L&D - is it a good place to start?

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Specializes in ER/ICU/L&D/.

Hi everyone!

I am brand new to this site and excited to be able to participate in the forums. I just graduated in May with my ADN and will be taking the NCLEX very soon! I wanted to hop on here and ask what your thoughts are on about starting in L&D and possibly switching to NICU? I am in love with both specialties personally, however, in my state they rarely hire new grads in the NICU. It is very hard to get into one, whereas L&D is quite popular and easier to get into (not many available positions though). As you can see by my name I am all for OB and NICU. It is a dream of mine to even be able to work in either unit!

I am really just looking to see if L&D is a good place to start if I want to transition to NICU later on. Thank you!!

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Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.

They are two completely different specialties. One is not typically a springboard to the other.

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If you want to get your foot in the door and get some experience working with babies L&D would be a good place. Depending on where you work you may get very little or a lot of experience. It depends on how many resources you have. It sounds like you are excited about both, so I say go for it!

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Specializes in L&D, Trauma, Ortho, Med/Surg.

I'm in L&D, and sometimes when our NICU is busy and labor is slow we go help in the NICU...basic stuff. I love it! Labor nurses hardly ever get to look at/hold the new babies. So it's a special treat to get to rove over there and help where they need it (checking blood sugars, feeding, holding, changing, helping however!) We had a seasoned labor nurse with 15 years experience switch to NICU recently. Very easy in once you're there because people know you, and a lateral movement like that is often what managers like. They know you, and your current job performance, so it can be simple.  I think that also depends on the hospital and units of course. But we had another nurse start in PP, move to NICU and then to L&D. It's def a possibility! GL!

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Specializes in NICU.
On 6/17/2020 at 2:34 PM, VitaminSea said:

I am really just looking to see if L&D is a good place to start if I want to transition to NICU later on. Thank you!!

You are not doing justice to either.You must be solid in your knowledge in either field.Nurses do switch specialties but they are not really interrelated except that both must certify NRP,but LD moves aside from infant once the NICU team arrives in delivery room,and tend to the mother and vice versa.Both wonderful areas with huge emotional rewards and heartbreak.

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Specializes in ER/ICU/L&D/.
On 9/17/2020 at 3:14 PM, Leader25 said:

You are not doing justice to either.You must be solid in your knowledge in either field.Nurses do switch specialties but they are not really interrelated except that both must certify NRP,but LD moves aside from infant once the NICU team arrives in delivery room,and tend to the mother and vice versa.Both wonderful areas with huge emotional rewards and heartbreak.

Thank you for the input. I never actually got a job in either of those departments since there hasn't been a lot of jobs available for those units where I live. I ended up in adult ICU and hope to be able to move specialty areas within my nursing career!

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