Questions about becoming a labor & delivery nurse

[Jilian]

I am considering becoming a labor and delivery nurse. I am a doula and while I love attending homebirths and birth center births, I feel that I would be needed more in the hospital setting. Can anyone tell me what kind of training is needed to become a L&D nurse? How long the training is? What kind of things a L&D nurse does (besides the obvious)? Any info would be appreciated

[mom2angelbabies]

You'll need your RN which can be achieved in 2-4 years, depending on whether you want the BSN or the ADN/ASN (although some hospitals hire LPN's for a lot of the work). It doesn't really matter to the people hiring you as long as you're an RN, and usually the BSN is only necessary if you want to advance to a management position or further your education (like nurse anesthetist, for example).

The specific L&D training generally comes when you do your clinicals in school. Some programs let you choose where you want to specialize, and then you just apply for a job in that dept. upon graduation. Otherwise it sometimes doesn't even matter and you can just apply for any RN position and they'll do the more specific training once you're hired.

[Lousli]

My mother was a nurse for about 15 years until she futhered her training and became a CNM. She hated nursing because she wanted to do what she felt was best for her patients but often that was directly opposed to what the doctor ordered or hospital policy. You might consider that as a hospital L&D nurse, you will provide support to those wanting natural birth, but they might be few and far in between. You will be upping the dose of Pitocin if the doctor asks you to, handing him/her the scissors for the episiotomy, holding the patient's hand as they give her an epidural...

Just for the record, I've had two hospital births with epidurals and I'm not completely opposed to the hospital setting or pain meds. My nurses and those that took care of my baby in the NICU were some of the kindest most supportive people I've met. But it is important, IMO to think about the nitty gritty of hospital birth if you chose to be part of it. That is what has kept me from entering nursing.

[mom2angelbabies]

Originally Posted by Lousli

My mother was a nurse for about 15 years until she futhered her training and became a CNM. She hated nursing because she wanted to do what she felt was best for her patients but often that was directly opposed to what the doctor ordered or hospital policy. You might consider that as a hospital L&D nurse, you will provide support to those wanting natural birth, but they might be few and far in between. You will be upping the dose of Pitocin if the doctor asks you to, handing him/her the scissors for the episiotomy, holding the patient's hand as they give her an epidural...

Just for the record, I've had two hospital births with epidurals and I'm not completely opposed to the hospital setting or pain meds. My nurses and those that took care of my baby in the NICU were some of the kindest most supportive people I've met. But it is important, IMO to think about the nitty gritty of hospital birth if you chose to be part of it. That is what has kept me from entering nursing.

On that same note, speaking from the nursing side, it's also nice to be able to be someone in the medical community who DOES encourage the more natural side of things, won't push meds, supports mothers' decisions, etc. I'm a nurse who's TOTALLY supportive of an all natural birth (in fact, I'd prefer it both for myself and anyone else who wants it) or of delaying newborn meds, for example.

So there's two sides to it- sure, you're definately able to do more outside of the hospital setting, but there are advantages for you and your pt's if you DO choose to go with nursing.

[ozzyemm]

Adding my 2 cents--
One of my nurses used to be a midwife. She was very open to different kinds of natural pain relief (gotta love those half hour showers!). My care really did change dramatically when she went off shift.

[Jilian]

I'm hoping to make a difference from the inside out. I know that I will be limited in what I can do because of the OB having the ultimate say. But even if I can help one person to think twice about getting induced/elective cesarean/epidural then I will be happy. I think that the people giving birth in a hospital setting are the most vulnerable and need the most support. I'm still in the early phases of researching the job, so I haven't really made up my mind yet. I am hoping one day to become a midwife but I think that will be a while away. This may just be a way to get my feet wet.

[wannabe]

Adding my two cents, too - my L&D nurse said she loved working with my midwife and her patients because she loved 'that sort of birth' IYKWIM.

I agree that you are needed in L&D.

[Persephone]

I have never been in a hospital, until my dd's birth. I had no idea just HOW much difference the nurses make in that setting. You L&D nurses, and I"m assuming all nurses, are just angels. I know you don't get enough credit for what you do. Bless Kelly, my nurse, who kept me from an epidural, but got me just the kind of pain medication I needed. (Nubain, if you wanna know.) I think that more natural minded nurses are needed, but I understand it takes a special kind of natural minded person to become a nurse, because there will be a lot more interventions, and your hands are more tied.

[gentlebirthmothr]

Originally Posted by Persephone

I think that more natural minded nurses are needed, but I understand it takes a special kind of natural minded person to become a nurse, because there will be a lot more interventions, and your hands are more tied.

Persephone,

2nd that because what I see the L & D nurses at the hospital that I volunteer at and by me aren't natural minded from what I seen from them. Which is totally ashame since they allow doulas now.

Think thats it.

Thank you.

[Brinda]

I would love to have a more natural L&D nurse. I was chastised and harassed by my nurses when I refused pain meds.

[onlyboys]

There's a lot to be said for changing from the inside out. You may be better off at that becoming an OB, though... The nurses from what I saw from my hospital births and the births I've doula-ed at were simply faces of the machine, if you will. They were just obedient. It was quite sad.

BUT! And this is a big but! There is a huge need for compassionate, naturally minded nurses in obstetric care. They can make all the difference!

When I had my 2nd unmedicated birth, the nurse came to me later and said, "I've never seen a natural birth before yours..." I was shocked.