Deliveries?

Jolie, BSN · Nov 9, 2005

I haven't even started my Nursing program yet, I am finishing my Bachelors in Psychology first, but I work at a military hospital in Germany (U.S. Army Hospital) as a Medic so my experience is limited. Do nurses who work in a Level III NICU assist in Deliveries? Isn't that what L & D is for or are they intertwined? What is the extent of dealing with deliveries if that is the case? Thanks so much!

That depends largely upon the hospital. It is certainly within the scope of a NICU nurse's practice to attend high-risk deliveries, especially if there is a good chance that the baby will be admitted to the NICU. This helps with continuity of care and sharing of information between the L&D staff and the NICU staff.

But there are circumstances in which this doesn't happen, too. If you work in a Children's hospital, chances are that you won't attend deliveries, since most babies are transported in. There are some Children's hospitals with NICUs that are set up within the maternity unit of neighboring hospitals. Also, some teaching hospitals have the pediatric residents attend to babies at high-risk deliveries, so NICU nurses are not needed in the DR.

Personally, I love attending deliveries, and would want to work in a unit where this is part of the job!

Gompers, BSN, RN · Nov 9, 2005

Yes, most NICUs do send nurses to "high-risk deliveries" (preemies, crash c-sections, meconium, known anamolies) to help out. However, you won't be doing anything with the mom at all, so no, you don't assist if that's what you meant. Your job is to make sure the baby warmer bed is on and have supplies ready, and then when the baby comes out you need to assess the baby and help rescussitate if necessary. The L&D nurses stay with the mom. Now, if it's a "normal" delivery and the NICU team isn't there, then yeah, the L&D nurses deal with the baby as well as the mom.

prmenrs, RN · Nov 11, 2005

In a high risk delivery, often times, it's high risk for Mom,too, so L&D nurse is already busier than a one-armed paper hanger. Even in teaching hospitals that have residents (could be an NNP, too) going to a deliveries, the team usually has an RN and an RRT (neonatal) as well. A Fellow should be supervising, either in the room, or if the unit is very close by, from there.