Recommendations for Colleges to Become a Labor and Delivery Nurse?

Does anyone have advice on which colleges have strong programs for becoming a labor and delivery nurse? I'm really fascinated by obstetrics and want to make sure I pick a school with a solid focus in this area.

If you're interested in becoming a labor and delivery nurse, it might be a good idea to focus on universities that have strong nursing programs overall, as labor and delivery is typically covered in undergraduate nursing programs but not specialized in. You would then choose this as a specialty after graduation, often at the hospital where you work.

For universities with strong nursing programs, consider University of Pennsylvania, Emory University, and Ohio State University. They all have top-ranked nursing programs and offer strong foundational education, which would serve you well in any nursing specialty including labor and delivery.

In your program, you will likely take courses in Obstetric and Neonatal Care as a part of your curriculum. These courses will allow you to gain the basic foundation needed to work as a labor and delivery nurse.

Remember, gaining direct experience is really vital in nursing. During your senior year or upon graduation when you start looking for jobs, you should express your interest in labor and delivery and try to secure a placement in this department for your clinical rotations or for your initial nursing roles.

Also, a master's degree in nursing can be another way to further specialize in labor and delivery, if this is something you're considering down the line. Specializing via education is often faster than working your way up in the hospital.

Lastly, I'd strongly recommend contacting the admissions departments of nursing schools you're interested in and asking them about the opportunities they have for studying in the area of childbirth, as their advice is likely to be more tailored. Nursing is a field that greatly values practical experience, so you might want to inquire about potential internship or co-op opportunities. Good luck with your research and college applications!