Roles and Experiences of Registered Nurses on Labor and Delivery Units in the United States during the COVID-19 Pandemic

George, Erin K.; Weiseth, Amber; Edmonds, Joyce K.

Objective To examine the roles and experiences of labor and delivery (LD) nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Design Cross-sectional survey. Setting Online distribution between the beginning of July and end of August 2020 Participants Labor and delivery nurses (N = 757) responded to an open-ended question about changes to their roles during the COVID-19 pandemic as part of a larger national survey. Methods We calculated descriptive statistics on respondents’ characteristics and their hospitals’ characteristics. We applied conventional content analysis to free text comments. Results We derived four major categories from the responses: Changes in Roles and Responsibilities, Adaptations to Changes, Psychological Changes, and Perceived Effects on Labor Support. Nearly half (n = 328) of respondents reported changes in their roles and responsibilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. They described adaptations and responses to these changes and perceived effects on patient care. Infection control policies and practices and the stress of a rapidly changing work environment affected the provision of labor support and personal well-being. Conclusion The experiences described by respondents conveyed considerable changes in their roles and subsequent direct and indirect effects on quality of patient care and personal well-being. Policies and practices that can facilitate the ability of LD nurses to safely and securely remain at the bedside and provide high-touch, hands-on labor support are needed. The findings of our study can help facilitate the provision of labor support during times of disruption and foster the resiliency of the nursing workforce.