Nurses of Note 2024: The Labor and Delivery Director

PerfectServe’s Nurses of Note awards program honors those who help us define what it means to be a nurse. They’re selected from a large group of nominees and stand out for their diligence, passion, leadership, and devotion to caring for others.

For the fourth year of the program, PerfectServe is highlighting nurses who have gone a step beyond the rest in their careers. Though we believe all nurses make extraordinary contributions, these honorees stood out to us for their steadfast dedication to the field of nursing, helping to paint a picture of the difference they make for their patients and communities every single day.

In-depth profiles of select winners will be published each month for the rest of the year, so make sure to bookmark our blog to learn more about their stories!

The Labor & Delivery Director (Metairie, LA) – Barbara Carson

Barbara Carson rises every morning at 4:45 to start her day off at the gym. As a Nurse Manager at East Jefferson General Hospital (EJGH) in Metairie, Louisiana, Barbara wears quite a few hats. For starters, she’s the nurse manager of the Labor & Delivery and 4 West, Woman & Child Clinic, and The Breastfeeding Centers. She first entered this role right after Hurricane Katrina ripped through the South in 2005. Later on, she also took on the role of L&D manager. 

For someone with so many titles, it’s no wonder her day begins before 5 AM. After her workout, she starts each day rounding all the units, but from there, no two days are alike. Barbara works in three distinct areas: Lactation, Labor & Delivery (including an OBED and antenatal unit), and a Perinatology clinic. She oversees the lactation consultants, and as a Baby Friendly and GIFT-designated facility, these consultants are always busy. Barbara shared that this department is currently working through an evidence-based project to create quality improvement initiatives, which will all lead to improved patient care.   

In fact, as much as Barbara’s role focuses on overseeing these departments, she’s also heavily involved in mentoring, education, and professional development initiatives for nurses. She frequently hires nurses who are pursuing their bachelor’s or master’s degrees in nursing, guiding them along the way.   

“Anything I can do to help them reach their goals, whether it be having flexibility with the schedule, writing letters of recommendation, or ensuring they are aware of financial support available, I am going to do it,” Barbara said. “Whilst I am always sad when nurses leave, I am also happy that they are pursuing their dreams.” 

The support she gives comes in many forms, including study sessions and guides, resource books, and even review classes. She even designed a “Certification Survival Kit” for nurses on her team because, when she first stepped into her role, there was very little support of that nature in place. This included gifts and resources to help nurses feel supported and to relieve stress.  

“[I want to] let them know ‘you got this,’” Barbara said. “I try to recognize the staff with fun gifts of appreciation from ‘booby mugs’ to T-shirts to ultrasound tech bags.”

No matter who she’s supporting, Barbara believes in leading by example and maintains her IBCLC, LCCE, and RNC-OB certifications. She feels certifications are important to professional growth and helping each nurse climb their personal career ladder. EJGH has a 100% certification rate in Lactation, the clinic, and the L&D department, with several nurses having more than one certification while working towards others.  

“I make sure they are apprised of opportunities for personal growth: Professional membership and meetings, educational offerings and conferences, and volunteer opportunities,” she said. “We participate annually in the Evidence-Based Practice Fair and have changed practices as a result of these projects. For example, weighing the infant immediately prior to discharge and delaying the infant bath.”  

Barbara has taught many classes in the past. She is a Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator, and though she doesn’t teach these classes anymore, her past students now teach the prenatal series of the classes she used to teach. Today, she’s a Basic Life Support instructor.   

Barbara’s experience over the years has made her passionate about shared governance. She feels it’s essential both to the strength and growth of an organization’s care delivery model and to creating a supportive atmosphere. Barbara says whether it be moral support, equipment needs, a place to vent, or tears of sadness or happiness, frontline staff need to know their voices are always heard.  

I’m a firm believer in change coming from frontline staff and want to do everything I can to support the staff,” she said. “I love my nurses, OB techs, ultrasound techs, and secretaries and want them all to have a voice, of which Shared Governance is an integral part.”

