Labor and Delivery ?

I<3H2O, BSN, RN · Sep 10, 2011

I am not a L&D nurse but I do want to say out of my nursing class only VERY few actually landed L&D jobs. They are typically harder to come by and also they usually want someone with experience. Good luck getting the position you want!

foreverLaur · Sep 10, 2011

Most the L&D nurses at the hospital I did my OB clinical at started in postpartum or other unrelated areas of nursing (e.g. med/surg).

MamaCJRN · Sep 10, 2011

The typical day (LOL does that exist for nurses :) ? ) depends on where you work. In a large facility L&D is caring for laboring patients, inductions, C/S all day, once delivered and recovered they will be transferred to the Post Partum floor. If you work in a birthing center or a facility that does LDRP, you may care for the patient from labor through discharge. I have worked in both large and small facilities. In the smaller hospital you do it all, labor, post partum, nursery and you also get med/surg patients as overflow or gyn patients.

You do all the things that nurses do and the extra OB jobs. Teaching patients how to cope with pain, breast feed, care for themselves & the baby, etc.

I started in OB right out of nursing school, in a rural hospital, and as a director I have hired many nurses right out of school. It might be less likely to be hired at a larger place right out of school, most employers would like you to get at least 6 months of med/surg experience before going into a specialty area. I have mixed feelings, I consider med/surg a specialty too, you have to know your stuff in lots of disease processes and like any area of nursing you have to love it. Hope this is helpful, don't hesitate to pm or post any specific questions. I love OB and know it is the right place for me.

SnMrsSmiley · Sep 11, 2011

LD is where I am hoping to go after school as well. There arent any small hospitals where I live. They are all huge and I feel like it will be difficult to get the position I want. I have yet to decide what my second and third choice will be.... but my goal is to eventually be in LD. Ill just have to pay my dues till the time is right :)

adpiRN · Sep 11, 2011

I actually think it's easier to get a new grad L&D job at a big hospital. They have more nurses and more turnover.

I started as a new grad in L&D at a big hospital.

We have 1-2 labor patients at a time, (but only 1 while pushing). We admit patients, start IVs, give antibiotics if needed, give pitocin if needed, assess their pain and help them cope either naturally or with an epidural. If they have an epidural we insert a foley catheter. We do fetal monitoring and have to do intrauterine resucitation for FHR decels. We assist doctors with lady partsl exams.

Once the patients become fully dilated we coach them with pushing and assist OB with delivery.

One nurse each day is the baby nurse and comes to each delivery and does baby care.

We transfer our patients to postpartum after an hour or 2.

One nurse also works triage every day.

And a few nurses do OR and circulate on the scheduled c/s.

Occassionally we have pre-term patients for observation or magnesium sulfate, but we also have an antepartum unit and they go there if they're stable.

The pace varies widely. You can go from no patients at all, or 1 sleeping patient, to running around like crazy managing 2 complications patients, decels, stat c/s, pts coming in fully and ready to push.

We of course also sometimes have fetal demises and those are sad.

So the answer is, there is no typical day, but I hope that helped!

Good luck!

SnMrsSmiley · Sep 11, 2011

thanks ! Your comment helped me. Hopefully it gave the OP some insight as well. Iv always wanted to be the nurse that helps a pt and her significant other bring their child into the world, or be there for them and help them cope if it doesnt work out the way it was supposed to. It is a job that can be so rewarding and so heartbreaking all in one shift I am sure. But this is where my heart is and thats what I am working toward. Thats not to say though that whne I get out of school I may find another floor that is better suited for me. only time will tell :)