Which job would help to become a Labor and Delivery Nurse?

rachingram1220 · Jan 3, 2015

I started out as a clinical nurse on a High Risk Perinatal unit and I loved it! A high risk unit is the place to be if you want to move to L&D (I was able to smoothly transition to L&D in the same facility after 1.5 years on their high risk unit!) The complicated patients you will have on that unit, will prepare you very well for actually laboring those patients. You learn how to read EFM strips, how to monitor preterm FHRs (like 24 week twins!), and all about conditions like PPROM, previa, partial abruptions, twin-twin transfusion, preterm labor, and much more. You also still get quite a bit of medical surgical nursing with antibiotics, PICC lines, insulin, magnesium drips, hypertension protocols, seizure protocols, and emergent situations that require delivery. My unit would also act as a high risk postpartum unit, so we would receive all of our high risk patients back, which gave me experience in high risk postpartum as well. Working on that unit opened up opportunities for me to work in L&D and to cross train in the NICU (I'm at a small hospital now, and the NICU training is so valuable!) The L&D nurses I trained with, loved that I already had experience with all of the above.

That said be careful when applying for jobs. Don't deny your ER job until you know you have the High Risk Perinatal unit job :) ED nursing experience is still good on a resume for L&D-both have emergent situations under pressure. Go for it and apply for the high risk unit, it will help you get to that L&D floor quickly. Good luck!

klone, MSN, RN · Jan 3, 2015

High risk perinatal would definitely better prepare you for L&D over ED.

NBerry · Jan 3, 2015

I started out as a clinical nurse on a High Risk Perinatal unit and I loved it! A high risk unit is the place to be if you want to move to L&D (I was able to smoothly transition to L&D in the same facility after 1.5 years on their high risk unit!) The complicated patients you will have on that unit, will prepare you very well for actually laboring those patients. You learn how to read EFM strips, how to monitor preterm FHRs (like 24 week twins!), and all about conditions like PPROM, previa, partial abruptions, twin-twin transfusion, preterm labor, and much more. You also still get quite a bit of medical surgical nursing with antibiotics, PICC lines, insulin, magnesium drips, hypertension protocols, seizure protocols, and emergent situations that require delivery. My unit would also act as a high risk postpartum unit, so we would receive all of our high risk patients back, which gave me experience in high risk postpartum as well. Working on that unit opened up opportunities for me to work in L&D and to cross train in the NICU (I'm at a small hospital now, and the NICU training is so valuable!) The L&D nurses I trained with, loved that I already had experience with all of the above.
That said be careful when applying for jobs. Don't deny your ER job until you know you have the High Risk Perinatal unit job :) ED nursing experience is still good on a resume for L&D-both have emergent situations under pressure. Go for it and apply for the high risk unit, it will help you get to that L&D floor quickly. Good luck!

Thank you!!!! I definitely will put my application in and hopefully get an interview. This particular hospital requires a 4 years contract for new grads with $8k payback if your break it so that causes a little bit of hesitancy but if they are willing to cross train, like you mentioned, then the contract wouldn't be so bad. Thank you for the advice.. I will definitely throw an application in just to see how it goes! :)

USA987, MSN, RN, NP · Jan 4, 2015

I agree with the others. Good luck and keep us posted!

labordude, BSN, RN · Jan 5, 2015

Thank you!!!! I definitely will put my application in and hopefully get an interview. This particular hospital requires a 4 years contract for new grads with $8k payback if your break it so that causes a little bit of hesitancy but if they are willing to cross train, like you mentioned, then the contract wouldn't be so bad. Thank you for the advice.. I will definitely throw an application in just to see how it goes! :)

A 4-year contract?! Are you kidding me? That is absolutely ridiculous. I have done 2-year agreements before, but only with massive incentives to make it worth my while.