Description of a Labor & Delivery Nurse

Labor and delivery nurses work to take care of a mother's medical and emotional needs before, while and after her baby is born. Labor and delivery nurses require a unique set of personal qualifications as well as educational requirements. Their skill set is in demand in a number of different medical settings. The nature of their work requires them to face unique challenges as well as earn immeasurable personal satisfaction in taking part in the miracle of birth.

Responsibilities

Labor and delivery nurses are also referred to as perinatal nurses. They are responsible for taking care of a woman before, while and after her baby is born and are also responsible for ensuring that her emotional well being is also looked after. Depending on the job setting, the responsibilities of a labor and delivery nurse are numerous and widely varied. They can be involved in everything from helping doctors develop a plan for delivering a particular patient's infant, teach childbirth techniques, monitor a pregnancy and help the mother to nurse post-delivery.

Job Settings

There are many different venues where a labor and delivery nurse can work, although a maternity ward or labor and delivery unit of a hospital is most likely. In addition to hospital settings, labor and delivery nurses can be found in health departments and health clinics, birthing centers, OB offices and maternity centers.

Educational Requirements and Opportunities

Labor and delivery nurses must have a current state-certified RN license, along with a bachelor's or associate degree in nursing. Some employers will also accept a hospital diploma. Labor and delivery nurses must also have an educational background in neonatal resuscitation and fetal monitoring.

After two years of practicing in a specialty practice, labor and delivery nurses can get RN-C certifications in intrapartum nursing, postpartum nursing, fetal monitoring and nursery. Labor and delivery nurses can also specialize in high-risk obstetrics

Qualifications

Under the best of circumstances, there are unique challenges facing labor and delivery nurses that require a special set of personal qualifications. Under the best of circumstances, labor and delivery nurses work with patients facing the birth of a child, complete with all the emotions that come with it. These nurses must also face worst-case scenarios like mother or infant deaths. To cope, labor and delivery nurses at minimum must be empathetic, able to make quick decisions that require critical thinking and possess above-average communication skills.

They must be skilled in prioritizing patient needs and manage effectively in fast-paced and frequently stressful environments. To say the least, labor and delivery nurses must possess a unique blend of medical and psychosocial qualifications in order to succeed.

Differing Roles

Perinatal nurses can wear a variety of different hats within the same setting. For instance, in the hospital setting alone, they can act in any of the following roles:

Antepartum nurse--care for women who must be hospitalized due to pregnancy complications
Labor and delivery nurse--care for women during labor and delivery in a birthing room
Circulating nurse--manage care during a C-section delivery while in an operating room
Scrub nurse--assist surgeons during a C-section delivery
Postpartum nurse--care for women who have recently delivered babies

Resources

• Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses