A Swedish First Hill nurse shares why the work matters, how the team shows up for each other, and what external candidates can expect from a career in labor and delivery.

If you’re exploring your next move in labor and delivery nursing, you want to know what a hospital is really like from the inside. What kind of team will surround you? What does support look like day to day? And what makes people stay and grow in their roles? We spoke with Audrey, a labor and delivery nurse at Swedish First Hill, who shares why she chooses to build her career here.

Providence Swedish creates space for personalized care for all.

Born and raised in Seattle, Audrey went to nursing school in Michigan but knew she wanted to return to the Puget Sound and work at Providence Swedish because of our mission to improve the health and well-being of each person we serve. She loves how the mission comes to life through staffing ratios in labor and delivery.

 “I just love the values that Providence Swedish has upheld, including patient-centered care and the nursing-to-patient ratio in labor and delivery,” Audrey says “Once somebody’s in active labor, they typically have one nurse, which means we get to stay at the bedside with them through contractions, pushing and all the emotions that come with meeting a new family member. I have the opportunity to walk through these really vulnerable moments with families, and I can give them my full attention and care. That’s been really special.”

Providence Swedish builds RN teams that show up for each other.

Here, we know that team culture isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s a critical part of excellent care. When caregivers feel supported, they’re better able to support their patients.

When Audrey describes her team, what comes through most clearly is how much people care about each other. She talks about experienced nurses who want others to succeed, teammates who step in when things get busy and leaders who make space to talk through hard moments. “People really show up for each other here, and you can feel that support when you need it most,” she says. In a setting as intense as labor and delivery, that kind of support matters.

What does that support look like? “Support looks like physical support, like people coming to the bedside to help with position changes and bringing medications and that sort of thing, but also emotional support as well,” says Audrey. “Being a nurse is hard and I feel like I’m able to process that with my managers and my other coworkers. I feel heard and seen here and taken care of emotionally, which is really important to me.”

That culture is one of the biggest reasons she has stayed. “People rally for each other in hard moments,” Audrey continues. “People have each other’s back here, and that’s why I haven’t left, and that’s why I continue to want to stay at Providence Swedish. Our team is like glue.”

Providence Swedish supports new and new-to-specialty RNs.

The way a hospital welcomes and develops new nurses says a lot about its culture. Audrey can speak to this firsthand, having completed her RN residency here after nursing school, then a labor and delivery fellowship. For her, the transition was made possible through structured training, mentorship and time to learn. As Audrey puts it, “You don’t have to have it all figured out right away. You can grow into this role with the right support around you.”

She also appreciates the way experienced nurses invest in newer team members. “A lot of people talk about experienced nurses as if they’re eating their young. I feel that the experienced nurses here want the newer nurses to be successful. We want people to thrive.”

One example of this is the unit’s buddy system. “When I first joined the unit, an experienced nurse would be paired with a newer nurse, and it was a really cool way to build friendships,” Audrey says. “It helped people check in on us both inside and outside of work and make sure we didn’t get lost. There are a lot of nurses in a big unit and a big hospital like this one, so having that buddy system was really helpful.”

Audrey has also felt supported by:

• Her fellowship cohort.
• The 20-week orientation to get familiar with different things like multiple deliveries, C-sections, vaginal deliveries, etc.
• Team potlucks to celebrate individual and team successes.
• Self-scheduling, where nurses select which days they want to work to help them balance work and life.

Providence Swedish ensures that growth is part of the role.

Audrey also points to something many candidates want but don’t always see clearly from the outside: real room to grow. She describes opportunities to build leadership skills, pursue specialty certifications and gain experience across a wide range of patient needs and clinical situations. That kind of growth can matter just as much as the first job offer, especially for nurses who are thinking about where they want to be several years from now. At Providence Swedish, the role isn’t only about stepping into labor and delivery. It’s also about continuing to develop once you get there.

Work with us in labor and delivery

If you’re a labor and delivery RN looking for genuine support and long-term opportunity, now’s a great time to take a closer look at our open roles or create or update your Talent Network profile.