May be a weird question and may not be possible but...

Specialties Ob/Gyn

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I graduated nursing school in May 2009, went to work at a SNF b/c at the time none of the nearby hospitals wanted to hire new grads. So August 2010 I started working at a hospital on an medical oncology floor. I like it fine but it's not what I want to do. I have always wanted to work in OB. I continue to look for those positions and even working at a hospital I'm being told "you need OB experience". Well gee, when I graduated you just wanted hospital experience. A nurse I contacted at my hospital said it's just b/c it's so expensive to train in that field. I understand. Really I do. So I wonder if I take the NRP, FHM through AWHONN and offer to orient for free. Have you ever heard of a hospital allowing this. Any adivise or thoughts?

Specializes in SNF, Oncology.

Thanks everybody for your advice. It's great! I am trying to network my way in there:) I do want to be a midwife. In process of applying at Frontier for next year. I just wanted to work in the field a while first. Thought it might make the program a little easier.

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i don't know much at all about working ob, but have you considered becoming a midwife/dula and help expecting parents deliver their babies at home? from some research i've done in the past water birthing in a clinic or home setting seems to be the new trend. also consider trying an ob doctors office to get some experience.

midwives usually (but not always) have to have some labor and delivery nursing experience before they can get into a nurse midwifery program. direct entry midwifery is a thought but not legal in all areas (yet!). doula training could be helpful in landing a position. before i got my first job as an ldrp nurse i took nrp and was a doula and i was lucky enough to get two offers for ob positions. i am now a cnm.

if you are interested in the more natural side of things you may consider trying to get on staff at a local birth center or as a homebirth assistant if there are any in your area. having a passion for birth is likely to count in your favor in those settings.

editing: i think frontier requires 1 year of relevant experience but i could be wrong...

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Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.

Frontier requires one year of nursing experience. It does not need to be in OB.

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Specializes in SNF, Oncology.
Midwives usually (but not always) have to have some labor and delivery nursing experience before they can get into a nurse midwifery program. Direct entry midwifery is a thought but not legal in all areas (yet!). Doula training could be helpful in landing a position. Before I got my first job as an LDRP nurse I took NRP and was a doula and I was lucky enough to get two offers for OB positions. I am now a CNM.

If you are interested in the more natural side of things you may consider trying to get on staff at a local birth center or as a homebirth assistant if there are any in your area. Having a passion for birth is likely to count in your favor in those settings.

Editing: I think Frontier requires 1 year of relevant experience but I could be wrong...

Were you a doula as well as a nurse? I'm going to take NRP in March through the hospital I work at.

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Were you a doula as well as a nurse? I'm going to take NRP in March through the hospital I work at.

I wasn't able to do births as a doula once I was a nurse because I couldn't guarantee that I would be available (i.e. if I was working I couldn't leave to go to doula someone else's birth). But during nursing school I did.

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