A labor and delivery nurse is a registered hospital worker who works alongside the obstetrician in baby-delivery rooms. In addition to assisting in the delivery of babies, they also help new mothers adjust to motherhood. A career as a labor and delivery nurse can be rewarding and beneficial.

Experience Childbirth Moments

One significant benefit that a labor and delivery nurse enjoys is the ability to see new children enter the world many times each day. She is often one of the first people a new baby sees when he opens his eyes for the first time. This nurse is also a comfort and source of information for mothers who may be scared and unprepared for the challenges of motherhood. The labor and delivery nurse touches the lives of thousands of new babies and mothers every year.

Save Lives

The satisfaction of helping to save the lives of children and their mothers is a significant benefit. The labor and delivery nurse is responsible for helping to identify potential issues with a baby or mother upon delivery. For instance, if the nurse notices that the newborn isn't breathing properly, she is trained to step in and resuscitate the child.

Nice Salary

Labor and delivery nurses make a comfortable yearly salary. The median salary is about $49,000 per year and can go as high as $90,000 per year if the nurse has a significant amount of experience in the field.

Potential for Career Growth

Nurses and other health care professionals are consistently in high demand; according to the Labor Department, there are 300,000 nursing jobs added to the economy each year. Nurses have invaluable knowledge of medical procedures. Over time a labor and delivery nurse may gain as much knowledge as a delivery room doctor, which can open doors for career advancement. A nurse may be puts on the path to becoming a doctor herself if she is admitted to a well-respected college or medical school based on her experience in the field. You could also apply for a role as chief nursing officer for a hospital or medical center. Thus, a career as a labor and delivery nurse is not a "dead end" job; promotions and advancement are highly possible.