RN OB

POSITION SUMMARY:

Labor and Delivery Nurses provide expert care for mothers and newborns during labor, delivery, and postpartum stages.  This role includes not only supporting labor and delivery but also floating to related departments such as postpartum, antepartum, and newborn nursery as needed.   Additionally, L&D nurses are responsible for performing newborn transitions, ensuring smooth adaptation of newborns to extrauterine life.

This role requires clinical expertise, adaptability, and a compassionate approach to patient-centered care.  The nurse collaborates with obstetricians, neonatologists, anesthesiologists, midwives, and other healthcare professionals to deliver safe, high-quality care.  

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

Patient Assessment and Monitoring

• Conduct comprehensive maternal assessments, including health history, contractions, dilation, and effacement.
• Monitor maternal and fetal vital signs using electronic fetal monitors and manual methods.
• Identify complications, such as preeclampsia, preterm labor, or fetal distress, and notify the healthcare team promptly.

Care During Labor and Delivery

• Provide physical and emotional support during all stages of labor, including breathing techniques, positioning, and pain management.
• Administer and manage medications such as Pitocin, analgesics, according to physician orders and hospital protocols.
• Assist in vaginal and cesarean deliveries, including preparing sterile fields and instruments.
• Support obstetricians or midwives during emergency procedures, such as shoulder dystocia, hemorrhage management, or fetal resuscitation.

Postpartum and Newborn Transitions

• Perform initial assessments of newborns, including assessing and stabilizing newborns, assisting with resuscitation if needed, monitoring vitals, assigning apgars, medication administration.
• Facilitate immediate skin-to-skin contact and support breastfeeding initiation.
• Provide postpartum education to mothers and families, including guidance on lactation, newborn care, and warning signs of complications.

Emergency Management

• Act swiftly during obstetric emergencies, such as cord prolapse, uterine rupture, or maternal hemorrhage.
• Perform neonatal resuscitation if needed, adhering to Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) guidelines.
• Utilize critical thinking skills to triage and stabilize high-risk patients.

Documentation and Communication

• Maintain accurate and timely documentation of maternal and fetal status, interventions, and outcomes in electronic health records.
• Communicate effectively with patients, families, and the interdisciplinary team to ensure seamless, patient-centered care.
• Advocate for the patient’s preferences and cultural considerations during the childbirth process.

Collaboration and Education

• Participate in developing care plans tailored to each patient’s needs.
• Educate patients and families on labor processes, pain relief options, and postpartum recovery.
• Serve as a mentor or preceptor to nursing students and new hires.

Compliance and Quality Improvement

• Adhere to California nursing practice laws, hospital policies, and Joint Commission standards.
• Participate in quality improvement initiatives to enhance patient safety and outcomes in the labor and delivery unit.
• Maintain certifications and attend continuing education to stay current in evidence-based practices.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• The Department Charge Nurse has overall responsibility for shift assignments and emergency situations
• The Department Director is responsible for the long-term schedule, performance appraisal (with input from other team members), and quality management issues related to patient care, facilities and in-service needs.

EDUCATION, KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE & SKILLS:

• Clinical Expertise: Strong knowledge of obstetrics, maternal-fetal medicine, and neonatal care.
• Communication: Ability to clearly explain medical procedures and provide empathetic care.
• Critical Thinking: Quickly assess and respond to emergencies or changes in patient conditions.
• Cultural Sensitivity: Adapt care to meet the diverse cultural and linguistic needs of California’s population.

LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS:

• Must have current licensure to practice registered nursing in the State of California.
• Current AHA BLS required upon hire. ACLS, NRP and PALS certification as required by the Department. These certifications must be completed before the 90-day provisional period and must always be completed prior to being assigned to full patient (level 3 care- see cross training policy) care in that area. See policy HRD-00084 for all additional required certifications by department. These certifications must be completed before the 90-day provisional period and must always be completed prior to being assigned to full patient (level 3 care- see cross-training policy) care in that area.
• Graduate of an accredited nursing program. Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) preferred
• Intermediate Fetal Monitoring 
• NCC certification preferred
• Minimum 1-2 years of clinical experience in labor and delivery or maternal-child health nursing preferred.

AGE OF THE POPULATION SERVED: Newborn  Infant/Pediatric  Adolescent  Adult  Geriatric  All x  

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: See attached

• Frequent standing, walking, and moving between patient rooms.
• Lifting and positioning patients, sometimes exceeding 50 pounds.
• Operating and managing medical equipment such as fetal monitors, infusion pumps, and surgical tools.

Tools and Technology

• Electronic fetal monitors, infusion pumps, ultrasound machines, and other labor and delivery equipment.
• Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems for documentation.

MENTAL REQUIREMENT:   Ability to follow written and oral instructions, must have the ability and desire to learn job functions outlined in the job description, must work as part of a team in order to achieve a common goal, and must maintain effective work relationships with those contacted in the course of work.

SCHEDULING AND AVAILABILITY:

• Scheduling is determined by patient care needs and includes weekends, holidays, nights, calls, etc...
• Working every other weekend is a minimum requirement.
• Shift and call assignments are modified to reflect department needs.
• In staff emergencies, will be able to work on alternate shifts and/or rotating job schedules or similar activities, at intervals for limited periods of time as mandated by department needs.