Labor & delivery after graduation?

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So I've been told that it is very hard to get right into L&D after graduation b/c it is a very popular department. Have you known this to be true? What was your first position right after getting your license?

Also, for those of you that do work in OB, what is the pace of your job and stress level like? I think I would really enjoy it, but I worry that I might not have what it takes in terms of quick thinking when it comes down to emergency situations. What does it take to be a labor and delivery nurse? What are important personality and professional traits to make it in this field? I have always wanted to do something that involves babies and after I had my first child, I had an interest in being a part of helping other women deliver their babies, as I don't know what else can even compare to helping bringing new life into this world.

What is the hardest part of your job? How do you get over the death of a patient, especially that of a baby/child? I fear that this is what would be the hardest part to get over. I know it can happen so what do you say and do for the mother in that situation? I couldn't even imagine......

Does anyone have any advice for an aspiring L&D nurse? Thanks in advance!

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Also, how likely am I to land an L&D position with just being an LPN? Or do they prefer you to be an RN? My plan was to get right into the work field then go back later to get my BSN after I've got some experience and see how I handle the job. Do you think this is a practical plan?

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Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.

I would say that it's next to impossible that you would get a job in L&D as an LPN.

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I was offered a L&D job right after graduation but only because it worked as a tech there while I was in school. The L&D floor where I worked did not hire LPN, and really tried to only hire BSN.

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Specializes in L&D.

I got a job right out of school in L&D. I am an RN. I really like it. We have LPN's on our unit. I think 4 and they are great.

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I'm thinking now that I should just go straight through and just my bsn instead of LPN. The company I work for doesn't hire LPN's so that takes care of that...

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Specializes in DOU, Tele, Surgery, ICU.

I say go straight for your BSN if you can. 2 of my classmates straight out of nursing school got L&D position.

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Specializes in Ante-Intra-Postpartum, Post Gyne.

You can not work as an LPN and get a job as an L&D nurse. You might be able to find a job as a post partum nurse, but it could be hard. I know our hospital only hires RNs because they can work all departments (LDRP and nursery) If you find a large hospital that has a separate postpartum unit you might be able to get a job. This could be could to work while in school to go on and get your RN (so you can move on to L&D)

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I would definitely go for the bsn. If you decide not to, maybe you could get an LPN job at an ob clinic?

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Yeah and I was thinking, it might be hard to go back to school after working and hard to get back into the groove of studying so going for the BSN right away might be the best. How do you know get burnt out of going to school full time for that long? That is my fear. And the cost of books.....I don't even want to know! How may hours a night did you study per class in nursing school? I want to get an accurate estimate of how grueling it's going to be! I really like this website b/c I can talk to people that are already RNs and in the nursing program so I can get honest answers from people that know what they are talking about!

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Katie, when you first got into L&D as a new RN, how did the other RNs treat you? I job shadowed recently in our hospital in L&D and there was a new RN and HR was showing her around and after she left, the older nurses were like, did they really offer her the job? Kind of like they didn't want her to get the position so I don't want that to be me one day! But they offered for me to come back and shadow another day so I think they liked me to have offered for me to come back and shadow another day. there was one lady partsl delivery the day I was there, but the woman only wanted her husband in there, which is fine, it's her right, but all the nurses and the director were disappointed that I couldn't be in there. Delivery is like the biggest part of their job. The NSTs and other things I saw didn't seem that bad, but then again I haven't had the opportunity to see the hardest part of the job! I need to see first hand what OB is like before I commit the time and money to doing it/ I'm pretty sure it's what I want to do, but I want to be 100% sure. How did you know that L&D was going to be for you?

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Specializes in Labor and Delivery.

Hi! I got a job in L&D right after graduation. I really enjoy it but it is/was much more stressful then I expected it to be. It's getting better but its been tough. One thing that kind of helped me is I told myself that its normal to be overwhelmed as a new nurse and to just be comfortable being uncomfortable.

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