No jobs in OB nursing!!

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I've developed an unhealthy obsession with checking everywhere- local hospitals' websites, the newspaper classifieds, clinics, etc.- at least 3 times a day for ANY OB nursing jobs. There is nothing! The rare positions that open up require experience (the last one I saw required 5 YEARS of L and D to apply!) I am so frustrated and fear that I will never be able to get started on my way to becoming a CNM. That, and I am presently stuck working in the ICU which I have discovered that I hate and absolutely dread every shift. If I never find a way to get experience in the field, is it possible that school could train me well enough to be a successful midwife, without the OB nursing beforehand? And would any school accept me without it? Grrrrrrrr.....

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yes

(just found out I need at least 5 words to post or it's "too short")

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Specializes in L&D.

The CNM school I attend prefers L&D experience, but if you don't have it and you're a good candidate, you're not going to get turned away.

They do require you to take an internship-type clinical in L&D before starting your CNM clinicals, however. This helps familiarize the student to concepts in L&D that you don't see in other areas of nursing. Check with your school of interest to see if this is an option.

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I didn't have any, nor did most of the people in my class.

We graduated in May. Everyone's passing the boards, and about 1/2 have already found CNM jobs.

Good luck!

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Specializes in L&D.

What you need to do is submit your application to your local hospitals. Many job positions are NOT posted. Where I work, new grads are hired right into L&D.

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Specializes in OB.

Many CNMs think it best NOT to have prior OB nursing experience...

Being an OB nurse and being a midwife are 2 very different careers.

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to RNLabornurse4u,

what city/state do u live in? i am graduating from an rn program in april and want to do l&D and i am relocating but i need a job.so where r u that they take new grads in l&d?

thank you

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Specializes in Ante-Intra-Postpartum, Post Gyne.

UCSF does not require you work as a nurse at all before you apply; you can apply right after your BSN. Does not mean you will get picked over a nurse with OB experience...I know Frontier requires 1yr experience as a nurse, but if I recall correctly, when I called they said it does not have to be in OB.

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Specializes in L&D.
to RNLabornurse4u,

what city/state do u live in? i am graduating from an rn program in april and want to do l&D and i am relocating but i need a job.so where r u that they take new grads in l&d?

thank you

I work in Harrisburg, PA. The entire hospital is in a hiring freeze the last I heard - however, we have a few positions posted for L&D! And we had a few nurses recently resign from PRN positions on L&D, so we could definitely use a few nurses. We hire new grads - have had several new grads on my unit. I'm also a preceptor to new nurses on L&D. (Love teaching!)

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to RNLabornurse4u,

thank you very much..i will look on the web.whats the name of the hospital?should i apply now we graduate in april or wait till closer to the time of graduation?ty so much sorry to be worrisome.

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Hiya!! I just found out I was accepted to Frontier to become a CNM and I have no L&D experience. I can understand you wanting to get some, because I did too, but I ran into the same problem you did, no one would hire me. I found it harder to get into L&D than to a CNM graduate program, what is wrong with that? LOL, and programs usually view it in a good/bad light. It does make some of the material more relatable, you understand it faster, but on the other hand, it also indoctrinates you to the medical model of birth VS the midwifery model, which is very different schools of thought. Wishing you luck!!

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Sorry to hijack the thread, but it does relate.

For those of you who have done this, if you couldn't get L&D; what other nursing would be a good fit?

I'm in an OB rotation and finding myself challenged philosophically. I don't know how the RN's do it- day in /day out- the struggle to advocate for your patient and having everything against you from hospital policy, drs, documenting, et cet. It started me thinking "Must I do this?"

I was considering the ER might be a good place to hone those intuitive diagnostic skills. Any other areas to examine would be really helpful!

Thanks!

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