Women's expectations of the labor and delivery nurse

Sixty-one, Lamaze-prepared, married multigravidae identified their expectations of the labor and delivery nurse in semistructured interviews conducted at 36 to 38 weeks' gestation. Findings indicate variations in the amount of involvement women expected from the nurses during labor and delivery: limited (n = 17), moderate (n = 22), or extensive (n = 22). Women varied in the amount of time they wanted nurses present, who they expected to make caregiving decisions, and whether or not they wanted nurses to assist them in managing labor and delivery.