Labor and Delivery (L&D)

Patient Population

Obstetrical patients over 20 weeks gestation with or without high-risk or other pre-existing conditions and newborns.

Number of Beds

11 L&D, 7 assessment room beds, 5 recovery room beds and 2 ORs, 3 High dependency beds.

Occupancy Rate

100 % - 7,500 deliveries per year.

Hours of Operation

24 Hours / 7 days week - 12 hour shifts rotating days and nights.

Staff Categories

• Nurse Manager
• Care Coordinators
• Clinical Resource Nurse
• Staff Nurse 1, Obstetrical L&D nurses rotate as OR circulator and
• Staff Nurse 2, Recovery Room nurse
• Nurse Midwives *
• Patient Care Technicians with OR scrub tech duties
• Unit Assistants
• Nursing Students
• Nurse Intern
• Nurse Resident

Primary Patient Diagnoses / Conditions

Laboring patients with or without high risk factors such as PIH, HELLP, diabetes, multiple gestation, pre-term labor, etc. Laboring patients with or without pathological conditions e.g. cardiac, renal. neurological, cancer conditions, etc.

PROCEDURES (Examples)

• Physical and obstetrical assessment and management of laboring patients with or without associated high risk or pathologic conditions
• Stabilization of pre-term labor - IV Ritrodrine administration
• Stabilization of severe PIH  - Administration of MgSO4 and anti-hypertensives e.g. Apresoline
• Induction / augmentation of labor
• Fetal (CTG) monitoring and interpretation of strips
• Routine labor, delivery and postpartum care
• Initial assessment and care of the newborn
• Pre and post operative care and recovery for cescarean sections and minor D&C's for retained product
• Foley catheter insertion
• Delivery of IUFD over 20 weeks
• Obtain blood specimens. IV insertion and maintenance
• IV Therapy, blood and blood product administration
• Diabetic protocol and random blood sugar testing
• IV Heparin protocol
• Calculation of medication dosages by weight
• Calculation of intake and output by weight
• Patient / family teaching and support

Nursing Care Delivery System

Total patient care in a Partnership model.

* Nurse Midwives provides total care/delivery to low-risk, uncomplicated patients and their newborns. When midwife patients are unavailable, the MW will function in the role of an obstetrical L&D nurse and will not do deliveries.