I’ll go into college with a Nursing major, when i finish i’ll have 4 years of education, that would be a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (Is that right?). Is their any other education I’ll need to do? I know after my 4 years of college i need to take the N-Clex-RN so then ill have my BSN and my RN degree correct?
|
|||
You simply need to be an RN to be a Labor/Delivery nurse or a NICU nurse. There is no extra course to take to become either one. You can do that with a BSN, an Associates, or a 3-year Diploma from a hospital-based program. You do not need to work in Med/Surg for a year or two, since there is nothing in Med/Surg remotely related to working Maternal/Newborn nursing. Most facilities do not subscribe to antiquated way of thinking that you need to work in Med/Surg before anything else and realize that a new nurse trained specifically in her area of choice to work in will be a better nurse in that specialty than one who had to work in an area totally unrelated. However, they will want you to have at least a year of Mother/Baby (postpartum nursing) before orienting to Labor/Delivery, unless it’s a large hospital with a “Nursing Residency” program for Labor/Delivery/Antepartum nursing.
I started in the same unit I still work in as a “Student Nurse Extern” years ago. I had completed one semester of nursing clinicals and applied for the position. I stayed working as a student part-time while I finished my ASN, was hired as a new grad, and started orientation for Post Partum nursing (mother/baby care). The unit I work in is an LDRP (Labor/Delivery/Recovery/Postpartum), so after about a year, I was cross-trained to Labor. A few of my colleagues have gone on to be Adult Nurse Practitioners and Certified Nurse-Midwives.
I would suggest you look into a BSN program and possibly the opportunity to get a part-time job as a unit secretary or patient care tech in your local hospital’s OB unit. Most OB units are Labor/Delivery/Recovery and a separate area for Post Partum, some are like mine with LDRP’s. Either area will provide you with invaluable experience while you are in college.
There isn’t really a pay difference in working in OB compared to other areas. The salary factor is based on your experience, possibly your degree (BSN grads make 50 cents to $2 more an hour than ASN/Diploma RN’s do, provided they have the same level of experience and are hired for the same job). In the midwestern US, New grad RN’s are starting off around $23-26 an hour (base pay) with shift and weekend differential.
Also, “BSN” or “ASN” is your degree, “RN” is the professional credential/designation/title you may use after successfully passing the NCLEX and being issued a nursing license from your state.