How to hire an obstetrical nurse

How to hire an obstetrical nurse, step by step

Here's a step-by-step obstetrical nurse hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an obstetrical nurse job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new obstetrical nurse
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring an obstetrical nurse, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   An obstetrical nurse's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, obstetrical nurses from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of obstetrical nurse salaries for various roles:

   Type of Obstetrical Nurse	Description	Hourly rate
   Obstetrical Nurse	Registered nurses (RNs) provide and coordinate patient care, educate patients and the public about various health conditions, and provide advice and emotional support to patients and their family members.	$26-65
   Nurse Extern	The job of a nurse extern is to assist the mentor nurse in their nursing duties. They help the mentor nurse in various medical procedures such as administering medications or starting intravenous therapies... Show more	$13-22
   Registered Nurse Charge Nurse	A registered charge nurse is responsible for supervising nurses' workflow in a particular department or area, ensuring every patient gets the proper care that they need. A registered charge nurse has the discretion to direct tasks, arrange schedules, and monitor patients, such as in the aspects of admission and discharge... Show more	$22-52

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • BLS
   • OB
   • Acls
   • Acute Care
   • NRP
   • Surgical Procedures
   • Delivery Process
   • Resuscitation
   • Labor Delivery
   • Direct Patient Care
   • Level II
   • Emergency Situations
   • Vital Signs

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage patient pain relief and sedation by providing pharmacological and non-pharmacological intervention, monitor patient response and record care plans accordingly.
   • Monitor patients' throughout epidural anesthesia and treat inadequate analgesia.
   • Monitor mother and baby during labor by performing appropriate maternal and fetal monitoring according to protocol and assist physicians during childbirth.
   • Serve as a staff nurse on the medical surgical floor as well as the ICU.
   • Provide resuscitation and care for newborns immediately after delivery care (includes infants born to mothers suffering from substance abuse).
   • Develop and implement personalized care plans for postpartum and newborn patients.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your obstetrical nurse job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. An obstetrical nurse salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, obstetrical nurses' average salary in north carolina is 47% less than in massachusetts.
   • Seniority. Entry-level obstetrical nurses earn 59% less than senior-level obstetrical nurses.
   • Certifications. An obstetrical nurse with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in an obstetrical nurse's salary.

   Average obstetrical nurse salary

   $88,059yearly

   $42.34 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level obstetrical nurse salary

   $56,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

4. Writing an obstetrical nurse job description

   A job description for an obstetrical nurse role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's an obstetrical nurse job description:

   Obstetrical nurse job description example

   At Houston Methodist, the Charge Nurse position is a licensed professional Registered Nurse (RN), who, as an experienced clinician, functions at the Competent to Proficient stage of Benner's model of clinical practice. This position creates an environment for the management and delivery of safe patient care. In addition to fulfilling the duties and responsibilities of a clinical nurse, the Charge Nurse position is a role model and coach to department personnel and assists in developing their skills and knowledge. This position provides nursing care to a diverse patient population. Besides conducting nursing assessments, assisting with exams and treatment and maintenance of medical records, this position assists in coaching and mentoring department staff in areas of clinical and professional practice. Role modeling compassionate communication with physicians and the interprofessional health care team, the Charge Nurse assumes leadership responsibilities with high level contributions at the bedside, unit, service line, and across the institution. Responsibilities for this position may include but are not limited to leading unit and shared governance activities, assessing unit needs related to practice and improvement opportunities, serving as a clinical resource for both unit and hospital staff and coordinating unit and hospital-wide education in partnership with management.
   PRIMARY JOB RESPONSIBILITIES
   Job responsibilities labeled EF capture those duties that are essential functions of the job.
   
