Nursing Student interested in OB Nursing

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Hi everyone, I'm currently a nursing student and I'll be graduating in December of this year. I had my OB clinical rotation last year and fell in love with L&D. I fell in love with it so much that I've even looked into becoming a nurse midwife somewhere down line.

I currently work on a neurology/neuro surgery unit as a student nurse associate. I'll describe my current job as a tech with benefits. I do admission assessments, intake forms, caths, basically everything but passing medications.

My question to all of you OB Nurses out there is would you recommend getting a year of med/surg nursing under my belt before applying for a job in say L&D? Everyone I have talked with says that I should but my heart isn't into the acute care, floor nursing area.

Thanks in advance!

[queenanneslace, ADN, MSN, APRN, CNM]

Work wherever you can in your first year after graduation - and keep building your resume and applying to MB or L&D positions.

Realistically - it takes 6mos-year to get the job you really really want as a new RN. I found this to be true - I had 3 years of experience as a midwife assistant, 10 years of doula experience, I was certified as a lactation counselor, NRP, CPR. And had numerous trainings r/t pregnancy, labor & delivery and postpartum - it took me over a year to get an L&D job.

I was grateful that I could work, wherever I could work, as an RN prior to getting that job.

I won't say you *need* a year of med-surg experience, but it will be helpful experience, and it will be a job that pays the bills while you're applying for the job you really want.