[junglefamily]

i'm thinking of going to nursing school--i know little about this--and am wondering, can you get a job in labor and delivery right out of school...how does it work? do you get to pick the ward you want to work in easily?

 

[mwherbs]

I don't know about where you live but here that would be true- because they are so short staffed-- you may not be able to pick the shift you like or want but you would probably get hired atleast part time in L+D, or triage, testing --- here lots more time with clients and teaching time in the triage outpatient testing.

 

[bornbythesea]

It really depends on where you live, and if they are short nurses in the area. Also, you might want to find out if your local hospitals have training programs, as the specialty areas often have additional training. It is possible, but you will meed people along the way who will tell you to do med-surge first. I think if your heart is in l&d, go for it. I went right into it, and no regrets here. I graduated only 2 years ago, and my hospital hosted the perinatal specialty program, lasting 12 weeks. Good Luck!

 

[feminist~mama]

It is possible, but not guaranteed that you'll get the job you want. As PP have said, it depends on where you live/want to work in part, it also depends on staffing needs at the time that you're applying.<br><br>
Lots of folks say that you need to work med-surg before you specialize, but an equal number of folks will say that it's not necessary. There's always discussion about this topic at allnurses.com.<br><br>
Good luck!

 

[junglefamily]

i guess i should have said i'm open to moving and living pretty much any where. so the outlook is good then as an rn? this may be dumb but can/do lpn's work in l and d? i'm at the point right now where i'm finishing my ba in another field and don't know if i should do the accelerated bsn and chill out for awhile or go for the nmw.

 

[elf]

hi jungle family==<br>
as the others have said, you definately can get a job as an RN in L&D right out of nursing school. however, you must be an RN, not a LPN. In labor and delivery, you will be CONSTANTLY assessing multiple things, that is why you can't be a LPN--they lack the assessment portion. I am not saying anything bad about LPNs--they are wonderful. it is just that typically a RN will double check the LPNs assessment, therefore it is not cost-effective to have both in L&D. I did a 13-month accelerated second degree BSN program. very hard but well worth it!<br>
good luck

 

[mwherbs]

depends on the place many students here take the LPN and are hired waiting midway though while getting their RN-- and actually here PCTs do quite a bit of the stuff in L+D as well as triage --

 

[GooeyRN]

I knew many brand new nurses hired directly into an OB unit. However, I don't know any that were given dayshift as a brand new nurse. Many start on night or evening shift.

 

[feminist~mama]

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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>GooeyRN</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/7797066"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">I knew many brand new nurses hired directly into an OB unit. However, I don't know any that were given dayshift as a brand new nurse. Many start on night or evening shift.</div>
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I'm not a nurse yet, but my local hospitals (and hopefully others too!) have plans in place to make sure that this doesn't happen. Mainly because when it does, it means that the majority of nurses on nights/evenings are new/inexperienced.<br><br>
The last batch of new nurses hired at the hospital I work at went through a lottery- some got days, some got nights.<br><br>
So there is a chance you'd get lucky and get days if that's what you want- at least where I live! <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/smile.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="smile">

 

[junglefamily]

elf-----did you have a science background when you entered the accelerated program?

 

[BetsyS]

I was hired directly into L&D as a new grad. I did work nights, but I worked nights forever, as I love that shift. My stepmother, who has been a nurse for about 30 years, still works nights. It's a great shift for working (not so much for having a life around work, but the actual work is better on nights, IMO)

 

[fishface]

I just graduated with my BA and am going back to get my nursing degree. As an L&D nurse would I have to assist circumcisions? <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/img/vbsmilies/smilies/gloomy.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Gloomy">:

 

[BetsyS]

In my hospital, circumcisions were always done on postpartum. And, in the hospitals I worked in, postpartum nurses were different than L&D nurses (we didn't float). Of course, working nights means no circs, too.

 

[mwherbs]

some places will let you walk away and not have to assist. in a circ-- good point about nights

 

[bornbythesea]

We never have to assist with circs. This is done in pp in the nursery. You may float there as a new nurse, but it is reasonable do decline as a conscientious objector. I had to do this in school, and it wasn't a big deal.

 

[junamoss]

hi,<br>
Where I work, we float to postpartum...but working nights it's rare that I have to assist with a circ. I don't really care for postpartum that much. Actually, I like the moms, baby care bugs me. (bottle feeding bugs me) Funny, on orientation we were talking about baby feeding and I asked for some teaching on bottle feeding. My preceptor said stopped in her tracks and said "your kidding , right" and I had to explain that I have never really bottle fed anyone. the closest was when I babysat and bottlefed breast milk to a baby.(i think i have a bad reputation now)<br>
The charting bugs me...<br>
There are also new grads who are hired to L&D. And my bias is that they don't hire new grads.(I have only been a nurse 3 years) They need more experience with the technical stuff. IV's, foleys etc, meds, etc. At 2 am there might only be 3 RN's working on the floor-and an emergency section comes in....yikes.<br>
But there are only 100 deliveries a month at the hospital where I work. It takes a while to get the experience. At a bigger hospital it would be easier to get the experience.<br>
I think it depends on you comfort level with l&d too.<br>
My experience was from homebirth/midwifery assistant/doula background and I have worked in hospitals since I was 16.<br>
cindy

 

[fishface]

Ahhhhhh.......I feel hopeful! Of course I won't know what I'm interested in until I actually start nursing school and do my clinical rotations but I'm thinking as of now either L&D or coronary care. The circ thing was REALLY weighing on me. So being a conscientious objector won't bite me in the tush when it comes to employment? I would much rather find another job than participate in that.

 

[junamoss]

The crappy thing is that in nursing in general there is junk that is really offensive. I cared for a man in his 80's who was circ'd and it was done too close and he had to have a skin graft on his penis.<br>
There are the parents who smoke and the kid with horrible asthma.<br>
In l&d, we do 2nd trimester abortions at my facility...something I have accepted but it is a choice. A lot of women here don't do this.<br>
Bottlefeeding to me really sucks. But by the time women get here it's too late for education. It has to happen prior to delivery.<br>
(I saved a perineum tonight!!!)There needs to be great l&d RN's.And women need the support.<br>
cindy

 

[junglefamily]

thanks everyone for your replies. it has really made me think about this. i don't know if i have the energy right now to do a lot of things i don't agree with. i would really like to have a stable job and be there for women during birth who need the support and education. that was my original intent. however....maybe now is not the time.<br>
blessings