In 2022, the American Hospital Association (AHA) reported there had been a 120% increase in travel nurse positions in the United States over the previous three years. Travel nurses who specialize in labor and delivery are especially in demand, as noted in reports from the healthcare staffing organizations Triage and AMN Healthcare in 2023 and 2024, respectively.
For individuals considering attending nursing school and exploring which career to choose, the growth of travel nursing — particularly for those who work in labor and delivery — could make it a great choice. Before deciding to become a labor and delivery travel nurse, however, prospective nurses should learn more about what type of work the job entails, the skills it requires, and the outlook for its continued growth.
Labor and Delivery Travel Nurse Job Description
Travel nurses fill temporary positions in hospitals and other healthcare facilities as well as in home-based care. Traveling to work in different U.S. cities or in other countries, these nurses fill positions at the following levels:
Licensed practical nurse (LPN) or licensed vocational nurse (LVN), providing basic care
Registered nurse (RN), coordinating and providing patient care
Nurse practitioner (NP), providing many of the same services as physicians
Labor and delivery travel nurses are travel nurses who focus specifically on caring for women and newborns throughout the childbirth process and immediately following delivery.
Work Settings for Labor and Delivery Travel Nurses
Travel nurses may work away from home for days or weeks at a time, or they might spend months or years in a specific location. Those who specialize in labor and delivery can work in any of a broad range of settings to care for women and their newborns before, during, and after childbirth.
Among these settings are:
Hospital maternity wards
Outpatient medical facilities
Birthing centers
Private OB-GYN practices
Private homes
Job Responsibilities of Labor and Delivery Travel Nurses
Labor and delivery travel nurses help guide and support women during the process of giving birth, providing early labor to postpartum care. Once the baby is born, these nurses also focus on caring for the newborn. They spend most of their time with patients, often providing care during multiple births in a day.
Most labor and delivery travel nurses have the same general responsibilities. Some also may have other more specialized responsibilities, focused on the different stages of childbirth or on the procedures performed during the process, depending on the facilities where they are working and the facilities’ staffing needs.
General Job Responsibilities
While their specific tasks can vary according to factors like state regulations or the level of the nurse — LPN/LVN, RN, or NP — the work of labor and delivery travel nurses typically centers on some key responsibilities. Among their general responsibilities are the following:
Monitoring the vital signs of women and newborns during labor and delivery
Assisting with administering medications, inducing labor, and managing epidurals
Identifying complications and assisting with their treatment
Timing contractions during labor
Coaching women during labor and delivery
Assisting with cesarean section (C-section) procedures
Educating women about breastfeeding
Providing care for new mothers until they leave the medical facility
Reporting to other medical professionals about the status of the mother’s and the baby’s condition
Antepartum Care Responsibilities
Labor and delivery travel nurses who work in roles focused on antepartum care are responsible for monitoring the health of the mother and baby just before delivery. Nurses who work in antepartum care handle tasks such as regularly assessing the mother’s labor status and blood pressure as well as the baby’s pulse.
Scrub Nurse Responsibilities
In some cases, medical facilities need labor and delivery travel nurses to assist surgeons during C-sections. Their work typically includes ensuring that surgeons have the medical instruments required for the procedure.
Circulating Nurse Responsibilities
Labor and delivery travel nurses who handle circulating nurse duties also work in operating rooms. They care for mothers during C-section procedures.
Postpartum Care Responsibilities
Travel nurses asked to handle labor and delivery postpartum care are responsible for assisting both the mother and the newborn following childbirth. This work can include tasks such as:
Assisting with bathing the baby
Helping the mother in breastfeeding
Monitoring the mother for symptoms of postpartum depression
Checking the vital signs of the mother and the baby and watching for potential complications
Nursery Care Responsibilities
For labor and delivery travel nurses assigned to facilities with nurseries for newborns, their work may require them to care for babies while they are in that area and away from their mothers. This work can range from monitoring their vital signs to changing their diapers.
Fundamental Skills of Labor and Delivery Travel Nurses
For those interested in exploring how to become a travel nurse who specializes in labor and delivery, the path depends on the level of nurse, LPN/LVN, RN, or NP, as each has different education, experience, and certification requirements. However, there are some critical skills that all labor and delivery travel nurses should master to excel at their careers. The following skills are among the fundamental capabilities that these nursing professionals should acquire:
Critical Thinking
Nurses need the ability to determine their patients’ conditions and what steps to take to address any complications that arise. Excessive bleeding in mothers or abnormal heartbeats in newborns, for example, may require quick action, so labor and delivery travel nurses should be skilled at performing regular assessments and deciding what types of care their patients require.
Compassion
Labor and delivery can be an emotional experience for mothers and their loved ones. Travel nurses who work with these patients need the ability to offer emotional support, including encouragement and reassurance, throughout the childbirth process.
Communication
All labor and delivery nurses work in teams with other healthcare professionals. They need to be able to effectively communicate with their colleagues as well as their patients and their patients’ families so everyone remains up to date on the conditions and needs of the mothers and their babies. For travel nurses, good communication is even more important as they work to comply with the policies and procedures of the different healthcare facilities where they are working.
Job Outlook for Labor and Delivery Travel Nurses
The job outlook for all nurses, including travel nurses, is strong, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The BLS projects employment of RNs will increase 6% between 2022 and 2032, and employment of LPNs/LVNs will grow 5% during that same period. For NPs, growth projections are even better, with the BLS expecting a 45% increase in employment for NPs between 2022 and 2032. The average growth projected for all jobs the BLS tracks is 3%.
The nurse staffing challenges that medical facilities experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic continue to create problems. Hospitals and other providers are still navigating the disruptions that have left many grappling with increased patient loads, requiring them to hire temporary staff to ensure they can continue to provide high-quality care.
Help Address Gaps in Labor and Delivery Nurse Staffing
Labor and delivery travel nursing offers nurses the opportunity to assist mothers and newborns throughout the childbirth process while also helping medical facilities meet their staffing needs. If you are ready to develop the clinical and interpersonal skills required to become a labor and delivery travel nurse, explore the nursing school programs at Fortis.
With practical nursing and Associate Degree in Nursing programs, Fortis offers those interested in labor and delivery travel nursing the opportunity to gain the knowledge and hands-on experience they need to start — or pursue advancement in — this rewarding and growing career.
Discover how a Fortis nursing school program can help you reach your nursing goals.
Recommended Readings
How Long Does It Take to Become a Nurse?
How to Become a Labor and Delivery Nurse
LPN vs. RN: What’s the Difference?