Delivery Room Nurse Job Description
Delivery room nurses have the joy of being a part of bringing one new life after another into the world through the miracle of childbirth. A delivery room nurse works with adults and newborns and in high-pressure situations, such as high-risk pregnancies. Delivery nurses help relieve stresses new mothers-to-be might experience.
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Function
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Delivery room nurses are responsible for staying with the mother when labor begins and supporting the mother through a healthy delivery. During labor, this nurse monitors the fetus and mother, counting contractions as they come. The delivery room nurse performs the first vaginal examination for the mother. During labor, the nurse might help the mother breathe her way through complicated contractions. The nurse administers IVs to the mother and preps her for a cesarean section if necessary. The nurse also takes care of the baby right after delivery. She takes the Apgar score of the newborn and records birth weight, applies identification bands to newborns and supplies the mother and baby with medications post-delivery. The delivery room nurse might also help the mother if she shows signs of postpartum depression.
Education
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The delivery nurse is a registered nurse and holds the nursing license required by his state. The nurse usually holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and undergoes training to acquire obstetric skills in the delivery and nursery rooms.
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Employment Statistics
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Registered nurses hold about 2.6 million positions in the United States, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Most RNs, about 60 percent, are employed in hospitals. Delivery nurses generally work four days on, three days off. While part-time delivery nurses might be on-call or work weekend hours only.
Skills
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In general, the delivery room nurse is skilled in obstetrics and has broad knowledge of labor, delivery and postpartum and nursery care. She is also skilled in principles and practices of sterile technique and controlling infection. Delivery room nurses have technical skills in caring for new mothers and newborns. She is also a leader with excellent communication skills.
Salary and Occupational Outlook
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A head nurse in the delivery room earned about $87,320, as of 2008, according to Salary.com. Salaries vary by experience, location and the size of the hospital. Hospital RN positions will grow 17 percent by the year 2018, according to BLS, including delivery room nurses. Growth is due to population growth through new births.
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References
- Photo Credit Zahnarztpraxis, Labor image by R.-Andreas Klein from Fotolia.com
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