L&D Straight out of Nursing School?

epiphany · Sep 26, 2005

Babyktchr--
Thanks for your post. I do know enough not to totally discard any other new experiences I'll have in school as a possible career choice. And I do understand that a lot of people go into OB with stars in their eyes, thinking it's all peaches and cream and cute little babies. That's probably how my post came across.
But after being on this earth for 44 years, having babies, adopting babies, losing babies, and seeing the good, bad, and the ugly in life, I'm not naive enough to think that's all there is to L&D. All I can say is all the excitement I felt yesterday was tempered with a very sure "knowing" deep inside. I felt like I was home. I have excelled in all my clinicals, but always felt like a fish out of water before. I know there are immense joys as well as gut-wrenching heartache to be experienced there. And HARD work. I watched those nurses. They're looking for anything that might mean a downturn, yet have to remain cheerful and upbeat, and be a calming influence. I'm willing to work nights, weekends, take extra classes, whatever I need to do to get my foot in the door.
Again, thanks to all for the advice.

Siouxz ;

I think if L&D is what you want, go straight into it. Just coming of the job hunting experience in NY, I'll tell you what I've seen from my corner of the world.

Best bet - internship in L&D. Apply to many places, and apply early, and tell the manager what you want. Internships tend to be filled up according to availability. The likelihood of your being called back after you graduate is high. (wish the school had bloody told us that !) Second option - apply early, a month before you graduate to beat the traffic. I interview tons of places and I had many L&D opportunities - so you will, too. (I don't really understand all the fuss and what we were told about how impossible it was - maybe they are talking about days shifts.)

As far as the one year med-surge - one drawback is this - will your hospital welcome a request of change to a different unit after one year? Second, and important to consider, if you are planning to leave and applying to a new place, your record's going to show that you've left only after a year - not the best record.

I had my pick of L&D's. Unhappy with what I saw, I almost took an ICU unit, until something fell into my lap - an perfect L&D for me with a birth center and high risks births and the patient I want to work with - immigrants and the poor. But I looked HARD, so I believe you will if you did the same. Best of luck.

babyktchr, BSN, RN · Sep 26, 2005

6 months of orientation to L&D?? None of our area hospitals offer an orientation that long. I oriented 2 weeks to newborn nursery, 2 weeks mom-baby, 8 weeks labor. I thought it could have been longer, but that seems to be a pretty standard orientation compared with other hospitals in this area.
When I oriented to L&D, I got 2 weeks nursery, 2 weeks postpartum/gyn and 3 weeks in labor and delivery. YIKES. I survived, but now we have a longer orientation, but it is not 6 months long...not by any means. I wish.

epiphany · Sep 26, 2005

Places that I've interviewed ranged from 10 weeks to 4 months. In my hospital, it's 6 months, including orientation to med-surg and ICU (was told the ICU skills were necessary because of the cases we get). But it's a major city hospital, and pays $10K less than the private hospitals, though - it's a trade-off, but have lots of other pluses - like in-built cross-training programs for nurses who want to switch to different specialties anytime.

bethth1 · Sep 26, 2005

I had 3 weeks surgical/postpartum/well baby, then 12 weeks of labor, then 3 weeks of circulating in the OR. Then separate NRP for one day. From what I understand L&D is not very similar to other nursing, so orientation is the same for everyone.

NurseNora, BSN, RN · Sep 26, 2005

Babyktchr--
All I can say is all the excitement I felt yesterday was tempered with a very sure "knowing" deep inside. I felt like I was home.
That was my response to my first delivery. I never wanted to be anything but a nurse, but did not have anything particular in mind. I didn't and still don't like kids so I expected to hate Peds and OB, but I was unprepared to dislike all my other clinicals. I had so much time invested that I decided to finish, but wasn't sure what I was going to do afterwards. I dreaded OB when it finally rolled around and was nearly sick when I saw my first film of a delivery. But in the hospital, when I was present for my first delivery, I had that very same "knowing". My exact words when I tell people about it is that I felt like I'd come home.
Thirty six years later, I'm still helping women reach inside themselves for the strength they didn't know they had. Every birth is a miracle that I'm grateful to be able to share with the family. I don't cry at all of them any more, but I do still cry at some.
I was lucky that I was able to get a job in L&D right out of school. It must have been meant for me to be there, because this was in a hospital where you usually had to wait for someone to retire or die for a position to open. I don't think I could have made it if I'd had to work Med/Surg for a year first. My organizational skills are different than those with Med/Surg experience and I'm pretty useless when I get pulled there, but I've never regretted it.
Keep an open mind as you continue through your schooling, but don't be talked out of your dream if it continues as strongly as it is for you now.

