11 Steps to Become a Labor and Delivery Nurse

To become a labor and delivery nurse, you must first become a registered nurse (RN). This involves earning an Associate’s Degree in Nursing (ADN) or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). After graduating, you must pass the NCLEX-RN exam to get your nursing license. Most labor and delivery units require RNs to have clinical experience before specializing.

Introduction: Is a Career in Labor and Delivery Nursing Right for You?

So, you feel the calling. You’re drawn to the incredible, chaotic, and beautiful world of childbirth. The thought of helping bring new life into the world gives you chills. A career as a labor and delivery nurse might be your perfect path. But let’s be crystal clear from the start: this job is so much more than just cuddling newborns.

Step 1: The High School Foundation for Your Nursing Career

Believe it or not, your journey to becoming a delivery nurse begins long before you ever set foot in a nursing program. It starts in high school. Building a strong academic foundation is the first critical step to getting into a competitive nursing school. You don’t need to have your entire life planned out, but focusing on the right subjects will make your application much stronger.

Your biggest focus should be on science and math. Load up your schedule with as much biology, chemistry, anatomy, and physiology as your school offers. These courses will give you the essential knowledge you’ll need to succeed in the rigorous college-level science courses that are the bedrock of any nursing degree. A solid understanding of these subjects is non-negotiable for anyone aspiring to become a registered nurse.

Beyond academics, start thinking about gaining relevant experience. Volunteer at a local hospital or community health clinic. Even if you’re just stocking supplies or transporting patients, it shows initiative and gives you your first taste of a clinical environment. Getting your Basic Life Support (BLS) certification is another fantastic move. Every little bit helps build a compelling profile for that all-important nursing school application.

Step 2: Choosing Your Path – ADN vs. BSN Nursing Degree

• Associate’s Degree in Nursing (ADN): This is typically a two-year program offered at community colleges. It’s the faster and often more affordable route to becoming an RN. It provides you with the core knowledge and clinical practice needed to pass your licensing exam and start working.
• Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN): This is a four-year program offered at colleges and universities. A BSN provides a more comprehensive education, including courses in nursing research, leadership, and community health.

So, which one should you choose if your goal is to become a labor and delivery nurse? While you can become a registered nurse with an ADN, more and more hospitals, especially competitive ones, prefer or even require their specialty nurses to have a BSN. A BSN can open up more job opportunities and is often necessary for future leadership roles. If you start with an ADN, you can always go back to school later through an RN-to-BSN bridge program.

Step 3: Excelling in Your Nursing Program and Clinical Rotations

You got in! You’ve been accepted into a nursing program. Now the real work begins. Nursing school is an intense experience that will test your academic, clinical, and emotional limits. It’s designed to forge you into a competent and safe nursing professional. To succeed, you need to be dedicated, organized, and ready to absorb a massive amount of information.

Your time will be split between classroom lectures and clinical rotations. The classroom portion will cover everything from pharmacology to pathophysiology. But the clinical experience is where you’ll truly learn what it means to be a nurse. You’ll rotate through different departments in a hospital—like medical-surgical, pediatrics, and critical care—applying what you’ve learned to real patients.

During your nursing program, be an active and engaged learner. Ask questions. Seek out opportunities. If you have a chance to do a clinical rotation on a labor and delivery unit or in postpartum care, jump on it! This is your first chance to see if labor and delivery nursing is truly the right fit for you. It’s also an incredible opportunity to network and make a good impression on the managers and delivery nurses who could one day be your colleagues.

Step 4: The Biggest Hurdle – Passing the NCLEX-RN Exam

You’ve tossed your cap in the air at graduation. You have your nursing degree. But you are not a registered nurse yet. First, you must face the biggest hurdle in every nursing student’s path: the NCLEX-RN exam. The National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses is the standardized test that every nursing graduate in the country must pass to prove they have the minimum level of knowledge and skills required for safe nursing practice.

Passing this exam is a non-negotiable step. You cannot get your license without it. The test is a computer-adaptive exam, meaning the questions get harder or easier based on your answers. It covers a huge range of topics, from patient safety and pharmacology to psychosocial integrity.

