I am a med-surg RN for 5 years. I am interested in L&D or NICU. How can I cross train when everyone is looking for someone with experience in L&D or NICU?
If you are a med-surg RN with 5 years of experience and you are interested in cross-training to L&D or NICU, there are several steps you can take. The first thing you should do is contact your local/desired L&D or NICU and arrange to shadow a nurse, preferably a nurse who has experience precepting. Learn as much as you can and while you won’t necessarily be able to do anything hands-on, you can ask as many questions as you need to! Try to use that nurse as a reference on your application, and definitely mention that you’ve shadowed x number of hours. It definitely helps to shadow in the L&D or NICU where you’re actually going to be applying. Make an effort to introduce yourself to (and make a great impression on) management while you’re there. This serves as not only experience and the opportunity to ask questions, but can also serve as a mini trial interview. While experience on a postpartum unit and/or Labor & Delivery is great, it is absolutely not a prerequisite to get hired in the L&D or NICU, nor will it necessarily boost your odds of getting hired in one. Any good L&D or NICU is going to offer a (minimum) 12 week long preceptorship, where you learn all you need to know to become a starter L&D or NICU nurse! As your knowledge base grows and your skills develop, you will take on more demanding assignments and have new learning opportunities. I hope this helps!
Some hospitals hire NICU without experience. Some hospitals are willing to train a candidate if they are an internal hire. I would suggest looking at the hospital you already work in to see if either of those positions are open and apply. If they are not, just start applying to other places that are hiring for L&D or NICU. You never know until you try. The worst they can do is say no and then you’d be exactly where you are.
I would talk to my supervisor. Tell them what you would like to do. I also would talk to the supervisor of the L&D dept and NICU. They may have you shadow a nurse in those departments to get some training. If you decide which dept you want to switch to I would think you would have a period of time where you would be training for that dept.
