A nurse is a health care professional who cares for patients when they are sick. Nurses also work with people who are healthy to help them maintain good health. Labor and delivery nurses assist pregnant women through the birthing process. An effective labor and delivery nurse can help a woman have an easy labor and a healthy child. When interviewing a candidate for the position focus on her credentials as well as her understanding of the needs of both mother and child.
Instructions
1. Request her resume. A candidate should have at least one or two copies of her resume on hand. The resume should be organized in a manner that immediately states her credentials for the position. A good resume should help you understand the candidate's background at a glance.
2. Ask the nurse to describe his undergraduate educational experiences.To become a labor and delivery nurse the candidate must complete at least two years of undergraduate post-secondary education at a school of nursing or community college. Many nurses also complete a bachelor's degree in the field as well. During this time they are exposed to many different areas of medicine. The candidate should be able to describe his experiences as a student nurse and how these experiences helped him understand what is required for the position.
3. Talk to the job candidate about her direct work in the field. After graduation many nurses decide to specialize in a specific area. An ideal candidate for the position of labor and delivery nurse should have at least one year of experience working in the labor and delivery area of a hospital, with a midwife or in a freestanding birthing center. The nurse should be able to talk to you about her understanding of methods used to help relieve labor pains, such as the insertions of epidural medications and the use of Lamaze breathing techniques. Candidates should also be familiar with standard labor procedures, such as measuring the APGAR scores of a newborn and assisting a doctor as she stitches up an episiotomy.
4. Speak to the person being interviewed about his certifications. Many hospitals prefer or even require labor and delivery nurses to have certifications that can help a laboring mother and newborn mother. Such certifications may include courses in lactation consultancy to assist in establishing breastfeeding techniques. A candidate should be able to explain how he would help a new mother bond with her infant as well as how he would help her learn to carry the newborn properly.
5. Have the interviewee discuss any work she's done outside of a hospital setting with babies and pregnant women. Ask the person being interviewed if she's done any additional work in the field such as assisting in an obstetrician's office or volunteering to help with low-income pregnant women.
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