Planned Parenthood before graduation?

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My main goal in nursing is to be a lactation nurse. I am a student nurse now, and have a fear of being stuck in a dept. that I really will not be relevent when I do graduate. So I am wondering if it would be a good idea to work at the local planned parenthood as an LPN while working on my RN,so I have some OB/GYN experience by the time I graduate. Do you think this would be helpful or not so much? I can see where it could seem offensive to some and don't want it to be construed as negative when I really want to be in Ob/GYN. Does this even make sense?! Thanks for reading!

Rachel

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any experience can help. I don't know how planned parenthood works where you are but where I'm at it's mostly pregnancy checks and birth control...they don't recommend abortions or OB's they just give out the information...they don't see women further into pregnancy...maybe different in other parts of the country.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

You want to be clear in your long-term goals.

If you want to do OB/GYN in some areas, PP can be helpful experience IF they offer a wide variety of options/care for women to include family planning and well-woman care. Also this experience may be helpful if your long-term goal is advanced-practice nursing in women's health. Most people do understand PP is not just an "abortion clinic" and experience from there won't be a black mark against you in that respect. But if you want to be an inpatient OB nurse, this won't really help you achieve that goal. The roles are so very different.

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Thanks for the input! The PP in Colorado do not perform any abortion services, only referral to OBs who do. I have some L&D nurse friends who think I am being paranoid, I am just an over thinking student.LOL I am on scholarship at a local hospital who does not hire new grads onto L&D floor. I think this is why I worry about it! I will owe them 2yrs when I do graduate. Hence the need for some experience, so I might get in as a OB tech or the like. Once again thanks for the response.

Rachel

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

You say you are interested in lactation-----how about starting to learn NOW about becoming a certified LC?

http://www.iblce.org/

is a great place to start. You do not have to be a nurse to be an LC---you can begin the process of learning and certification now!

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Specializes in L&D,Lactation.

You remind me of me. Before I went to nursing school I worked at a birth control clinic and I wanted to keep any contact I could with my chosen area so I was planning to be a volunteer counselor at PP while in school. Are you allready an LPN? I found, with nursing school and a young son as a single mother that I simply did not have the time.

Now I am a long time L&D RN and an IBCLC. You will eventually get there also.

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