Older New RN

[Gayle Summer, ADN]

Hi I was looking for some advice. I did a  mid-  life career change from teacher to LPN. In the past I was a also doula/ childbirth educator. I have a passion for birth. I finished RN school and I’m about to sit for the boards. My LPN experience is in skilled nursing/ nursing home. I have no hospital experience. I want to transition to L&D as a RN, but I worry about my lack of hospital experience and my older age. I also considered getting my CNM degree, but being older I don’t want to jump through too many pre req hoops. I have a BA not a BSN.  Any tips on how to break  into L & D without hospital experience? Will my age be a issue. Also any suggestions for a good online midwifery program that might accept my BA , without having to get a BSN first. Sorry, I know I covered a lot. Thanks in advance for any recommendations 

[Graceisland, BSN, RN]

I was also in your situation, an older new RN with a passion for birth who had been a doula/childbirth educator. I was fortunate to get a new grad RN job in L&D right after getting my license. I think it helps if they know you really really want to work in the L&D unit, and aren't just trying to get any hospital job. I was 54, and I don't think my age was an issue. Good luck!

[MariannaCNMstudent, ADN, BSN]

From time immemorial midwives were women in there menopausal years. Midwife is a motherly role, not a friend, a sister or a coach. It is a rare profession that is good to start in your 40s and 50s. The only obstacle can be your health, your ability to survive long hours and sleepless nights.

Good luck!

[Claralee]

Hello! I am an older new RN too. I specifically got my RN as I want to become a CNM. I have an ADN and after 3 months of looking I finally got a job in a hospital to get some experience as an RN. I could not get into L&D though (I"m in NJ) and I have almost 3 years experience as a midwife assistant (which at one hospital might have worked against me). It is really tough in my area to get into L&D with no RN experience if you haven't already been working in the hospital as a tech.

The good news is that there are CNM programs that will take you with a bachelors and no BSN. Frontier has an option to apply with a previous bachelors and a "portfolio" of previous experience that might be beneficial. I don't know if they rank these applications lower, I'm waiting to speak to someone there to find out how they consider those without a BSN.

Jefferson University also doesn't require a BSN only a bachelors. I attended their online info session and was really impressed with the instructors (one had been at UPenn for years before moving to Jefferson recently). 

I don't know about any others at the moment but I'm still looking!

Good luck. How did the board go? Any update on a job?

[MariannaCNMstudent, ADN, BSN]

14 hours ago, Claralee said:

Frontier has an option to apply with a previous bachelors and a "portfolio" of previous experience that might be beneficial. I don't know if they rank these applications lower, I'm waiting to speak to someone there to find out how they consider those without a BSN.

 

I personally know an RN with associate degree that got into Frontier with portfolio. She had relevant RN experience for her specialty, about 1 or 2 years and relevant BS but not nursing. 

[Claralee]

That’s good to hear, thanks.