OR to OB. Is it possible?

[Ilovethe80s]

I've worked in the OR for just under two years & it is where I began my nursing career. I love surgery, but I question being a circulator for a length of time. Where I live, there are only two hospitals and nurses hired into the OR are not taught to scrub. I have been seriously contemplating a change in my nursing career. OB, specifically Mother-Baby, was one of the areas I enjoyed the most, felt the most confident, and comfortable. I've inquired about transfering w/ HR and was told I could only transfer to med-surg, ortho, mother-baby, or peds. I'm afraid that having OR experience only will hurt me in my desire to transfer to mother-baby, although it is one of the units new-grads are hired to all of the time. Any advice on what I can do to help improve my chances?

[CarryThatWeight, BSN]

If it's one of the units your facility will allow you to transfer to, what's the problem? Play up the skills you have, apply, and hope for the best. You can also take PALS and NRP.

[Sezza83, BSN, RN]

I went from the OR to mother-baby unit, never having worked on the wards. It was defiantly hard. I hadn't started an IV since I was at uni (I'm in Australia). I picked up the skills quickly but it was being on my own with no dr's given constant directions that was the hardest. You quickly learn though. And there were advantages to being an OR nurse 1st like going for csection without even blinking when others were scared or knowing exactly what a ob likes without even looking at the post op orders :) I don't regret the swap either.

[Ilovethe80s]

CarryThatWeight, good idea about PALS! That was something I've thought of doing b/c I work w/ a pediatric surgeon 3 days a week and figured it couldn't hurt. I forgot to mention that when I interviewed to start at the hospital for the OR position, the OB director was in my interview. I'm afraid she will think I'm flighty. I probably over think things! One of the things that attracted me to nursing was that you can move to other units, so I need to stop worrying about what everyone else thinks and take a leap of faith. Thanks for your response!

Sezza83, thank you for your response! It's nice to hear that it can be done. I'm looking forward to the challenge and getting done some skills I haven't had the chance to use.