What is an L&D Nurse?
A labor and delivery or L&D nurse assists mothers in the last stages of gestation, labor, delivery, and postpartum recovery and monitors the baby's and mother's vital signs in case any complications arise. They educate mothers and their families about childbirth, and it is often up to them to establish successful breastfeeding while attending to the mother's psycho-social needs throughout the process.
The work of labor and delivery nurses is becoming essential nowadays, given that births worldwide have increased, and a more significant percentage of women are choosing a natural birth. Labor and delivery nurses can improve the quality of care at birth, help reassure expectant mothers, explain the processes they are going through and administer medication if they feel they need it. Of course, a labor and delivery nurse can specialize in assisting in the case of a c-section if she considers it necessary. Helping to bring a new life into the world is a beautiful job, even if occasionally it doesn't end happily (for example, if the baby doesn't survive the birth). Yet, most of the time, they will watch as a new mother is reunited with her baby from the first moment, unable to contain her happiness, and they will feel incredible satisfaction in their work.
Should you Become a Labor and Delivery Nurse?
This is a private question all nurses should ask themselves, and they should consider some pros and cons of being labor and delivery nurses. For starters, they can never be sure how long labor and delivery will last, so in some cases, they won't be able to find out about the outcome and know how the mother and baby did. In rare cases, babies do not survive delivery, and although there is always a medical explanation for this, it is not easy to overcome. They must be present and overcome their anguish to accompany the mothers in their grieving process. Occasionally, some patients behave angrier when they are in labor or have difficulties during labor. However, there are many more pros to this profession:
- Seeing newborns regularly.
- Supporting the breastfeeding and recovery process with the mothers.
- Always having the satisfaction that the patients leave satisfied with a new family member.
- Educating the patients on all the doubts they may have, especially if they are new mothers.
- Being there for them during the whole process.
- Gaining the trust and affection of them and their families.
There are so many joyous moments surrounding birth that it pays to work as a labor and delivery nurse.
Another positive side is that L&D nurses earn an excellent salary; they are paid significantly better than other nurses. The average annual wage for an L&D nurse is $73,300. This, coupled with the fact that there is a large number of jobs available in this profession, is a big attraction to becoming one.
How to Become a Labor and Delivery Nurse? To become L&D nurses, nurses must first be accredited as registered nurses (RNs) and licensed to work in the state where they are located. Of course, if they want to be more likely to find a job as L&D nurses more efficiently, a specialty in inpatient obstetric nursing (RNC-OB), which is an L&D nursing certification, is helpful to have at hand.
Nurses who choose to become labor and delivery nurses generally stay on this path, specializing further so they can support c-sections or assist in other labor and delivery areas. They are nurses who tend to feel contented with their work.
PRN L&D Nursing Jobs
An excellent way to supplement the salary that labor and delivery nurses have, of course, is through PRN. PRN shifts mean that hospitals make shifts available when required to fill temporary requirements, and nurses who wish to do so can take these shifts.
The advantage of PRN shifts is that L&D nurses can choose their schedules and earn more per hour than they usually would. To search for PRN jobs near you, download the Nursa app, register with your credentials, and start searching for jobs.
Another way to earn a little more is to work as travel L&D nurses or local travel L&D nurses if you wish to stay in your state. The Nursa app itself can help you find the perfect job for you.
