Childbirth is one of the greatest events in life. It is usually a case of life and death. If handled properly, a newborn baby is welcomed into life, and the family gets increased. Though, in cases of complications, two lives are at risk— The mother and her baby.
Labor and delivery nurses, to a great extent, help to prevent childbirth complications and ensure safe delivery.
Labor and delivery nurses assist during normal and cesarean deliveries. Cesarean delivery accounts for approximately one-third of childbirth annually.
Labor and delivery jobs can be quite demanding and stressful. However, it is a job with a lot of benefits which can be considered to outweigh its cons.
A Labor and delivery nurse can work in hospitals, maternity centers, or clinics. And in this article, we’ll go through five benefits of labor and delivery nurse jobs.
Being Part of a Life-changing Event
There are several reasons why people visit the hospital or are hospitalized. It could be because of a routine check-up, an illness, a mild or fatal accident, or surgery. But childbirth is the only reason why a patient visits the hospital with pains, but they are excited about what’s to come.
Childbirth is a life-changing event. For a woman who has never given birth, it is the transition into the phase of motherhood. And for one who has given birth previously, it is the welcoming of a new life into the family.
Childbirth is a very important phase in the life of a woman and her family. Labor and delivery nurses are a major part of the success of this life-changing event.
Pre-labor, during labor, and after delivery, the labor and delivery nurses are the main helpers of pregnant mothers. Labor and delivery nurses are essential in providing care for mothers and newborns, which includes the management of newborns who require specialized medical intervention such as the placement of a PICC line for infants. It is crucial for these nurses to be trained in handling the placement and management of PICC lines to minimize the risk of any PICC line infant complications. This is to ensure that the newborn receives the appropriate treatment and care during a critical period in their life.
The greatest benefits of being a labor and delivery nurse is the opportunity to help bring a new baby into life and also care for the helpless mother.
Being Your Patient’s Friend And Trusted Advocate
In a hospital setting, the nurses are usually the informal bridge between patients and the formal healthcare team. Doctors aren’t always available to attend to patients every now and then. However, when a Doctor leaves or administers care, a nurse comes to properly clean up and ensure the patient is in good health at all times.
Pregnant women demand extra attention and care. And a labor and delivery nurse is always there to see to their care.
Women go through a lot during the pregnancy phase. Hormones are on the loose, and physical body changes and emotional distress.
In this phase, a labor and delivery nurse is the best friend and advocate for pregnant women. This close relationship is important for women who find childbirth as a frightening or overwhelming experience.
While offering professional advice as a nurse, a labor and delivery nurse can also connect with their patient to provide encouragement and moral support.
Enjoy Good Salary
Labor and delivery nurses earn good salaries. Enough to make an excellent and comfortable living. As with many other nursing careers and professions in the medical field, your salary as a labor and delivery nurse increases with your years of experience and service.
On average, the annual salary of a labor and delivery nurse ranges from $97000-$99500. On an hourly basis, this can be approximated to earning about $47.62 every hour.
However, as an entry-level labor and delivery nurse, your salary can be slightly lower than this. You can expect an hourly pay of $38 or more.
But a mid-level labor and delivery nurse who has garnered some experience can earn about $55 or more hourly and approximately $114000 yearly.
However, if you have more than 5-7 years of working experience, you can work as a top-level labor and delivery nurse. You’ll be paid approximately $64 per hour. That amounts to about $134000 yearly. This is enough to be considered a decent salary.
Opportunities for Career Growth
As a labor and delivery nurse, you have opportunities to grow your career and advance forward. About 300000 nurses are added to the medical labor market annually. This is below the high demand for medical professionals.
Working over the years as a labor and delivery nurse, you can gain enough knowledge and experience as much as a delivery room doctor.
With this, you can decide to put yourself on the path to becoming a doctor. You can decide to advance your career to become a doctor by pushing for admission into a medical school or college based on your knowledge.
Also, you may decide to apply for the role of chief nursing officer for your hospital or any medical center. So, there are several opportunities for career growth as a labor and delivery nurse.
You Can Explore Different Cities And Work
Labor and delivery nurses can work at any hospital in any city. So, if you need to travel to a new city, losing your job will be the least of your worries.
In addition, you can decide to work as a contract labor and delivery nurse. This gives you more room to travel, explore different cities and also work.
Educating New Parents
As a labor and delivery nurse, you get the opportunity to guide new parents on proper child care. Parents, most especially patients just transitioning into motherhood who are inexperienced, need guidance and confidence to care for their babies.
Labor and delivery nurses play a key role in educating parents about child care and treatment while at home.
Through proper education from a labor and delivery nurse, new parents are often confident and less confused about how to care for their baby.
Conclusion
While labor and delivery nurse jobs have their own challenges, the benefits of working as a labor and delivery nurse are more encouraging.
The experience of ushering a newborn into life and the opportunity to reduce cases of childbirth complications is encouraging. Furthermore, labor and delivery nurses are well-paid. You also have room to explore and advance in your career.
