"Labor and delivery nursing is deemed as a profession that reaches far beyond its expectations because it deals with both the mother and child" (Carla Andrews, personal communication). This statement made by Carla Andrews, a professional labor and delivery nurse of thirteen years, gives a glimpse into the profession. When going into further detail, it shows how labor and delivery nurses have expectations of them that demand for them to be constantly on the move with the tasks at hand that are unpredictable due to the fact that they have to care for two individuals, the woman and the child. The daily aspects of these type of nurses deal with making sure both the woman and the child are healthy and prepared for the delivery. Not only do the nurses take on the role of preparing and monitoring, but also support for the women. Amongst the labor and delivery nurses, a culture of teamwork and togetherness is made because the nurses rely on one another to successfully cater to the women's and their babies' needs. Overall, labor and delivery nursing is a multi-faceted profession that pushes towards a culture of teamwork and communication.
The everyday life of labor and delivery nurses is never predictable because each woman and their child is different. Because of the unpredictable nature, the nurses have to be able to think critically in a short amount of time and act quickly. Overall, their job is to continuously assess the women and unborn child to make sure that everything goes swimmingly. If there were ever health complications involved, the nurse would have to aid the woman by teaching her how to take care of her new child (Gardner 2014). When a woman is admitted, the labor and delivery nurse must immediately assess the woman and unborn child, specifically the woman's blood pressure and the unborn child's heart rate, to make sure the two are healthy enough for delivery. From there the nurse speaks with the woman and prepares her for the delivery.
