Obstetric LPNs
Career Guide: Salary, Job Duties, and More
This page offers details on the expected salaries, day-to-day job duties, and additional insights for those exploring or considering a career as a obstetric LPN.
What is a Obstetric LPN?
Obstetric licensed practical nurses are critical yet often overlooked members of labor and delivery teams. They assist physicians, nurses, and midwives before, during, and after childbirth by confirming patient charts, preparing the birthing environment, handing tools, tracking vital statistics, helping with tests, and transporting moms and infants. Their wide-ranging medical, technical, and clerical duties need training in obstetrical care and a dedication to patient well-being and safety guidelines.
Though they operate behind the scenes, obstetric LPNs support care providers with the complex needs of childbirth. Their communication, flexibility, and levelheadedness under duress make them vital to seamless workflows and favorable outcomes in the birthing suite.
Read on to learn more about the steps to train for this position, and answers to commonly asked questions.
Key Responsibilities of a Obstetric LPN
The role requires expertise in childbirth procedures, familiarity with specialized equipment, and knowledge of maternal-fetal safety best practices. Obstetric LPNs provide critical assistance so that doctors, nurses, and midwives can effectively concentrate on the complexities of labor and delivery.
With strong organizational skills and the ability to work well under pressure, they help ensure seamless flow in the birthing suite.
- Preparing birthing rooms by sanitizing equipment and stocking necessary supplies
- Assisting the obstetric team with gowning and gloving prior to delivery
- Coordinating and processing necessary documentation like birth plans
- Facilitating communication between families and healthcare staff
- Assisting doctors, nurses, and midwives during labor by passing instruments, applying warm compresses, and adjusting bed positions
- Monitoring and maintaining sterile fields throughout delivery
- Preparing maternal-fetal specimens for transport after birth
The outlook for careers as obstetric LPNs appears promising over the next decade, with job growth projected to outpace the average rate substantially. Underlying this robust expansion is a confluence of factors fueling greater demand. An increasing birth rate, technological progress in maternal-fetal medicine spurring the need for specialized assistants, and the proliferation of birthing centers where many deliveries occur, are all converging to heighten demand.
Obstetric LPNs possessing certification and adaptability performing diverse childbirth procedures should encounter expanding job prospects and avenues for career advancement amid these supportive conditions. The combination of rapid growth and the value of specialized skills points toward a favorable environment for those training to enter this vital role within the healthcare workforce supporting labor and delivery.
National Average: $49,850.00
| U.S. Regions | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| West | $63,324.00 |
| Midwest | $49,109.00 |
| Northeast | $62,182.00 |
| Southwest | $51,733.00 |
| Southeast | $51,501.00 |
Additional Key Information:
| Salary Range | $48,500.00 entry level to $69,499.00+ |
| Common Benefits | Health insurance, retirement, vacation & bonuses |
How Do I Become a Obstetric LPN?
Pursuing a career as an obstetric LPN to support doctors, nurses, and midwives in labor and delivery is an incredibly rewarding path for those interested in women’s health. Properly preparing for this critical role requires progressing through key education, certification, and practical experience milestones:
Education
- Earn a high school diploma or equivalent to establish baseline skills and knowledge for further development
- Enroll in a 1 year LPN diploma program or 2 year associate's degree covering maternal-fetal care, childbirth procedures, pharmacology, anatomy, patient education, and delivery assistance.
Certification
- Obtain relevant credentials like CPT, CMAA, or CLC to demonstrate expertise in areas like medical terminology, clinical processes, patient care, and childbirth standards.
Practical Experience
- Complete a supervised clinical rotation internship or externship offered through quality programs.
Those aspiring to become obstetric LPNs have a rewarding career ahead helping care teams in labor and delivery. The key is laying the proper foundation through education, hands-on training, and credentialing. Enroll in an accredited LPN program specializing in maternal-fetal care to establish core knowledge. Reinforce learning via clinical externships offered in quality programs.
Consider relevant part-time work for added exposure as well. Certifications like CLC boost qualifications and job prospects. Keeping these pointers in mind will lead to success in launching this fulfilling career supporting critical childbirth procedures.
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