With newborns crying and parents beaming with joy, the labor and delivery (L&D) unit is one of the happiest units in the hospital. L&D registered nurses (RNs) welcome newborns into this world at all hours of the night and day, providing warmhearted care to mothers and their newborn babies. This job perk makes L&D nursing jobs a fulfilling and gratifying career path.

Labor and delivery nurses monitor the mother and child throughout the birthing process, ensuring the utmost safety. Since they provide comprehensive mother and newborn care, L&D nurses typically only care for two to three patients maximum during a shift. If the patient is in active labor, sometimes the nurse cares for just one patient.

L&D nurses usually work in the labor and delivery unit of the hospital but can also work at outpatient birthing centers or doctors' offices. Most L&D nurses are generalists, working in the prepartum, intrapartum

Your labor and delivery RN responsibilities revolve around providing specialized care to women during pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period. Your primary role is to ensure the safety and well-being of both the mother and the newborn. You closely monitor the progress of labor, assess vital signs and provide pain management interventions as necessary. You assist with labor induction, augmentation and the delivery process, providing emotional support and coaching to the mother. Monitoring the fetal heart rate and uterine contractions, as well as identifying and addressing any signs of distress or complications, are also critical aspects of your role.

After delivery, you provide postpartum care to both the mother and the newborn, including monitoring for any postpartum complications, providing breastfeeding support and educating new parents on newborn care. In addition, you collaborate with the healthcare team, including obstetricians, pediatricians and midwives, to ensure comprehensive and coordinated care. Documenting patient assessments, interventions

Your job is welcoming newborns into the world, bringing joy to your patients’ lives and yours. Since it’s typically a more joyous place to work in the hospital, many nurses want to work in the L&D unit. Besides this initial perk, being an L&D nurse has many unique benefits, including the following.

Job Security: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the United States had over 3.6 million births in 2021, with a birth rate of 11 per 1,000 people. You’re guaranteed to have a job, whether you regularly work in staff or travel L&D nurse jobs.

Competitive Salary: L&D nursing is a unique specialty, and L&D nurses are highly regarded and sought after by healthcare systems. According to Vivian Health’s salary data, the average pay for staff L&D nurses was $47.53 per hour in late June 2023, which was 10% higher than the national staff