Current Nursing Student...How difficult to get into Labor and Delivery field?

Question

I am currently in Nursing school (going for RN) and hear all the time about how hard it is and how long it takes to get into women's health areas. I enjoy many areas of Nursing, but my ultimate goal is L&D. I've heard up to 10 years of experience to get into that area...starting to feel a little down if that's the case. Anyone have a realistic answer? I don't expect to get in first thing out of school, but I was hoping it wouldn't take ten years. Thanks in advance

Answer 1

It depends on the hospital you work for.  Also, as much experience working with children or infants (perhaps working in a pediatric office for a bit will help your chances) will get you into the L&D.  If you have a children's specialty hospital in your area, you might start off there, even though they don't have an L&D, but the experience will help you get in there.

Answer 2

I was so worried about that when I was in nursing school too. I figured women's health was such a unique specialty that I'd be better off if I could get into it right away rather than "wasting my time" going into med/surg or some other area first.

I did encounter those obstacles getting hired into a birth center as a new RN. I managed ONE interview (out of 5 hospitals I applied at for a L&D position) and the manager told me she would love to hire me but felt I was too "green" and wanted me to get some regular hospital med/surg under my belt first and to come back and reapply in 6 months.

So that's what I did. And I'll tell you what - I wished I would have spent more like a year doing med/surg, because those skills ARE valuable and useful in a birth center. You really learn to fine tune your assessment skills, see a wide range of conditions that people have, the most commonly used medications, etc. Pregnant women aren't all healthy, and many of them have the same medical problems that we see on med/surg floors.

I don't think it will take you 10 years, but it does depend on where you live, how many hospitals are available to you, your determination to keep applying despite not getting calls back or not getting hired after interviews, etc. I think it's reasonable to expect it could take as much as 2-3 years at most. Once you've got a solid year's worth of experience it shouldn't be too hard.

Good luck!