Preparing for the NCLEX-RN is a marathon, not a sprint. Most graduates spend several months after graduation in dedicated study. There are countless review courses, study books, and question banks available. Find a study method that works for you and stick to it. This test is less about memorizing facts and more about critical thinking and applying your nursing judgment. Passing it is the final gateway to starting your career.

Step 5: Becoming a Licensed Registered Nurse (RN)

Once you receive that magical “pass” on your NCLEX-RN results, you can officially apply for your nursing license. This is the moment you’ve been working toward for years. The process involves submitting an application, your exam results, and a background check to your state’s Board of Nursing. Once they approve everything, you will be issued a license number, and you can officially call yourself a Registered Nurse (RN).

This license is your legal authority to practice nursing. It signifies to the public and to employers that you have met a rigorous set of educational and examination standards. But your responsibility doesn’t end there. To maintain your license, you’ll need to complete a certain number of continuing education hours every few years, ensuring that your medical skills and knowledge stay current throughout your delivery nurse career. Becoming a registered nurse is a huge achievement, but it’s also the true beginning of your journey in the delivery nursing field.

A summary of the primary pathways and timelines involved in becoming a specialized labor and delivery nurse.

Stage	Key Requirement	Typical Duration	Primary Outcome
Foundational Education	Earn a nursing degree (ADN or BSN)	2-4 years	Eligibility to take the nursing licensure exam.
Licensure	Pass the NCLEX-RN exam	2-3 months of study	License to practice as a Registered Nurse (RN).
General Experience	Work as an RN in a hospital setting	1-2 years	Gain core clinical experience and medical skills.
Specialization	Secure a position in a labor and delivery unit	Varies	Begin on-the-job specialized training in obstetric nursing.
Certification	Pass a certification exam (e.g., RNC-OB)	2+ years of specialty experience	Professional credential verifying expertise in labor and delivery nursing.
Advanced Practice	Earn a Master’s or Doctoral degree	2-4 additional years	Ability to practice in leadership roles or as a Certified Nurse-Midwife.

Sources: Data compiled from the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN), the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Step 6: Gaining Essential Post-Graduation Clinical Experience

Here’s a hard truth that many aspiring labor and delivery nurses are surprised to learn: it’s very rare to get a job in a labor and delivery unit as a brand-new graduate. L&D is a high-risk, high-acuity specialty. Things can go from perfectly normal to a life-threatening emergency in seconds. Because of this, most hospitals and birthing centers want their delivery nurses to have a solid foundation of general nursing skills before they specialize.

This means your first job as a registered nurse will likely be in a different department, most commonly on a medical-surgical (“med-surg”) unit. Don’t be discouraged by this! Working in med-surg for a year or two is an invaluable experience. You will master fundamental skills like time management, patient assessment, administering medications, and communicating with doctors. This is where you truly gain clinical experience and build the confidence you’ll need to handle the pressures of labor and delivery nursing.

Think of this time as your postgraduate training. It’s where you learn how to be a nurse. Once you have that solid clinical practice under your belt, you will be a much stronger and more desirable candidate for any open delivery nursing positions.

Step 7: The Specialized Training You’ll Need for L&D

While you’re gaining that crucial hands-on experience as a registered nurse, you can also start acquiring the specialized training that will make your application for a labor and delivery nurse job stand out. This shows hiring managers that you are serious and proactive about your career goals.

Here are some key certifications and skills you should pursue:

• Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS): While Basic Life Support (BLS) is required for all nurses, ACLS is often required for nurses in critical care areas like labor and delivery, as you’ll be managing medical emergencies for both the mother and baby.
• Fetal Monitoring Certification: This is a huge one. An electronic fetal monitoring certification shows you have the specialized knowledge to interpret fetal heart rate patterns, which is a core skill for every labor and delivery nurse.
• NRP (Neonatal Resuscitation Program): This certification teaches you the skills needed to resuscitate a newborn if they are not breathing at birth—an absolutely essential skill for delivery nurses.

