Liked L&D

SteveJizobs · Apr 25, 2008

i knew 2 guys who worked Postpartum but none in L&D. i personally think that there are certain area's that are hard for a man to break into and this is one of it. i myself didnt mind my L&D experience but also felt like the mothers were not very comfortable with the guys in our class being in the room.

kxvc · Apr 27, 2008

Well, I'm not a guy (and I really don't like OB), but if you like L&D and want to work there then I say go for it! So many of the OB docs at our hospital are males so why not a male nurse?

They'll get used to it :)

AFUNGI2BWITH · May 3, 2008

I am a male L&D nurse and have been working in that speciality for 6 years. It is an extremely rewarding area and I go home each night feeling that I did something worthwhile that day.

I can assure you it is not easy, however. If you decide to take this challenge on you will find it difficult to get a job, difficult to get even an interview, difficult to win over your co-workers, and you will need to be prepared to answer a lot of questions. At the same time, when you get past those hurdles you will be on the path to a very rewarding career.

OB is a very small work group. If you do a good job word will spread, if you don't word of that will spread also.

Over the course of time I estimate I have done 1800 or so deliveries and when you include triage and antipartum I have probably been in contact with three times that many patients. Out of that time I would guess there have been about a dozen refusals because I am male, mostly for religious reasons. At the same time I have had hundreds of requests. The patients will not be your problem. At the same time I have co-workers who I have worked with for several years who still don't believe a male nurse should be there. Interestingly, my patient driven awards and letters out number theirs by multiple times.

I do, however, recommend that you get some nursing experience (preferably critical care experience) before you go to L&D. You really have two things you can bring to the table, knowledge and personality. The more you have of both the more successful you will be.