Job Description of a Labor Delivery Nurse

There has been a significant increase in the number of jobs available in the medical field over the past several decades and there is no sign that this trend will change in the foreseeable future. This is especially true for labor and delivery nurses because there is a growing need for nurses and other medical professionals trained to care for pregnant women and their infants.

Education/Training

• A labor and delivery nurse is required to have an associate degree or a Bachelor's degree in nursing, a valid Registered Nurse (RN) license and the appropriate certifications for neonatal care (as required by employers).

Responsibilities

• A labor and delivery nurse may be required to administer medications, induce labor, monitor fetal heart rates, work with doctors to design an infant delivery plan and perform other similar tasks.

Salary

• As of 2008, the salary for a labor and delivery nurse can range between $42,000 to $87,000 a year, but most labor and delivery nurses make between $43,000 and $63,000 a year.

Types

• Some labor and delivery nurses may handle a specific area of pregnancy care such as antepartum nurses (pregnancy complications), circulating nurses (care for C-section patients) and postpartum nurses (care for recent deliveries).

Work Locations

• Labor and delivery nurses are typically employed in hospital maternity wards, but they may also be employed in birthing centers, health clinics, OB/GYN offices and maternity centers.