How to Become a Labor and Delivery Nurse

• To become a labor and delivery nurse, you must have at least an RN degree or license, but additional certifications could be helpful.  
• As a labor and delivery nurse, you have autonomy because you manage patient care with providers.  
• Patience and smiling under pressure will take you far as a labor and delivery nurse. 

Are you ready to be a baby-catcher? I have been a labor and delivery nurse for almost 20 years.  Oh, the stories! 

Like many of you, I loved my clinical rotation on the labor and delivery unit while in nursing school. It sure beat out chest tubes and wound care for me — all of the beautiful, precious babies and wonderful memories. Regarding qualifications, you must already possess your RN degree/license or be close to finishing. I have found that many hospitals require some experience as a nurse before you apply, but you might be lucky enough to find a position that will take new grads. 

If you have your Basic Life Support (BLS) and Neonatal Resuscitation Provider (NRP) certifications, that’s awesome, but it is not usually required. You will receive that training during orientation or within your first six months. You will also receive training in Electronic Fetal Monitoring, and after you gain some experience, you might want to become certified in this as well. Another recommended certification is inpatient obstetrics. Completing all possible certifications in a field you are interested in is never a bad idea.

As a labor and delivery nurse, you should be patient, considerate, flexible, and open to daily changes. This is an experience each family will talk about for the rest of their lives, so you must understand the importance of your job. You might start the day with a patient who delivers, and after they have recovered, admit an induction patient or take a patient to the operating room for a cesarean section. Being flexible is crucial. 

On the Job as a Labor and Delivery Nurse

Labor and delivery nurses work in a hospital setting. The unit might have laboring women, postpartum mothers, or even antepartum mothers who were admitted due to complications during pregnancy. A typical day begins with a bedside report with the outgoing nurse, the patient, and the family. The nurse will complete a head-to-toe assessment of the patient and an assessment of the fetal monitoring. You will become confident in “reading the strips” and assessing the baby’s well-being. You are an essential team member, and the patient’s provider –whether a medical doctor or midwife – counts on you to recognize heartbeat patterns and notify them of any concerns. 

You might assist with the baby’s delivery by clearing the baby’s throat of mucous while drying and stimulating. Unless there is a nurse who focuses on recovering the baby, this might be your responsibility as well. Recovery includes frequently checking vital signs, helping mom feed the baby through breastfeeding or a bottle, and checking labs on the baby when needed. You will be doing this while recovering the mom, who also needs frequent vital signs and her fundus checked. It’s also important to make sure her bleeding is not excessive. It may sound like a lot, but you will become comfortable with the tasks with time.    

Just remember, you will be a part of the birth story, so make it beautiful. 

Benefits of Becoming a Labor and Delivery Nurse

There are many pros of working as a labor and delivery nurse. One is autonomy because you are managing patient care with providers. You manage the oxytocin (a commonly used medication to induce labor) by increasing or decreasing the IV infusion while maintaining the safety of the mother and baby.  

This is a fun job; if you don’t mind not knowing what type of patient is coming through the door, this is your job. Your labor and delivery nurse roles may change several times throughout the day.   

You need to accept change and move forward with a positive attitude. According to Zip Recruiter, a labor and delivery nurse’s average national salary can range from $34 per hour to more than $50 per hour. 

The Bottom Line

Being a labor and delivery nurse has been very rewarding. You will not be upset with your decision to join the “baby catchers.” There have been so many memorable patients whom I still think about, and oftentimes you get to attend the birth of their second or third child. This is the job for you if you have patience and can work well under pressure. Plus, you witness life over and over again. What could be better than that?  

Read More