What do you need to become a L&D nurse?

guiltysins · Jun 18, 2010

Actually you don't need a BSN to specialize in L&D all you need is an RN degree (BSN or ADN) and some luck to land a job in L&D. Sometimes you will be able to get this as a new grad, but moreso you will need one year of nursing experience. You can increase your chance with NRP certification but there is no addiitonal education or anything that's required.

delilas · Jun 18, 2010

In most of the hospitals around here, they won't take new grad nurses - BSN or ADN doesn't matter, but they want a year or so of experience. A year in MedSurg is almost always a good start since it's one of the few areas that tends to readily welcome new grads. Take it one step at a time, ask questions about how the nurses you shadow got there, and don't take it to heart if you don't get there immediately upon graduation. Its a great place to work if your heart is in it, but it sometimes takes a little more dedication to pave your way into.

geekgolightly, BSN, RN · Jun 24, 2010

I'm a nursing student and I just did my mother and baby clinical rotation in the spring and I absolutely LOVED it and my goal in life ever since I was about 15 was to have the reward of bringing in new life as a l&d nurse. I know you need your BSN to specialize in a particular area, but I was just curious as to how you go about doing so after you get your BSN? Thanks!

If you really want it, do everything you can now to prepare such as trying to obtain a job on the LD unit as a tech, or requesting that any elective clinicals (if you do that at your school) be in LD. Also, call the hospital's HR dept and ask if they have a nurse intern program and work a summer as a nurse intern in LD.

And when you're on the unit, work HARD, volunteer to do everything you can, request to observe anything unusual if all of your regular work is caught up. Be as enthusiastic and available for learning and working as is possible.

I don't work LD but I work ICU and we are very picky about who we hire into our unit. Most of the people who we hire, we have already sorted out by these means.

CarrieRNC · Jun 25, 2010

I was one of the lucky ones who got a job as a new grad! I did an internship over the winter break before I graduated and pretty much did what geekgolightly said and here I am 8yrs later doing what I always wanted to do! Go and talk to the floor manager and see if they offer any sort of internships, sometimes you can fall into these things. With that being said I do have to say it was the HARDEST thing I ever did and do not recommend going into it without at least a year of med surg. under your belt. On our unit if someone is coming into L&D new, we recommend starting in our antepartum floor, you will get plenty of med surg., post partum and fetal monitoring basics, then after a year or two apply to L&D. Good Luck, its a great specialty!!

BILLIE39 · Jun 28, 2010

Just out of interest what is the difference between a British Midwife and an American Midwife? What are the differences in training? Is it possible for a british midwife who is also a trained nurse to become a CNM in the USA or do they need to retrain and do the BSN then the Masters in Nursing