Mishl029

Yes, I've applied to a scholarship for a lactation program, and I'm saving up/budgeting to become an ICBLC. But that will take time to get my certification and find a job. I'll be working toward it in the future ? I've never thought about newborn home visits, I haven't found any positions like that for RNs, but it's a great idea an I'll keep an eye out! Thank you, thank you, thank you for all your insight and info. I really, really appreciate it. You made me feel a lot better about this potential transition and I will absolutely message you to chat about this more! You rock! I do have my BSN! I've never heard of that program, it looks wonderful and PERFECT for me! I've sent an email to the person listed for the program in my county, asking if job openings are posted on the county website etc. Thank you so much for bringing it to my attention, through all my searching for RN positions related to prenatal/OB care it never came up.

Hello friends. I have been in L&D for 4 years, and Emergency for 3 years before that. I always wanted to be in L&D and OB nursing, and I worked so hard to get into this field. I thought I found my niche, my passion. I am still passionate about all things OB, and I still love my job, my unit is close-knit and my coworkers are supportive. I feel so lucky. My dream is to be an educator in pregnancy, childbirth, lactation and newborn care. But... I have been struggling with increasing anxiety over the past 2 years, with the last year being particularly worse, and it's starting to affect my work. My self confidence is at an all time low. About 8 months ago I transferred out of high-risk labor to another hospital in my system, to a low risk unit so that I could do more postpartum care and less complicated labors. I am seeing a therapist and practicing self-care and good sleeping habits, which helps immensely. But a huge part of my anxiety comes from working night shift, and never being able to establish a good routine. I feel isolated and unproductive being awake all night, but if I switch my sleep schedule all over the place between shifts my anxiety gets out of control. My husband and therapist are encouraging me to find a day shift job. I'd feel better if I could get into a prenatal clinic, but no such luck. It looks like primary care for me. The idea of leaving L&D breaks my heart and makes me queasy. On the other hand, the idea of a Mon-Fri day schedule and going to bed with my husband every night sounds like a dream come true. I am deeply conflicted, and so, I turn to anyone here who might have some insight or advice. Anyone here go from hospital to clinic/ambulatory care? I apologize for the lengthy post. Thank you all ❤️❤️

Hi Friends, I'm looking for opinions and advice. Long story short, night shift is slowly killing me. I don't have kids, but I suffer without routine and I haven't been sleeping well recently. I've been night shift for the past 6 years. I've had to switch jobs multiple times for various reasons (we moved to another state, my first L&D job was over an hour away so I found a position closer to home, etc.) so I've never been able to gain seniority to get a day shift position, and at my current job they've trained day shift postpartum nurses to labor and of course, they got to keep their day shift. I understand, they can't put all the new and inexperienced people on nights, but it means less day shift positions, and more waiting for those of us on night shift waiting for days. Also, the stress of labor is starting to get to me. I've been working in a high risk unit for the past 2 years mostly in labor and delivery, and my passion for labor lies in helping unmedicated mommas, and caring for mommas and babies on postpartum. I love what I do, but I don't live for the adrenaline rush and tense moments like some of my coworkers, and I simply enjoyed my low-risk labor job much more, even though I appreciate the experience I've gained in my current position. So my dilemma and options are these: A) Wait and apply for a low-risk L&D night shift position in my hospital system, where most likely I can keep my seniority hours and potentially get a day shift at some point, and most likely will work more postpartum than I do now. Cons: I'd have to wait who-knows-how-long for an open position somewhere and then for a day shift position, not guaranteed they honor seniority by length of time with the system - could go by time with the hospital, or that particular unit) B) Apply for an OBGYN office job. Pros: less stress, work days Mon-Fri (!!!), I could work in L&D on call to keep up my skills. Cons: Might be boring, less money, I've never worked in an office, I might hate it compared with hospital nursing. Then again, I might love the routine instead of finding it boring, I just don't know. Anyone have experience with this? Know anyone who went to work in an office? Sorry for the long backstory. Thanks for your help, friends :)

Thank you all! I appreciate the advice, it was very helpful.

Hello all, I'm applying for another job, and I want to tweak my resume so it stands out from the pack. In addition to editing the content, I wanted to experiment with a new layout. I've been doing some research, reading past threads on this topic and so on, and I cannot seem to get a bottom line on this. Some people say a little color is okay, some say absolutely no color. I wouldn't go crazy on the fonts, but I think using two tastefully and consistently can make the eye flow well over the page. I wanted to try using a (slightly) differently organized layout than the traditional, while still sticking to traditional content. My fear is this is going to have the opposite effect than what I want, that hiring managers will react negatively instead of it catching their eye. They read so many, and jobs can be competitive, I'm just trying to have a fighting chance. Thanks for your input :)

Thank you so much everyone for all your help! I'm looking for jobs, and there may be an extended graduate internship not too far from me where I can get more intensive training in L&D and neonatal nursing. I appreciate it!

Hello all! I'm a recent grad and have been working in the ER as my first job as a new nurse for over a year, but quickly realized it wasn't the type of nursing I wanted to do. I went into nursing wanting to do L&D, the content in my maternity class fascinated me, and of course I loved my clinical. I thought it would be great experience all around to work in the ER, but now that I've gotten a year of experience under my belt, I was wondering if there was anything out there I could do to give me an edge for applying to an L&D or postpartum position. I've considered looking into shadowing on the L&D floor at my hospital, but it doesn't seem like enough. Do you know of anything I can do to get my foot in the door of the OB world? Thank you!:)

Thanks so much for all your help! :)

Hello, I am graduating in May, and taking the NCLEX in July. I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for me to keep my foot in the door of the OB world during my last semester. I entered nursing school with the intention of being an L&D nurse, and I absolutely loved my maternity class and clinical rotation. I would even be happy with postpartum or nursery work. I know I want to work MedSurg for at least two years before I try to get an OB job, because I want to have a firm foundation in my nursing career and to also have many different experiences that I can bring to my job as an L&D nurse, because hey, pregnant woman can get sick too! My aunt, who was a high-risk maternity nurse, told me that this is something that is extremely valuable, and to do MedSurg first no matter what. My problem is that when I apply to OB jobs, I won't have any experience in the field other than my clinical rotation. Is there anything I can do this spring (while I'm still in school), maybe that I can even continue when I get a job, that will allow me to have experience that I can have on my resume, and will keep me involved in the OB world? Thank you!