RN Mother Baby Unit
Boise, Idaho
St. Luke's Boise Medical Center

Registered Nurse – Mother Baby Unit

Location: Boise, Idaho
Contract Length: 13 weeks
Shift: Days (12-hour shifts, 7:00 AM – 7:30 PM)
Hours per Week: 36 hours

Unit Overview

• Mother/Baby unit with 32 maternal beds and room for 32 babies (couplet care)
• Approximately 350-400 births per month
• Staffing ratio goal: 3 couplets per nurse (1:6 ratio), with magnesium patients at 1:4 ratio
• Occasional variations in ratios due to discharges or twins
• Locked unit with CNAs and unit clerk/health unit coordinator support
• Lactation consultants available; uses ABM (Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up Model)
• Contracted staff handle hearing screens, photography, car seat safety, newborn screenings, and metabolic screenings
• Neonatologist available 24/7 in NICU; newbornist/APP available 24/7 during the day
• Obstetrics hospitalist and anesthesia available 24/7

Patient Population & Care

• Postpartum mothers, well babies, some higher-risk maternal patients
• Common cases: magnesium drips, twins, c-sections (no major GYN surgeries beyond tubals), circumcision, frenectomy
• Babies requiring more than supplemental oxygen are transferred to NICU
• Rare telemetry patients, mostly moms with cardiac history

Required Certifications

• BLS (Basic Life Support)
• NRP (Neonatal Resuscitation Program)
• STABLE certification

Experience & Skills

• Must have experience in a similar Mother/Baby setting if only 1 year of RN experience
• Preferred: 2 years of experience and familiarity with magnesium drip management
• RNs are required to titrate drips such as magnesium and Pitocin per postpartum protocols

Scheduling & Work Environment

• 12-hour shifts, scheduled by management; travelers placed where needed
• Weekend requirement: every other weekend or as needed
• Holiday work expected as needed
• No formal call or standby requirement, but occasional pick-up shifts possible
• Floating required to nearby hospitals (Meridian, Nampa) and occasionally to other floors
• Dress code: clean, respectable scrubs of any solid or print color; closed-toed and heeled shoes (no crocs)

Orientation

• 2-3 shifts of orientation including floating to Meridian and Nampa hospitals
• Orientation includes day shifts and weekends as needed

Documentation & Equipment

• Charting system: Epic
• Occasional use of oxygen for mothers; babies needing advanced respiratory support transferred to NICU

Additional Notes

• Charge nurse does not take patient assignments
• Discharge nurse available during the day to assist with education