I work in L&D and really enjoy my job. I would suggest shadowing a nurse in mother/baby & L&D to see if it is for you. Many potential RNs in women's health realize it isn't really want they thought it would be after working in the field a bit. I am a travel nurse now but when I was staff I would have never been able to go part time. The unit was chronically short staffed and the manager forbid it. We lost several staff nurses due to this rule. Also, a good L&D unit will keep its staff so that means many, many years on the night shift. I know units where L&D nurses work nights for ten years or more before they land that coveted day shift position. However, this is highly dependent on where you live and choose to work. L&D and surgery positions usually take call in a big hospital and often you get called in. Call pay is minimal depending on the hospital but 1.5 times pay when called in. Personally, I hate call and like to avoid it at all costs. It can easily add another day or two per month to your working life. OB surgery is done by L&D nurses in a large hospital and by surgical nurses in small hospitals. Those surgical nurses do not only circulate on OB cases, but also must know every surgical specialty as they circulate all surgical cases.
