RNC-OB or C-EFM?

[OBwonKnewbie]

I'm trying to make the decision on which certification I am going to try and obtain. How did you decide which inpatient obstetric certification was right for you? Anyone out there have either or both of these certs? Which do you think is best? How did you study? I first thought I would try for RNC-OB and I bought the awhonn perinatal nursing book, though now I started to wonder if it is better to have EFM instead. I have worked in a level 3 LnD for just under 5 years, and have taken basic and intermediate fetal monitoring courses. I want to start studying for certification but still feel lost on where to start! Thanks anyone that can help

[perfexion, ASN, RN]

I have both, plus the maternal newborn nursing certification. To me they're two separate certifications with two separate meanings and different knowledge bases. You shouldn't be learning anything from scratch to take these exams. It should be more application. Just brush up on numbers and more specific details or things you may not do on a day to day basis (for me it was care for patients on mag and some tocolytics). I don't know why so many people find the certification exams so difficult. It really is just a test of what you do every day anyway.

[tigkaskit, BSN]

My unit requires C-EFM for all nurses. We had to take and pass it within the first 18months of working. Some RNs do have their RNC-OB as well, but it's not something that's pushed on us, and to be honest, I don't know who has it and who doesn't. The C-EFM requires less to maintain if that factors into your decision at all. And it's less expensive. I think of it sort of as an "add-on" cert whereas the RNC is the "main event."