OB travel Nursing

[NurseELM]

Hello all, 

I have 2 questions. Is there a high demand for travel nurses in mother-baby/ postpartum? And how many years of experience would you recommend? 

I am currently an LPN in mother-baby. I do 24 hour screens, hearing tests, Accu Checks, educate about breastfeeding, safe sleep etc. I will be an RN this Spring and I plan on doing a nurse residency program for a year in mother-baby. I would really like to travel as soon as possible. I’m wondering if mother baby travel nurses are in high demand, even without L&D experience. I am also wondering how many years of experience is recommend if I’ve been an LPN in mother baby for 8 months, and I will definitely do a nurse residency program for a year.  I have the impression that mother-baby is slightly repetitive, and I should be very competent anywhere I work with these 2 years of experience in the specialty. Please let me know if anyone disagrees or has any input.

[NedRN]

High demand? Not like L&D. But you can do fine in mother baby travel too, lots of assignments but less money than L&D.

[NurseELM]

Any certification recommendations to make myself more desirable? Would possibly becoming a lactation consultant as well make it easier to get jobs and higher pay? 

[NedRN]

Certifications are always good and make you a more desirable and competitive candidate even if you don't use the specific skills on assignment. I doubt there are many lactation travel assignments, a hospital will always use the higher trained candidate when offered a choice. Higher skills can be used to supplement or train the staff nurse pool on assignment.

For example, I am a general operating room nurse but lots of experience in open heart surgery. I know that having this on my work history has gained me many assignments over other travelers even if the facility has no needs for open heart, or even no open heart program at all.

Experience in your case with high risk OB or lactation makes you more competitive even if the facility you are interested isn't seeking those skills. And being certified in your specialty along with of course ACLS and PALS just presents you better to the facility as well as evidence of your professionalism and actual abilities. Written references are closer to proof of those of course over testing. Start collecting those now and often and that will give you a huge edge over the vast majority of travel nurses who do not maintain their own professional portfolio.