Labor & Delivery Nurse
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Parkridge East Hospital

Registered Nurse - Labor & Delivery

Location: Chattanooga, Tennessee
Employment Type: Travel Contract
Contract Length: 13 weeks
Hours per Week: 36

Unit Overview

• Labor & Delivery unit with 9 labor rooms, 6 triage rooms, 3 antepartum rooms, and 3 operating rooms.
• Patient ratios:

  • Laboring patients: 1:1 to 1:2
  • Antepartum: 1:2 to 1:3
  • Cesarean section and PACU: 1:1
• Staffing includes an OB tech for cesarean scrubbing and vaginal delivery assistance, a dedicated charge nurse for triage and transport, and a unit secretary (7:00 AM to 11:00 PM).
• Possible floating to Mother Baby unit, but not frequently; no floating to other departments.
• Documentation systems used: Meditech and Centricity.
• Scheduling requires 3 shifts per week; working during winter holidays requires 1-2 shifts or evenings.

Patient Care & Procedures

• Procedures performed: cervical exams, intrauterine pressure catheter (IUPC) and fetal scalp electrode (FSE) placement, vaginal deliveries, IV starts with lab draws, circulating during cesarean sections, and recovery care post-cesarean (usually spinal anesthesia, occasionally general anesthesia).
• Advanced tools used include Jada, fetal pillow, and Cook's catheters.
• Most nursing staff have completed Spinning Babies or Supporting Vaginal Birth classes to improve patient outcomes.

Certifications & Licenses Required

• Valid Registered Nurse (RN) license in Tennessee
• Minimum 2 years of Labor & Delivery nursing experience, including experience within the last year
• Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS)
• Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) certification
• Basic Life Support (BLS)
• Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP)
• Experience with intrauterine pressure catheter (IUPC) placement

Additional Highlights

• Community hospital with over 200 births per month and significant growth including new practices and providers.
• 24-hour coverage by MD and Certified Nurse Midwife through a laborist program.
• Dedicated anesthesia providers available 24/7.
• First hospital in Chattanooga to offer nitrous oxide therapy for labor pain management alongside epidural analgesia.
• Recently renovated labor & delivery and mother-baby units, adding six new state-of-the-art mother-baby rooms.

Dress Code

• Solid color scrubs in black, grey, or pink only.
• No patterns, sweatshirts, or t-shirts allowed.