Start in Postpartum or L&D?

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I am graduating in 7 weeks and starting to apply for jobs. I eventually want to be a well-rounded OB-GYN nurse, able to work in L&D, postpartum, newborn and general women's health. I have a strong resume and work for a big hospital system, so I feel like I will have a way to get my foot in the door into either area, should a position open up for a new grad.

In your experience, where is the best place to start? I like the thought of starting in L&D, because I feel like there is a good chance of being floated to the different areas. I like the thought of starting in postpartum and getting a good learning base there, but I worry that it will be more difficult getting into L&D if I don't get right in.

If a hypothetical new nurse had a job offer in each department, where is the best area to start an OB nursing career?

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L&D if it is offered is much harder to get into. Take it.

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Specializes in Psych, OB-GYN.

L&D, if possible. If not, get in the back door by going PostPartum. Then do your orientation at the hospital and remind your nurse manager, from time to time, that you're interested in the next L&D opening! My manager liked having nurses who were trained for both, made staffing easier during our "busy season"

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From my experience, i would say L&D tostart. In my hospital the post partum nurses hardly do anything except give meds (PO)- they do not start IVs or draw blood and rarely do anything critcal so in my opinion you wouldn't learn much. If a pt becomes critical they ship them back to L&D to be monitored in the recovery room. More to learn in L&D.

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Thanks so much for your advice! My teacher was telling me to start in postpartum, so I appreciate your points of view and will definitely be trying for L&D....hopefully a position will open!

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Specializes in Emergency.

L&D! You already do the post-partum care in the recovery period following delivery. Try to take a course in Breastfeeding/Lactation Education to round up your skills. Good luck!

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Specializes in Psych, OB-GYN.

look into a NRP course as well. It looks good when you apply - one less thing the hospital has to pay for.

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Specializes in NICU.
From my experience, i would say L&D tostart. In my hospital the post partum nurses hardly do anything except give meds (PO)- they do not start IVs or draw blood and rarely do anything critcal so in my opinion you wouldn't learn much. If a pt becomes critical they ship them back to L&D to be monitored in the recovery room. More to learn in L&D.

This makes me sad to read that "postpartum nurses hardly do anything." I work my butt off, have started plenty of IV's, done multiple blood draws, and provided a plethora of patient education and support. In addition, my floor takes care of antepartum patients. I LOVE my job and would definitely say that I do much more than "hardly anything." If you want to recommend one specialty over another, go for it, but, please, don't bad mouth another. I've learned SO MUCH on my floor. I wouldn't say there is "more" to learn in L&D, just a different type of stuff to learn.

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Specializes in NICU, OB/GYN.
This makes me sad to read that "postpartum nurses hardly do anything." I work my butt off, have started plenty of IV's, done multiple blood draws, and provided a plethora of patient education and support. In addition, my floor takes care of antepartum patients. I LOVE my job and would definitely say that I do much more than "hardly anything." If you want to recommend one specialty over another, go for it, but, please, don't bad mouth another. I've learned SO MUCH on my floor. I wouldn't say there is "more" to learn in L&D, just a different type of stuff to learn.

I don't know where LaborNurse77 works, but she either has to spend more time on her postpartum unit or I'm running around too much!

But, really, I agree with Casey, and just wanted to echo what she's said. I've been working for just under a year, and have seen three postpartum mothers nearly code (one of them did this twice) on our antepartum/postpartum unit from causes not relating to postpartum hemorrhage (I've had a few mothers hemorrhage as well), in addition to having two infants in my care rapidly deteriorate (and by rapidly, I mean suddenly going into respiratory distress shortly after delivery). We get postpartum patients on telemetry, heparin drips, and PCAs on our floor as well, and are trained to do our own blood draws. I've given blood products to anemic postpartum patients a few times in the past several months as well. And what I've mentioned here doesn't even begin to cover my experiences with our antepartum patients.

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Specializes in LTC, PCU, Med/Surg, Hospice, OBGYN.
From my experience, i would say L&D tostart. In my hospital the post partum nurses hardly do anything except give meds (PO)- they do not start IVs or draw blood and rarely do anything critcal so in my opinion you wouldn't learn much. If a pt becomes critical they ship them back to L&D to be monitored in the recovery room. More to learn in L&D.

You must also work in a small hospital like I do. I currently am working in the postpartum floor. Here I feel like we just give po/IV prn meds and basically "patient sit" the patient through the night until the morning staff comes on and then they educate and prep the patient to go home. The IVs are started in L&D and if they are critical after labor, they are kept in back until stable. I feel like I'm losing my acute/critical skills but eventually I will get trained in other areas of the floor like Nursery and L&D and I'm looking forward to that.

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Specializes in Psych, OB-GYN.
This makes me sad to read that "postpartum nurses hardly do anything." I work my butt off, have started plenty of IV's, done multiple blood draws, and provided a plethora of patient education and support. In addition, my floor takes care of antepartum patients. I LOVE my job and would definitely say that I do much more than "hardly anything." If you want to recommend one specialty over another, go for it, but, please, don't bad mouth another. I've learned SO MUCH on my floor. I wouldn't say there is "more" to learn in L&D, just a different type of stuff to learn.

As a PPU Nurse... This. Exactly. My ultimate goal is L&D, high risk, which is why I've going back for my BSN (currently a LVN). There's nothing wrong with starting in pp if that is where the first door opens!

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Definitely L&D. I work in postpartum right now and I hate it! It is so boring and very routine. I have been looking to transfer to a different unit, but since the volume of new grads is so much greater than the internships being offered, I feel stuck.

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