Skips

What ended up happening? I hope you are well and have found something you want.

I'm pretty introverted and I did just fine as a labor nurse. It was about enjoying my work and facilitating a safe, connected birth experience for my patient and their family. If you can do that, you'll be fine.

Hi! I'm still here and still a nurse. I am in a certified nurse-midwife program now. I'm glad I didn't leave nursing. However, I would have gone to teaching instead if the pay and treatment of teachers wasn't so horrendous, honestly.

Hello! I moved from Nebraska (compact state) to Virginia (compact state), so I can't relate to the non-compact state timeline. It took me awhile to get my required documents together, but it does take about 4-6 weeks. I had to do fingerprinting. I noticed after a few weeks, they hadn't moved my application. So, I emailed them and I had a license the next day. Keep an eye on your application and if it's been longer than 4-6 weeks, email or call them.

Congrats! Welcome to OB! ?

How did you get a school to take you seriously? I've only gotten one interview at an ADN program and the pay was dismal, so I declined the job offer. They wanted me to teach a specialty I don't have experience in, too. I felt too uncomfortable with it. I (finally) got an adjunct teaching job last semester when a BSN program gave me a chance. I am limited to only doing OB because that's my specialty. I haven't really done anything else except working in an allergy/asthma clinic as a new grad, then as a school nurse for a year before I started in OB. I am limited to what I can teach. Any pointers for eventually getting a full-time faculty position? Am I too limited? How did you get your position and what is your specialty? I have my MSN, but I do want to get a PhD within the next 5 years or so. I am working on my second Master's right now (CNM school). I am excited to read your stories and experiences. Thank you!

I worked in an OB/GYN clinic when I wanted a break from the hospital. I really enjoyed it. In fact, it's been my favorite job so far! I did telephone triage more than doing hands-on clinic. You could try an OB case manager for an insurance company. Those are frequently work from home. Some states have programs of visiting nurses for pregnant and postpartum moms. Get creative! ?

You have NRP already and you've shown interest. Keep applying! The manager knows your name and your interest, so you do have an advantage. Mother Baby is difficult to get into because it's where good nurses go to die in a good way. The babies, the parents (most of the time are eager to learn), the teaching, the tasks. I just love a good Mother Baby shift. It's not always butterflies and rainbows, but it's a good unit to work on. This is why it's tough to break into it. Some places around the country are hiring all the time for Mother Baby. The hospital I work at has turnover because they have lost staff to graduate school or staff wanting to widen their nursing experience or simply not wanting to work night shift anymore. I am located in Virginia and there are several Mother Baby openings. However, the state I came from (Nebraska) had none ever. It really depends on the region. Keep applying, keep applying, keep applying! ? You will get somewhere eventually. That's what I did with L&D. I kept applying for 2 years and finally got in somewhere.

How did it go? I recommend Googling "behavioral based interview questions" and practicing those if you didn't before. If you got the job, you don't need this advice. (I hope you did get the job!).

Hello! Taking that exam without any clinical experience in interpreting fetal monitoring sounds like a nightmare. I'm sorry you have to do this for school. The requirement I had to do for CNM school was either have my certification or take an AWHONN course. I recommend Mosby's Pocket Guide to Fetal Monitoring 9th ED. (Miller, Miller & Cypher). Also be sure to take a basic fetal monitoring course (AWHONN is a good one, I honestly don't know what else I'd use to take a basic course). Best of luck!

I agree. That situation is quite odd! Klone, I love this reply! I've been following your posts since before I ever started in OB...as a nursing student, really. Your posts are always helpful and I appreciate the honesty. I second the Mosby's Pocket Guide to Fetal Monitoring. It's good stuff. That's what I used to study for C-EFM.

I know you have a hard time believing this, but you are on the right track. That sounds exactly right. L&D is a beast to learn. It's a specialty you don't really spend time on during nursing school because it's indeed so incredibly specialized. It will come with time. I wouldn't expect you to know everything right away as a preceptor. The more experience you gain, you will begin to link the book knowledge to the clinical experience and it will stick. It's how the brain learns new things and makes new connections. (I promise you will get it!). It takes a solid year to year-and-a-half to get comfortable with L&D. Missing an IV isn't a big deal. I used to think it was, but now? Nope. I'll try again and if I still don't get it, I'll ask someone else. No big deal. We all have bad streaks. You have a healthy anxiety. You have two patients to care for now. One you can't "see" or really put your hands or stethoscope on. You got this, though. 6 months of orientation is lucky! I got 12 weeks in my first L&D job, but they kicked me off orientation 3 weeks early. I was not ready. They thought I was, but I wasn't. I never thought I'd ever "get" it, but here I am...in midwife school with about 6 years of experience. I feel like if I can do it, anyone can with how much anxiety and nerves and shakiness I had in the beginning. I was a wreck. Anyway, I've rambled on enough. I think you're doing well! ?

Hi! I wanted to see how you're doing. I found out I was pregnant 2 months before I got accepted to midwife school. I like to keep myself busy. ? I gave birth during my first fall semester of CNM school and it has been difficult, but I start clinical next month. (What!? It's gone by so fast!). To anyone reading this: Yes, you can do it. It will take a ton of support and planning, but you can do it. Make sure you have a strong support person in your life to help out. Your house will be a little messier, but you'll survive. My calendar and planner were my lifeline.

Your career started in the midst of a pandemic, which hadn't happened in the U.S. in one hundred years. That would be enough to send many people to therapy without the added stress of a tough specialty. I remember feeling unhappy with nursing for the first 5 years or so. It has gotten better. Tincture of time. Continuing therapy and taking care of yourself is of utmost importance, even if that means taking a break from nursing altogether or just inpatient nursing. I was getting very burned out in L&D, so I did a year and a half in the OB/GYN office. It was the break I needed to get back into L&D. More education helps me, too. I read journal articles regularly, I question why things are the way they are and how they can be improved. I refresh myself by learning all that I can. Your idea of refreshing yourself will be different than mine, but I wanted to give you an example of what helped my confidence and love of nursing - the spirit of inquiry. For you, it could be the spirit of having heart. Or it could be the spirit of strength. Whatever you decide to do, I think you know what the answer is and what you need to do next. Best of luck and I'm glad you chose to get support from other nurses on here!

I got my RNC-OB certification first, then did C-EFM second. I'd say get either one first. If they're both paid for, why not both? If only one is paid for, get C-EFM first.