units that were different from there and I was wondering if it's possible with L&D and the NICU.

[katierobin23]

I don't have experience doing both, but I just wanted to let you know that my first job out of nursing school was in the NICU so don't give up hope :) when I started my new grad program there were nurses starting in L&D as well. Not sure where you're located, but I moved to be able to start where I wanted to and I don't regret it for a second :)

[everthesame, LPN, LVN]

A hospital where I worked had resource nurse positions. The perinatal resource nurses worked in nicu, l&d and postpartum. They may be scheduled for a certain unit but could be pulled to one of the others units if they were needed more on another unit.

This was a non benefit position but those nurses earned a higher hourly wage. They were also first canceled if census was low.

We also had float pool nurses. They were floated between the above units and also the GYN med-surg unit. Float pool nurses were benefited positions and were never scheduled in advance to a specific unit. They would call in a couple of hours before the start of their shift to see where they would be working that shift.

Not every hospital has these kind of positions and they usually want experienced nurses. Right now it is hard to get into nicu or l&d as a new grad. The ones I have seen recently were either capstone students on the unit or had a student nurse position on the unit prior to graduation.

You might have more luck getting a position on a mother baby unit and then trying to get some cross orientation to one of the other units.

[BeccaznRN, RN]

Yes, it's possible! I started as a new grad in L&D - after my first year, I was cross-trained to float to our NICU to take stable grower/feeder assignments. This is how I discovered my love of NICU and eventually transferred there full-time. =)

[Simplyroses]

To become really good at either specialty will take 1-2 years full-time, minimum. I know, because I am both. Both worlds are wonderful, and yes, now I can work either place. However, each specialty is so intense and unique that it would serve you better to learn one really well before you add the other. Most hospitals will not hire resource/per diem nurses for either area unless you come with experience.