L&D vs CNM

[Jordan1927, ASN, BSN]

Hi everyone. I've got a question I’d like some feedback on. I've always loved maternity and, though im training to become an OR nurse currently, I plan to try and get into an L&D training program in the near future. I've been going back and forth in my mind about going back to school to become a CNM or just staying an L&D nurse. Can you all tell me what pushed you all to want to stay an L&D nurse vs becoming a CNM? Thank you.

PS: please please don't take offense to the statement “staying an L&D nurse”. I mean absolutely no harm by saying that, I just could not find another way to say it!!

[LibraSunCNM, BSN, MSN, CNM]

I'm a CNM who never worked as an L&D RN--I did med/surg and mother/baby.  My goal was always to become a CNM, but I will say that working as a mother/baby RN *really* helped keep me chipping away at my goal.  I kept seeing patient after patient who had traumatic births, or births full of interventions that I knew were not evidence-based, and feeling frustrated because I knew there was a better way.  As a floor RN, my hands were tied.  As the CNM, I could be the change I wanted to see.

[Jordan1927, ASN, BSN]

@LibraSunCNM how have you liked being a CNM? Im so cautious about the time committment and work/life balance I've heard about with it. And im more interested in the OB side vs the GYN side so IDK how id feel having to debate apart of my time to gyn patients.

[LibraSunCNM, BSN, MSN, CNM]

7 hours ago, Jordan1927 said:

@LibraSunCNM how have you liked being a CNM? Im so cautious about the time committment and work/life balance I've heard about with it. And im more interested in the OB side vs the GYN side so IDK how id feel having to debate apart of my time to gyn patients.

I love it, I'm pretty much working at my dream job.  The right jobs with work/life balance are out there, you just might have to move to find them.  But CNMs are slooooowly growing as a profession in the U.S. and the job prospects are overall great, IMO.  I don't do a lot of GYN at my job, personally---it just depends on your setting and practice type.