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Posted by: This mommy makes pretty babies on 2009-09-13, 13:48:12
Obtain your Bachelor of Science degree in nursing, along with your nursing license. Know that you may have to work as a general care nurse for a period of time to gain some of the required skills before moving into being a labor and delivery nurse. However, due to the need for labor and delivery nurses, some hospitals are hiring graduates and placing them in a program for six months to a year where they work closely with and learn from experienced labor and delivery nurses. Consider specialization. Certification exams can be taken after two years of working in a specialized field of care, and upon successful completion the nurse may use RN,C as part of their title. Two areas to consider are neonatal care, for seriously ill or premature newborns, and becoming a Certified Nurse Midwife. Nurse Midwives have advanced education and training beyond their registered nursing degree. These nurses treat women before, during and after birth, and usually stay with a patient for the length of their labor and delivery to offer support. Keep current by attending conferences, reading association materials, and joining nursing organizations. Prepare to meet the challenges and rewards of a successful career as a labor and delivery nurse. There are many different options for entering the nursing field. The shortest way is a two year associates degree. The other way is a BSN (bachelors in science, nursing). Both of these degrees will allow you to take the NCLEX exam, which is the test that allows you to put the initials "RN " after your name. The difference is that you will be more limited in your career and job options with a 2 year degree. If you want to work in a big academic and prestigious medical center, you might want to aim for the bachelors degree. If you want to work in a small community hospital, the 2 year degree will work. If you want to advance into other roles in the community, or management, you should go for the BSN. After you decide which type of program you would like to do, start applying. Nursing school coursework typically involves 2 semesters of chemistry, 2 semesters of biology, 2 semesters of anatomy and physiology, microbiology, courses in psychology, sociology and other general humanities. In a BSN program, the first two years are these types of courses and the last two years are the core nursing courses and upper level nursing courses like research. If you do a two year program, there are some prerequisites before starting the program, but you generally jump right into the nursing stuff. There aren't as many humanities requirements and upper level nursing coures. Try to be original with your application essay. Everyone says they want to become a nurse because they want to help people. We all want to help people. Try to think about what makes this field special for you or think of an interesting story that has motivated you to want to be a nurse. If you have any areas of research that interest you, that would be good to mention. As the field of nursing matures, more focus is on practicing nursing according to evidence (or research), so if you have any interest in research that would be a big plus. to get involved in professional activities and organizations. If you can take any leadership roles in this regard, it will look really good on your resume when you are job hunting. Because of the current environment, you don't need to have a lot of these "extras " to become gainfully employed, but it doesn't hurt. Nursing needs folks who are interested in doing just more than clocking in and out every day. If there is any way you can work part time as a nursing assistant while you are in nursing school it will help you immensely in school and in your job once you graduate. If you are planning on working in a hospital, you will be leaps ahead of other people who haven't worked as a nursing assistant. You will have that part of the job down pat, and you will just have to master the RN duties- assessments, medication adminstration and the like. I can't emphasize how helpful this experience is to improving your confidence with patients and families, other healthcare providers and nurses, and with the tasks of taking care of patients. Usually after you complete your first nursing course you can take the nursing assistant exam and become certified. The regulations and requirements vary by state. You can find out what they are in your state by searching for the state board of nursing in your state. For example, if you live in California, you can google "California state board of nursing " and you can find the regulations there. |
