Will "doula" on a resume hurt me?

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I am hoping to become a nurse within the next five years. While I believe that birth is this country is way overmedicalized, I do understand that there is a time and place for interventions. I have decided to get both my birth and postpartum certification. Down the line, could this hurt my chances of becoming an L&D RN? I ask as many doulas I know are very anti doctor(which I am not) and anti medicine in general...

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Specializes in Emergency Department.

Yikes, I hope "Licensed Midwife" won't hurt me either since that automatically implies "fringe caregiver to home birth wackos" ;) I would put it down because that's experience in the field. In your statement/cover letter you can write about how you are a doula to the mother and work as an advocate and bridge to the mother's team to achieve positive outcomes.

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Specializes in M/S, MICU, CVICU, SICU, ER, Trauma, NICU.

Be prepared to explain you're not a nut.

I have doula friends--some fringe, some not fringe.

The fringe ones and I avoid the topic of babies ALL the TIME.

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Specializes in Emergency Department.

LOL... I avoid talking about birth with everyone. It gives me a headache!

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Specializes in home health, dialysis, others.

What kind of training to non-healthcare people get to become a doula? I am just curious. And all the midwives I have known were RNs first.

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Specializes in Emergency Department.
What kind of training to non-healthcare people get to become a doula? I am just curious. And all the midwives I have known were RNs first.

A doula is not a midwife; it's another word for "labor coach" (to mainstream the meaning). And all midwives don't need to be nurses first (or ever). Midwives who are not nurses are known as "direct-entry midwives" and many are certified by the North American Registry of Midwives as Certified Professional Midwives.

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Specializes in Ante-Intra-Postpartum, Post Gyne.

I was a doula before I became a nurse. I think it will help you. I am all for natural birth too. Some times the doula does not always understand what is going on. A doula that is not a nurse can not possibly understand what it is like for the nurse; but a nurse that has been a doula understands what it is like for the doula and has a totally different perspective than when she was just the doula. As long as you do not step on anyone's toes. I've been a doula and I am a L&D nurse and I have had some pretty annoying pushing overbearing doulas attend births. Just don't over step your bounds.

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Specializes in Emergency Department.
I've been a doula and I am a L&D nurse and I have had some pretty annoying pushing overbearing doulas attend births. Just don't over step your bounds.

Do you ever say anything to them? I have as a midwife and imagine I would also if I worked L&D.

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The job of a nurse, in my opinion, is to advocate for her patient. The more educated you are, the more you've seen, the more you know of both the medical and non-medical approach, the better you will be able to that. Just because your patient is in a hospital doesn't mean she wants a medicated birth; these women deserve nurses (and doulas) who will care for them and put their best interests at heart.

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Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.

Some of the best L&D nurses I know also have doula training. The L&D nurse who mentored and trained me had doula training with Penny Simkin.

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Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

forgetting the negative connotation (and you should!) the experience of "being with" a patient during any event is a positive thing.

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Specializes in Emergency Nursing.

I don't think that becoming a doula will hurt you at all. I will say that you need to remember as a doula you will be providing emotional support and being an advocate for the mother and unborn child but you're not functioning as a healthcare professional. I think that some doulas forget about that last part and tend to offer healthcare advice (notice that I'm not saying "medical") even though they are not qualified in that capacity. I will say that as a doula you will be more comfortable in your Maternity-Women's Health clinicals and possibly your Psych-Mental Health clinicals because of your experience communicating with patients. Try to remember in your practice as a doula that you should stick with attending to the emotional and supportive needs of the mother and using practices that are evidence-based because when you do begin your nursing education you will be using evidence-based practice that may not completely go in sync with some of the alternative thinking/philosophy to which some doulas subscribe. You can be a doula that advocates for a healthy, natural birth for your clients while not being described as an "anti-physician, anti-medical wacko". Just keep that in mind! ;)

!Chris :specs:

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