Want to do MSF someday but...

[cayenne06, MSN, CNM]

I have always, always dreamed of working with MSF someday. My hope is to apply with them in 10-15 years, after my youngest is grown.

I stopped doing deliveries last year, and now work full time for Planned Parenthood and moonlight at my old LDRP RN job. I am very happy at PP and hope to work here indefinitely, maybe forever. But I also want make sure I have the skills I need to work with MSF when the time comes. Ideally, I would LOVE to find a part time/prn job as a "laborist" type midwife, doing 24 hours once or twice a month in LDRP.

I know those jobs are few and far between. My question is, if I was able to find this pipe dream job, how do you go about orienting to the position when you already have a full time job? I have been a midwife since 2006, but that was as a CPM, doing home and birth center deliveries. I only became a CNM about a year ago, so am really considered a "new grad" when it comes to training/orientation. I oriented for almost 3 months at this job, before I started having my own schedule and working independently. I could definitely take a couple weeks off to orient at a new job, but certainly not a month or two!

So long story short, how do you orient to a new job while holding down a full time job? Is it unrealistic? Any other suggestions? And do you think working part time in a OB triage department (no deliveries except the occassional precip) would be sufficient to keep my LDRP skills relevant?

[LibraSunCNM, BSN, MSN, CNM]

That's a tough one, cayenne. I think you'd really have to bite the bullet, leave Planned Parenthood and take a year or so to get experience doing deliveries. I just don't know of anyone who has gotten their first CNM job doing deliveries, on a part-time basis. I don't personally think OB triage would be sufficient.