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Nursing Degrees
SPOTLIGHT:LABOR
& DELIVERY STAFF NURSE
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“Having a child is a special time in a family’s life. It is an
unforgettable experience. If you ask any woman about the birth of
her child, she can recount many details after several years. As
a Labor & Delivery nurse, I have the privilege of sharing in
this special time. Like many nurses, I enjoy making a difference
in people’s lives and I am privileged to help women birth their
babies every day. Usually a joyous time, childbirth can be a scary
experience for some, especially if it is complicated by medical
conditions. With education and empathy, I can help my patients through
this experience and help them find the wonder and joy of birth.
Labor & Delivery nursing provides me with autonomy, a range
of experiences, and a usually satisfying and fast-paced career.”
Michelle Davis RNC, BSN
Background:
While recent trends move nursing and health care out of the hospital
and into the community, some areas of nursing remain predominately
in the hospital setting. One of these areas is Labor and Delivery
(L&D) nursing.
L&D registered nurses use professional judgment, critical thinking,
and fast decision making skills. They care for women who are laboring,
having complications of pregnancy or having recently delivered.
They work closely with patients, families, and other health care
professionals.
Roles:
L&D registered nurses provide care to women and their newborns
during the antepartum, intrapartum, postpartum, and neonatal stages
of this important life event. They assess each mother and baby and
develop an individualized plan of care. L&D registered nurses
collaborate with physicians and other health care providers to provide
the best plan of care for each patient. They implement the plan
of care by monitoring the mother and baby and by teaching patients
about their care and topics related to women’s health and newborn
care. L&D nurses evaluate the effectiveness of the care plan
and modify it as needed to meet the changing needs of the mother,
newborn, and family. They also provide psychosocial and emotional
support to patients and families.
L&D registered nurses assume many different roles, including:
Antepartum Nurse – provides care to patients who have complications
of pregnancy requiring hospitalization.
L&D Nurse – provides care to patients in labor who have uncomplicated
or complicated deliveries.
Circulating Nurse – manages patient care in the Operating Room during
a cesarean delivery.
Scrub Nurse – works directly with the surgeons during a cesarean
delivery by passing instruments, etc, to the physicians.
Postpartum Nurse – provides care to patients who have recently delivered.
Nursery Nurse – provides care to newborns.L&D registered nurses
also may work as clinical coordinators responsible for patient assignments
and coordinating patient care. L&D registered nurses also may
hold positions in clinical education, research or medical sales.
With further education, they can be managers or advanced practice
nurses, for example a nurse practitioner or a perinatal clinical
nurse specialist.
Specialties:
High Risk Obstetrics
Practice Settings:
L&D registered nurses work in a variety of urban and rural
settings including:
Hospital L&D Units
Clinics
Physician offices
Maternity Centers
Birthing Centers
Qualifications:
L&D nursing requires empathy, critical thinking, decision-making,
and communication skills. Most L&D registered nurses have some
general medical-surgical nursing background. L&D nurses must
be able to communicate well with patients, families, and other health
care providers. They must be skilled in prioritizing patient needs
and cope well with a fast-paced, sometimes stressful environment.
Education:
RN license with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), Associate
Degree in Nursing (ADN), or hospital diploma. L&D registered
nurses are also required to be educated in neonatal resuscitation
and fetal monitoring.
Certification exams may also be taken in specialty areas after
two years of specialty practice. These include areas such as Intrapartum
Nursing, Postpartum Nursing, Fetal Monitoring, and Nursery. Registered
nurses who complete certification requirements may use the RN,C
designation.
Salary Range:
The median annual wage for registered nurses in 1997 was $41,400
and the median hourly wage was $18.88, according to the U. S. Bureau
of Labor Statistics. However, some 30 percent of all registered
nurses earn between $40,000 and $50,000 and another 16 percent earn
from $50,000 to $89,000.
Associations:
Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses
2000 L Street, NW, Suite 740
Washington DC 20036
(202) 261-2400
Fax: (202) 728-0575
www.awhonn.org
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