Nurse Labor and Delivery

As a nurse in this department, you will have varying roles and responsibilities. You may work in Obstetrics - triaging patients or perform screening exams on walk-ins or you may guide patients through a routine induction and delivery. You’re busy monitoring the mother’s dilation progress while also keeping close watch on the baby’s fetal heart rate. You'll be coaching mom as the baby is delivered and providing updates and support to the patient’s partner and loved ones. 

To thrive in this role, you’ll need to appreciate that routine is never routine. We have some wonderful days in this department and get to be with people through huge milestones in their lives. We also have some hard days and are with people as they grieve. You must be sensitive and understanding to different circumstances. Above all else, you must remain calm in an emergency. A patient’s status can change quickly and it’s never good for the patient or family to see the nurse in a panic. You’re calm. You’re in control. You’re handling the situation.

Responsibilities 

• Triage walk-ins to determine if a patient is in labor, water is broken, false alarm, etc
• Support pregnant patients in labor including induction, epidural assistance (if needed), general pain management and fetal monitoring
• Assist and circulate in the operating room for cesarean sections, tubal ligation, cerclage and emergency procedures
• Educate patients on various interventions or procedures - medications (name and purpose), exams, and labor stages
• Assess newborn and provide care.
• Communicate with the care management team, including anesthesiologist, physician or midwife, lactation nurse, charge nurse, postpartum unit, patient and family