Labor+&+Delivery+Nurse

A **registered nurse** is a [|nurse] who has graduated from a [|nursing program] at a university or college and has passed a national licensing exam. A registered nurse helps individuals, families, and groups to achieve health and prevent disease. They care for the sick and injured in hospitals and other health care facilities, physicians' offices, private homes, public health agencies, schools, camps, and industry. Some registered nurses are employed in private practice. It outlines what is legal practice for registered nurses and what tasks they may or may not perform. Specific work responsibilities will vary from one RN to the next. An RN’s duties and title are often determined by their work setting or patient population served. RNs can specialize in one or more areas of patient care. There generally are four ways to specialize. RNs may work a particular setting or type of treatment who work in operating rooms and assist surgeons. RNs may specialize in specific health conditions, as do diabetes management nurses, who assist patients to manage diabetes. Other RNs specialize in working with one or more organs or body system types, such as dermatology nurses, who work with patients who have skin disorders. RNs may also specialize with a well-defined population, such as geriatric nurses, who work with the elderly. Some RNs may combine specialties. For example, pediatric oncology nurses deal with children and adolescents who have cancer. The opportunities for specialization in registered nursing are extensive and are often determined on the job. Overall job opportunities are expected to be excellent, but may vary by employment and geographic setting; some employers report difficulty in attracting and retaining an adequate number of RNs. The three typical educational paths to registered nursing are a bachelor's degree, an associate degree, and a diploma from an approved nursing program; advanced practice nurses—clinical nurse specialists, nurse anesthetists, nurse-midwives, and nurse practitioners—need a master’s degree. = = =Educational Requirements:= A Labor and Delivery Nurse needs to have their bachelor degree in science degree in nursing. Know that you may have to work as a general care nurse for a period of time to gain some of the required skills before moving into being a labor and delivery nurse. But because of the need for labor and delivery nurses, some hospitals are hiring graduates and placing them in a program for six months to a year where they work closely with and learn from experienced labor and delivery nurses. Certification exams can be taken after two years of working in a specialized field of care, and because of successful completion the nurse may use RN,C as part of their title. Two areas to consider are neonatal care, for seriously ill or premature newborns, and becoming a Certified Nurse Midwife.

=Colleges and Universities Programs of Study:= University of Southern California