   PEOPLE - 20%
   Fosters staff engagement by demonstrating active listening, requesting and acknowledging feedback, making equitable decisions, providing rationale when appropriate, and supporting organizational goals. Anticipates the needs of the staff members and proactively offers assistance. Role models interprofessional communication, which includes active listening and teaching, and assists with staff stress management as needed. Improves departmental scores for turnover/retention on unit-based scorecard. (EF) Role models fair and consistent leadership skills for effective team dynamics and teambuilding strategies through problem solving, coaching, and developing staff. Coaches staff to use efficient and effective communication to establish and maintain a team environment, and to include the patient and family as a part of the team regarding their plan of care. Provides input into staff performance reviews, as appropriate. (EF) Functions as a mentor and resource to unit staff, provides oversight for students/new employee/preceptorships. Identifies levels of organizational conflict and applies tools to effectively resolve concerns, complaints or conflict with patients, families, physicians and other interprofessional healthcare team members. (EF)
   SERVICE - 20%
   Leads the patient and family-centered care standards, as outlined in the Houston Methodist Professional Nursing Practice document. Mentors others regarding specialty populations; audits plan of care. Practices in a manner that is congruent with cultural diversity and inclusion principles. (EF) Maintains ongoing interactions with patients, families, and staff on the improvement of patient care through leader rounding. Ensures effective collaboration with other departments regarding patient process issues. (EF) Drives department service standards and activities to improve department score for patient satisfaction on unit-based scorecard, through role modeling and fostering accountability. (EF)
   QUALITY/SAFETY - 20%
   Models the standards of care related to the nursing process, as outlined in the Houston Methodist Professional Nursing Practice document, by actively participating in meeting and improving nurse sensitive quality indicators and patient safety goals. Participates in the creation of a continuous improvement environment by promoting situational awareness, assisting with audits as needed, and using teachable moments. (EF) Coordinates nursing care throughout the shift considering patient acuity, staff skill level and safety to ensure that our duty to our patients can be met. Models the standards related to regulatory requirements and professional practice as outlined in the Houston Methodist Professional Nursing Practice document. (EF) Facilitates seamless patient flow to/from/through the department, leading the delivery of quality family-centered care throughout the continuum of care. Ensures the patient plan of care is accurate and timely, coaching staff if documentation deficiencies are identified. Works closely with the OAs and bed management regarding timely patient placement. Proactively recognizes, determines a plan of action, and responds to situations, such as Rapid Response/CERTs, and emergency codes. (EF) Participates in initiatives to improve quality and safety scores on the unit and hospital scorecards, through peer-to-peer accountability, reporting near misses and identifying solutions by collaborating with the interprofessional team. Role models situational awareness, using teachable moments to improve safety. Assists with audits as needed. (EF)
   FINANCE - 25%
   Implements department strategies to achieve financial target on unit-based scorecard and mentors others to do the same through timely documentation of care, decreasing length of stay, optimizing efficiency, minimizing incidental overtime, and other areas according to departmental specifications. (EF) Attends daily care coordination rounds to facilitate patient progression. Ensures that follow-up has been implemented on any concerns or issues identified by the team. Manages productivity in accordance with staffing grid. (EF) Provides input into unit resource utilization including unit capital and operational budget needs. Oversees shift by shift resource utilization through the allocation of staff, supplies and contributions to the patient throughput. (EF)
   GROWTH/INNOVATION - 15%
   Fosters identification and implementation of innovative solutions for practice changes to improve patient care or unit operations such as reduction of hospital readmissions or other department-specific measures by leading and/or participating in unit projects and shared governance activities. Investigates and incorporates evidence-based practices which are presented to shared governance and leadership. Supports change initiatives and adapts to unexpected changes. (EF) Expands individual nursing knowledge and coaches staff to grow in knowledge, abilities, skills, and attitudes. Serves as clinical resource. Develops and disseminates, as appropriate, informational/educational resources and programs designed to improve quality and professional practice. (EF)
   This job description is not intended to be all inclusive; the employee will also perform other reasonably related business/job duties as assigned. Houston Methodist reserves the right to revise job duties and responsibilities as the need arises.
   
   EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS
   Bachelor of Science degree or higher from an accredited School of Nursing
   EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS
   Twenty four months of clinical nursing experience with demonstration of progressive leadership skills
   CERTIFICATIONS, LICENSES AND REGISTRATIONS REQUIRED
   Texas RN license or temporary TX RN license, should obtain permanent license within 90 days. Compact license acceptable according to current Board of Nursing requirements American Heart Association Basic Life Support (BLS) Other credentials and certifications as defined by unit/service line American Nursing Credentialing Center (ANCC)-recognized certification preferred.
   KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES REQUIRED
   Demonstrates the skills and competencies necessary to safely perform the assigned job, determined through on-going skills, competency assessments, and performance evaluations. Sufficient proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing the English language necessary to perform the essential functions of this job, especially with regard to activities impacting patient or employee safety or security. Ability to effectively communicate with patients, physicians, family members and co-workers in a manner consistent with a customer service focus and application of positive language principles. Strong assessment, organizational and problem solving skills as evidenced by capacity to prioritize multiple tasks and role components Ability to function independently and exercise judgment in interactions with physicians, interprofessional healthcare team and patients and their families. Uses critical thinking skills and clinical judgment to work autonomously as defined by the Nurse Practice Act. Demonstrates proficient time management skills. Demonstrates highly developed assessment skills; contributes to policies, procedure and protocols. Has knowledge of Nursing Unit's Dashboard and Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) scores. Demonstrates expertise in operating the electronic medical record Maintains level of professional contributions as defined in Clinical Career Path program guide
   SUPPLEMENTAL REQUIREMENTS
   
   Work AttireYes/NoUniform YesScrubsYesBusiness professional NoOther (dept. approved) No
   On-Call* Yes, on a regular basis (for Non-Exempt or Exempt jobs)*Note that employees may be required to be on-call during emergencies (i.e. Disaster, Severe Weather Event, etc.) regardless of selection above. Travel** May require travel within Yes Houston Metropolitan area
   May require travel outside No of Houston Metropolitan area
   **Travel specifications may vary by department.
   
   Please note any other special considerations to this job: __________________________
   
   Company Profile: Houston Methodist Baytown Hospital, located 35 miles southeast of Houston, is the area’s only full-service hospital offering specialized medical care for patients at every stage in life. Houston Methodist Baytown houses 226 operating beds, with 15 operating rooms and more than 1,700 employees. The hospital brings Texas Medical Center excellence and quality care close to East Harris and surrounding counties.

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5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find obstetrical nurses for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your obstetrical nurse job on Zippia to find and attract quality obstetrical nurse candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as healthcarejobsite, health jobs nationwide, hospitalcareers, medreps.com.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit obstetrical nurses, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new obstetrical nurse

   Once you've found the obstetrical nurse candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new obstetrical nurse first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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