Likelihood of finding an L&D position with no women's services experience?

[EKB10796]

Hello! I am starting my first job in July. It is a med-surg position and obviously not my dream job but I am getting married and need a pay check, plus I'm a new grad and not trying to be picky. Anyways, eventually I want to end up in L&D. My med-surg position is a 2 year contract. Can anyone give me any advice regarding how to set myself up over the next 2 years so that I will have the best chance of finding an L&D position when the time comes that my contract is up? Don't get me wrong, I am excited to start working and very grateful to have a position in a tough job market, but I know I will be ready to leave med-surg by the time I've been in it for 2 years. L&D has my heart so I want to set myself up for success. I would even love to transition into antepartum or mother/baby because I love women's services. Is it likely 2 years of med-surg experience will be sufficient? Should I look for PRN work after a year or so to start getting some experience? Is that even possible? Please give me all the info!

[Jedrnurse, BSN, RN]

Throw yourself into the M-S job and learn as much as possible. And, I truly mean this in a helpful way, make sure you don't let a bad attitude at the onset make your experience worse than you're already anticipating it will be.

If they have L&D in the same hospital, look for opportunities to shadow and network, then for opportunities to transfer. (don't push for it until your 2 yrs are up, though, hospitals don't like that)

[Monkey Nurse, ASN, RN]

My sister landed a l&D job right out of nursing school because she preceptored with L&D and they liked her. I think that is rare and special situation though. I would network away and maybe see if you can teach some parents to be classes or breastfeeding education. Otherwise look rural. Thats how I made my break amd leaned OB 1 month after starting- including mom/baby, l&d

[NightNerd, MSN, RN]

Work the med-surg job for your two years, learn as much as you can, and become a valued member of that team. Once your contract is up, see if you can transfer to your hospital's L & D area. There is plenty to learn in the med-surg area, so try to view it positively and make the most of it.

It might be nice to give your current manager a heads-up when you do get ready to move on, as in my experience they are usually notified anyway when an employee applies to another job in the hospital. Something like, "Hey, I saw there was an open position on L & D. This has been an area of interest for me, so I wanted to let you know I'm going to apply and learn more about the opportunity. I will keep you posted." (Obviously if for some reason you don't have a great relationship with your manager this isn't totally necessary; just something to think about if you do get along.)

It might be hard to find a PRN position in a totally new specialty. I would think it would be easier on you and your employer to wait until you can do at least a couple shifts a week, if not full-time, before making the switch. That way you'll be immersed in the new job and hopefully get a more comprehensive and consistent learning experience.

If you do end up looking for a PRN job, I recommend waiting at least a year. The first year of nursing in general is rough, and you don't want too many responsibilities that make it even harder to cope.

Good luck! You will get where you want to be!