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Specialties Ob/Gyn

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I graduated this April with my bachelors in nursing and am currently working on a medical floor. I would love to get into L&D but did not do my senior practicum there and was wondering how i can break into this area. Is there something that I can do that would make me more of an appealing canditate to the managers of this area, any advice, tips or information would be helpful.

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I wanted to work in L&D upon graduating with my BSN as well. However, I did have to take a job on a medical floor for about 4 months before I was able to get a job in L&D. What did I do to get the job? Well after I filled out the application for a job in L&D I wrote a letter to the director of L&D and told her about my passion for women's healthcare and birth. I then got an interview. After the interview I wrote a thank you note and then I called her every other day to see where I stood in getting a job. I was hired that week. I have been in L&D for 5+ years now and absolutely love it. You will have to be aggressive as a new RN because L&D is such a litigous area.

Also, you may have to work in a field that you don't want for a few months. That will give you the leg up on other new nurses when an opening comes up though. You will have some experience and they will have none.

Good Luck!

Originally posted by saphie:

I graduated this April with my bachelors in nursing and am currently working on a medical floor. I would love to get into L&D but did not do my senior practicum there and was wondering how i can break into this area. Is there something that I can do that would make me more of an appealing canditate to the managers of this area, any advice, tips or information would be helpful.

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Be patient would be my advice! Take advantage of your time on the med surg floor to learn basic nursing organizational skills, disease processes, and time management. be on the lookout for any internship classes. I know we have them in the Richmond VA area from time to time. I currently work with new grads in l&d....and they are struggling....because they dont have the organizational skills and disease knowledge. Good luck!

Originally posted by saphie:

I graduated this April with my bachelors in nursing and am currently working on a medical floor. I would love to get into L&D but did not do my senior practicum there and was wondering how i can break into this area. Is there something that I can do that would make me more of an appealing canditate to the managers of this area, any advice, tips or information would be helpful.

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I agree wholeheartedly with "KWOBRNC".... "serve your time" on Med-Surg for at least two or three years, then let every L&D unit manager available to you know you are passionately interested in taking an internship or training class. I worked ICU for 8 years before making the switch to L&D, and the organizational skills & "gut instincts that develop with experience" made the transition much easier.

At my busy hospital (450+/mo deliveries) we run training classes once or twice a year. The interns w/ Med/Surg experience pass w/ flying colors...many of the "new grads" who try fail miserably. Just learning the ropes of day-to-day hospital nursing can be intimidating...let alone adding a labor-intensive (no pun intended), high adrenaline specialty to it!

Also, agree w/ medical legal concerns...we get sued alot...so expertise in charting is a must!

Don't give up on doing OB...just wait a bit! Haze :-)

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I would like to thank everyone for their replies! I am going for an interview in NICU this week, one way or another I'll get my foot in the door!

Thank you! cool.gif

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