Taking the initiative to get this specialized training before you even apply for delivery nursing positions demonstrates your commitment and puts you head and shoulders above other applicants.

Step 8: How to Land Your Dream Job on a Labor and Delivery Unit

The time has come. You’re an experienced registered nurse with some specialized training under your belt. You’re ready to make the move. Landing your first job as a labor and delivery nurse is a competitive process, so you need a strategy.

First, perfect your resume. Tailor it specifically for labor and delivery nursing positions. Create a “skills” section that highlights your certifications like ACLS and fetal monitoring. In your cover letter, express your deep passion for obstetric nursing and assisting expectant mothers.

Next, network like your career depends on it—because it does. Talk to the manager of the labor and delivery unit at your current hospital. Let them know you’re interested and ask if you can shadow a delivery nurse for a shift. Making a personal connection is infinitely more powerful than just being a random name on an application. When a position finally opens up, you’ll be at the top of their list. Be prepared to ace the interview by having thoughtful answers ready about why you want this specific job and how you handle high-stress situations.

Step 9: Advancing Your Career with Certifications

Once you’re working as a labor and delivery nurse, your education isn’t over. The best delivery nurses are lifelong learners. The field of obstetric nursing is always evolving, and pursuing advanced certification is the best way to stay at the top of your game. This is how you go from being a good delivery nurse to a great one.

The gold standard certification for labor and delivery nurses is the RNC-OB (Registered Nurse Certified in Inpatient Obstetric Nursing). This certification is offered by the National Certification Corporation and signifies that you are an expert in the field. To be eligible, you need at least two years of specialty experience in labor and delivery nursing.

Earning this credential demonstrates your commitment to the highest standards of patient-centered care. It validates your knowledge in everything from the birthing process to postpartum care and managing medical emergencies. It not only boosts your confidence and skills but can also lead to better job opportunities and open doors to leadership roles within your labor and delivery unit.

Step 10: A Day in the Life of a Labor and delivery Nurse

So, what is it actually like to work a 12-hour shift as a labor and delivery nurse? It is a whirlwind of intense focus, deep compassion, and organized chaos. Your shift begins with getting a handoff report on your patients. You might be assigned to an expectant mother who is in the early stages of labor, another who is in active labor and needs constant support, and a third who is undergoing an induction.

For each patient, you are their lifeline. You are constantly monitoring two patients at once: the mother and the baby. This means keeping a close eye on the mother’s vital signs and pain levels, and continuously interpreting the squiggly lines of the electronic fetal monitoring strip. You’ll be administering medications, providing pain management options, and offering endless emotional support. You’ll be the one providing support and encouragement to the expectant mother and her partner, coaching them through the delivery process. And if a medical emergency arises, you are a critical part of the team working to ensure the safety of both the mother and the baby. It is a physically and emotionally draining, yet incredibly rewarding, career.

Step 11: Beyond the Bedside: Future Job Opportunities and Leadership Roles

A career in labor and delivery nursing doesn’t have to be confined to the bedside. Once you have years of valuable clinical experience, a whole new world of job opportunities can open up. Your expertise as a delivery nurse is a highly valuable asset that can be applied in many different areas of the nursing career field.

Here are just a few paths your delivery nurse career could take:

• Charge Nurse or Unit Manager: If you have strong leadership skills, you could move into management roles within your labor and delivery unit, overseeing staff and daily operations.
• Clinical Nurse Educator: If you love teaching, you could become an educator responsible for training new labor and delivery nurses and keeping the entire staff up-to-date on the latest nursing practice.
• Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM): If you find you want to be even more involved in the birthing process, you can pursue a more comprehensive education. By earning a master’s or doctoral degree, you can become a certified nurse-midwife, which would allow you to manage pregnancies and deliver babies yourself.
• Lactation Consultant: Many delivery nurses specialize further by becoming certified lactation consultants, providing crucial support to new mothers in the immediate postpartum period.

The job prospects for experienced labor and delivery nurses are excellent, offering many avenues for growth.

Often Asked Questions