New Grad starting in L&D short-term career goal

[LDAthleteNurse, BSN, RN]

My first career goal that I hope to accomplish within my 1^st year of beginning my career as a labor and delivery nurse is to become certified in Pediatric Advance Life Support (PALS), Newborn Resuscitation (NRP), and Electronic Fetal Monitoring (EFM) certification. By the end of my 2^nd year of nursing I would like to become certified in Inpatient Obstetric Nursing (RNC-OB), Maternal Newborn Nursing (RNC-MNN) and Low Risk Neonatal Nursing (RNC-LRN)

Is this obtainable with 2 years of experience? Are all of these certifications necessary? It is my wish to eventually become a WHNP.

[llg, PhD, RN]

Why do the peds life support if you are not going to be working with a peds population? Your patients will be adults and neonates -- not peds.

And have you checked that L&D will qualify you for all those specialty certifications? They might, but I am not sure it will. Also, for most specialty certifications, you need 2 years of clinical practice in the specialty before you are eligible to apply to become certified. So, some of those things will probably need to wait until at least your 3rd year of practice.

I recommend you focus first on the L&D skills you will need to do your job well and take good care of the patients. Get competent in those things first ... then start branching out if you can do so and are still interested.

[LDAthleteNurse, BSN, RN]

Why do the peds life support if you are not going to be working with a peds population? Your patients will be adults and neonates -- not peds.

And have you checked that L&D will qualify you for all those specialty certifications? They might, but I am not sure it will. Also, for most specialty certifications, you need 2 years of clinical practice in the specialty before you are eligible to apply to become certified. So, some of those things will probably need to wait until at least your 3rd year of practice.

I recommend you focus first on the L&D skills you will need to do your job well and take good care of the patients. Get competent in those things first ... then start branching out if you can do so and are still interested.

Okay. I had no idea. This is the exact information I was looking for. Thank you!