Nursing Student aspiring to be a CNM

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Hi there,

I am pursuing nursing school specifically to become a L&D nurse and someday a CNM. I originally started out wanting to go to a direct entry midwifery school, but after doing a lot of research and soul-searching, I decided that becoming a CNM would be the best path for me. I live in Portland, OR where the job market appears to be HIGHLY competitive with 8 schools pumping out new grads every year. BTW, only 1/80+ applicants even get into nursing school in Portland! I look at job postings for L&D often and see that all of them require 5 years of experience which is a bit discouraging. In fact around here it appears to be difficult for a new grad to get a job in any hospital!

I was wondering if anyone has any recommendations for me to buffer my resume and gain valuable experience that may help me to move into this specialty a bit quicker. I have done labor doula training, but lack the hands-on experience due to my work and school schedule. I'm an LMT and also in the process of getting certified as a CNA. Any suggestions or insights as to how to get into this specialty would be very much appreciated!

Thank you!

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Hi! I live in oregon and work at Salem hospital. I am a labor nurse there and also a CNM student at Frontier. PM me and I may be able to help.....

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Specializes in Labor and Delivery, Medical, Oncology.

Also an aspiring CNM over here. I did an independent study in nursing school specifically on midwifery. This allowed me to shadow a midwife, mostly in the office, and get an idea of what she does and ask her lots of questions on how to get there. (If I could do it over, I would ask to shadow her through an entire night on-call. I never got to see her do a delivery.) Also, get NRP certification, go to some childbirth ed workshops, lactation workshops, etc. Gather as much knowledge and experience as you can. If you know someone working in one of these L+D units, start there. People do get in straight out of nursing school, but a lot of people have to do something else first. If you go to med-surg first, don't give up, don't get discouraged. It took me two years to even just get my foot in the door of a L+D unit, but I got to bring some good experience and knowledge with me. Good luck!

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If you are going to nursing school specifically to become a CNM (as I did), you don't necessarily have to get a job on labor & delivery when you graduate since some midwifery schools will take you straight out of nursing school. If you are willing & able to relocate, you could also go to one of the schools that combine nursing and midwifery training. If you are accepted to one of these schools, you earn your BSN and then move directly into the midwifery program. If you can't relocate, just start. You never know what the job market will be when you finish, as nursing shortages come and go. If, when you graduate, you can't get a labor & delivery job, you can seek another related job, such as in women's health in an OB office or community health center, as a maternal-child health visiting nurse, or in a NICU. Good luck!

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Thank you for the suggestions! Just out of curiosity, did you go to nursing school in Portland and if so, which school? I will definitely look into the independent study option when I get to that point!

Thanks again!

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Thank you for responding! Apparently I can't PM since I'm new to this forum. Perhaps you could message me if you have a chance? I have looked into Frontier a little bit and was thinking that it might be a really great option for me. I would love to know more about it and how it's working for you being a distance learner. How long have you been a nurse and how long have you worked in L&D? Any information would be very much appreciated!

Thank you!

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Specializes in ER.

I have been in ER nurse for 6 years, no L&D experience, and will be graduating in July as a CNM. I'm not going to lie, I had to work harder than my classmates that have L&D experience during clinicals, just cuz I had to learn the basics plus all the knowledge and skills to be a midwife, but it is definitely doable.

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Hi!Ok I graduated nursing school in 2006 and moved out of state to take a L&D job knowing full well I intended to go into midwifery. I have worked here since then. I applied to Frontier 3 yrs ago, (their bridge program since I had an ADN) and I am now in my 3rd and final year. I will graduate next spring and I plan on moving again to a federally qualified health shortage area or Indian health services; you can get all your loans paid back that way. I have been working and doing school full time and I have 5 kids. One of the replies told you that you don't necessarily need labor experience to get accepted to a CNM program and that is true!! I have several class mates with no labor experience. The program is hard....very hard....but doable. There are also many opportunities for preceptorships in the Portland area, so that's encouraging. Do you have Abe more specific questions I could answer?

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Wow, that's wonderful that you are going to be a CNM soon! I feel better about the fact that someway, somehow, I'll get there one of these days too! I have a lot of drive and passion and I know it's my calling to be a midwife; I just need to keep moving forward one step at a time and it will all work out. Thank you for the feedback and congratulations!

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Midwifery CAN be done without L&D experience but as a delivery nurse the midwife students without prior experience really struggle on the unit.... I would recommend trying to get some floor experience first.

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Not to hijack, but which schools offer a combined bsn/cnm program??

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I know that Frontier Nursing school based out of Kentucky has a bridge program which can be done online and then you find local preceptors. One of the ladies that responded to my post is doing that program. Based on the info I've gathered so far it seems like it's a great program. Also, I know that here in Portland,OR there is a bridge program at OHSU for people who hold a degree is something other than nursing. However, of course you still have to meet all of the nursing prerequisites such as A&P, microbiology, chemistry, & statistics.

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