hospitalstaph · Sep 26, 2005

I know how you feel! I have absolutely thought that L & D was the only way that I would be interested in going. Now I am having second thoughts. My hubby was recently hospitalized for Crohn's and ended up having a subtotal colectomy with ileostomy after five weeks in and out of ICU. He was moved numerous times from ICU to telemetry to med-surg. All of these floors began to feel almost like home. I loved talking to all of the nurses about their days and all of the interesting cases that they were involved in. Shortly after he was released, I visited a friend that had just had a baby at the same hospital. It just felt different to me, not nearly as exciting. One thing that I would like as a nurse is to be able to develop the relationships with my patients the way my husband's nurses did with us. I cannot see that being as easy with L/D patients that are in and out so quickly.

In the end, you will know what feels right, so go with your gut.

Tracy

CRNA, DNSc · Sep 26, 2005

Now that you've heard from some of the "Knowers" that are still in L&D it's time to hear from one who is no longer in OB for a different perspective. I also knew that I want to be an L&D nurse in my ADN program. I was also sure at that time that I would go on to become a CNM (Certified Nurse Midwife)- I even wrote a paper stating that! I went into L&D out of the ADN Program and took 11-7 position in an urban hospital that was farther away just to go directly into L&D. I loved L&D but after a few years of dealing with too many residents who figured that just because they had MD after their name and I had RN after mine they automatically knew more than I did about laboring women I came to the realization that I couldn't stay there for 20 more years. Well to make a long story short- I left L&D for ICU, after finishing the BSN- to go to anesthesia school. Earned the MS (and the CRNA) and still wasn't finished and completed the DNSc (Doctor of Nurse Science). :lol2: The point is just because you think you "Know" where you are meant to end up, don't close yourself off to the myriad of possiblities out there-

YOU JUST NEVER KNOW WHERE YOUR ROAD MIGHT LEAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

malibu03 · Sep 29, 2005

Any L&D nurses here get hired fresh out of nursing school?
Any L&D nurses, did you feel like this the first time you saw a birth?
Any suggestions to help me land this job after I graduate?
Do grades count for anything when hiring time comes?
To answer your questions, here goes:
I did get hired just out of school. I have always wanted to do OB, but would have also considered peds, and when I was weighing out job options, OB won hands down.
The first time I saw a birth was not work related, but I was with my SIL, and yes it was amazing. It still is. I just can't fathom sometimes the miracle of birth, especially when everything goes well
Lately, it's the look on the family's faces that get me a little weepy. This week I saw a GMA looking at her very first Great GrandDaughter with so much love and pride I thought I was going to burst out in tears. But I think I had PMS, too!!
Suggestions to help land the job: can you get a job as an OB tech, or if not, as a tech on another floor in the hospital in which you'd like to work? Does the facility you are currently using for clinical hire new grads? If so, let your intentions be known to the NM.
For me personally, I worked at a float nurse tech in the hospital I applied for OB, and attended 2 days of a senior experience on that OB unit with a preceptor, and I think it's those 2 days I spent that got me the job. As far as grades, I had all A's and darn if nobody ever asked about it! My mgr was more concerned about professionalism, maturity and organizational skills.
Good luck! My only other piece of advice would be to find a unit that will give you as much orientation time as needed. My hospital offers 6 months, more if an orientee needs it, then you have a mentor available even after that.
I hope you enjoy the rest of your clinical and nursing school!