L&D vs. Postpartum vs. Nursery?

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It seems to me that lots of RNs and would-be RNs want to get a nursing position in Labor and Delivery and it might take some doing for me to land a job there once I'm an RN, but is it the same for Postpartum, the NICU, and the nursery? I would be happy to work in any of these areas; are they as hard to get into? If not, why do you think this is true? Are these positions not as appealing to some people? Thanks for your input.

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The field is wide open. Right now in our hospital NICU there's openings for 7 NICU nurses, a few for Mother/Baby as well as L&D.

People have different tastes when it comes to nursing. Some people couldn't stand the thought of doing "essentially" the same thing every day which sort of happens in L&D as well as Mother/Baby. I say "essentially" because although every birth is different, it can be monotonous to some people. Therefore, a nurse might do better in ED because there's no telling what's going to come through that door.

Some like the high acuity of ICU's, while others go into other specialties. If you live in a large city with many hospitals and the nursing shortage continues, I believe that you'll get into the nursing that you want, even if it means working for 6 months on another floor and then transferring to the area you want (the 6 mo. wait is policy where I work).

Also, I'd invest some time into classes which are in tune with L&D, PP, etc. For example, if you want to work PP, it might be a good idea to take the 3 day class by Debi Bocar and become a Certified Breastfeeding Educator. If you can, you may like being a doula (which I am - go to http://www.dona.com for more info). This might make you more attractive on your resume.

I'd say go for it, who knows what will be open when you graduate? Good luck!

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

I love it all.....if you are one who is like me and likes a challenge and different pace each day, try to find a position at a hospital that does LDRP (labor/deliver/recover/postpartum) single-room care. You get to do it all there and it's anything BUT boring. Also, where I work we do GYN surgical and level-2 nursery care.

It's not for everyone, you certainly have to be cross-trained well and know a lot of areas, but it's never boring or "same old same old". NICU is great for some. You have to have the "right" aptitude and personality for it, I believe it. You should try shadowing some nurses in all the areas and maybe figure out for yourself what appeals most.

I think LDRP is the way to go.

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The hospital that I am planning on working at once I graduate also does L&D/R/P on one floor. I just had my son there 6 months ago and really liked that type of care. I was in the exact same room for my entire stay and baby and mother always have the same nurse looking after them. Currently, on a 15 room floor, they are looking for 2 night shift nurses. Another girl I know is currently an intern for day shift. Have you looked into being an intern in some sort of maternal/child floor to give you the edge on job applications? Good luck whatever you decide to do!

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Can I be an intern even though I'm not even in nursing school yet?

Who would I contact about shadowing an RN, or is this easier to do once I am in school?

I would love to find a hospital in my area with one and only one room for the duration of my stay. I gave birth to my son 11 mos. ago, and I felt like I was dragged out of the labor and delivery room, up some floors in an elevator to recovery, well before I was ready to go anywhere. I was a mess, and would have liked to have stayed in one place for a while to catch my breath.

Anyway, finding a place like this will be good for when I have another baby and when I want to find a job. Good advice- thanks!

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The hospital that I am planning on working at once I graduate also does L&D/R/P on one floor. I just had my son there 6 months ago and really liked that type of care. I was in the exact same room for my entire stay and baby and mother always have the same nurse looking after them. Currently, on a 15 room floor, they are looking for 2 night shift nurses. Another girl I know is currently an intern for day shift. Have you looked into being an intern in some sort of maternal/child floor to give you the edge on job applications? Good luck whatever you decide to do!

I have worked LDRP now for over 10 years and I have to say that I would be hard pressed to ever go back to a unit where I only do one type of thing. I have become to used to being able to do all thre areas. I love it!

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Specializes in Med-Surg, OB/GYN, L/D, NBN.

I primarily work in the PP portion of the Maternal Health Services floor at my hospital, but I am also cross training in NBN and will eventually start ct'ing in L&D. I want to be able to do all of it, and that is the goal of our director, too. I think it is a wonderful idea to cross train everyone in all of the areas. That way, if there is someone out, you can always come in and fill in without compromising the care of the patients. :balloons:

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I worked as a volunteer, which led to a job as a unit secretary part time on L&D while I was in nursing school to "get my foot in the door" and it worked!

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