RN looking for a job in NJ at a maternal child health unit(L&D, mother/baby etc.)

Elvish, BSN, DNP, RN, NP · Sep 15, 2010

Have you thought about working somewhere else that would give you some related experience? Examples could include an OB/Gyn or pediatrician's office, or even a peds unit at the hospital. I worked at a community health center that basically did cradle-to-grave except prenatal care, so when I interviewed for my current position on mother/baby, I highlighted my experience with babies, which by that point was a good bit. I've no idea if it helped or not, but it might be worth at least considering. (I get the financial and other considerations of switching jobs right now, just throwing this out there for you to think about.)

I understand if med-surg isn't your bag. It wasn't mine either, but it does come in handy every now and then. Good luck!

nfahren05 · Sep 16, 2010

L&D/Antepartum and Mother-Baby/Postpartum are different so your approach should be, too. Realize that, at most hospitals, postpartum is fairly popular so it may take patience and many applications to get a position without experience; being open to working any shift will help you here. If your current hospital has maternity services, see if you can get opportunities to float to their unit to gain some exposure. At many facilities, new L&D positions are filled through internships and residencies, even for experienced RNs, because it's essentially a critical care area. You can watch for advertising for these programs, talk to hospital recruiters, or network with your former nursing professors to see what they might know about openings.