Part of EJGH’s culture is building a strong community. As one example, every year, the hospital hosts a Trunk or Treat celebration! Units are encouraged to participate in a themed display to visit children around Halloween. Barbara highlighted a few of her favorites from over the years: Pirates of the Caribbean (where a fire alarm was accidentally set off due to a smoke machine), Harry Potter, Peter Pan, and The Wizard of Oz. Another event close to Barbara’s heart is the March of Dimes—she makes sure a team is organized every year to raise money and participate in the local walk.    

Thank You 

Nurses like Barbara stand out from the crowd because they go above their station to support and encourage other providers. Barbara, thanks for what you do for your entire organization and the community at large! From nurse education to delivering babies to making patients smile, you truly represent what it means to be a Nurse of Note!

Q&A  

To learn more about Barbara’s life as a nurse, we asked her a few additional questions:  

What are the top struggles you face in the care-delivery process that could be helped by better communication technology?  

We have more patients whose primary language is not English. We need a greater variety of resources to support these patients. Thankfully, we now have video translator services, but there should be more outreach services in the community for after their hospital stay. 

Why did you choose to become a nurse?  

In high school, I wanted to go and work in Africa with the Methodist Missions. They needed midwives then, and so began my quest to get there. My mother and aunt were both nurses, and I have a sister-in-law who’s a nurse. My daughter is currently in nursing school, so I strongly suspect it’s in the blood! 

What is the biggest lesson you learned while serving as a nurse throughout the pandemic? 

At the beginning of the pandemic, there was a fear of the unknown. I must preface this by saying in Women & Newborn Care, we didn’t have the challenges encountered by those “in the trenches” in the ICU and COVID-19 units. We had daily meetings and were learning as we went. Can we keep mother and baby together? Can families be together for deliveries? Can mom breastfeed? Some nurses immediately volunteered to work with COVID-19 patients, whereas others were more reluctant. 

In the early days, we designated a “Covid” room and christened it the “Covid Cabana.” As nurses, we were able to DO something: identify challenges and immediately set about solving the issues. In a way, we were luckier than those outside of healthcare; we were still going to work daily and on solutions. Yes, it was stressful, and I don’t think we fully realized the toll it took on everyone until afterward.  So many lives were completely disrupted—loss of loved ones, job disruption, no school for the kids, and a myriad of social and mental health challenges. 

What’s one piece of advice you would give to your younger self about working in the healthcare industry? 

I’d say to remember why you came into nursing in the first place. My daughter returned home during the pandemic as she lived and worked in NYC, a city that effectively shut down. For the first time, she worked in a hospital. She came home one day and announced she wanted to go to nursing school. This the child who, whenever asked if she was going to be a nurse “like her mom,” would answer with a very firm “no.” When I asked her why the change of heart occurred, she said she had witnessed firsthand what a difference a good nurse can make in a patient’s life. 

It’s a challenging profession, and sometimes we get overwhelmed with all the tasks we are asked to do. But it’s so important to remember the patient and family are at the center of it all, and that is why we do what we do. 

What do you do to relax after a stressful day?  

It’s more what do I do to start the day! Most mornings will find me in the gym, getting my workout in before going to the hospital. I find exercise energizing and an important stress relief.  

My husband is a musician, so the weekend will often find me at a gig. I love spending time with my family, watching the theatre, reading good novels, and listening to podcasts (my current favorites are BBC Football Daily & Red Handed). 

If you could say one thing to decision-makers in the hospital setting about how to ease the heaviest parts of a nurses’ role, what would you say? What would you ask for? 

I’d ask for the decision-makers to meet with and listen to frontline staff. They are the ones who can best present their frustrations and challenges. The further away we move from the nurses caring for the patients, the less we truly know what is happening daily. 

What’s your favorite part of being a nurse?  

Without a shadow of a doubt, it’s the outstanding people I work with and the wonderful patients whose lives we have touched. The babies whose births I was privileged to attend are now returning to have babies of their own. It’s heartwarming (though it makes me feel rather old) when “grandma” tells me, “Oh, I remember you; You were my nurse when she was born!” 

If you had to pick one song that describes you as a nurse, what would it be? 

I love to sing at work, often much to the chagrin of those around me. From my days in midwifery, it was always Adam Ant’s “Stand and Deliver.” One nurse suggested “Little Girls” from Annie (hopefully tongue in cheek). Another nurse bought me a t-shirt emblazoned with “WARNING: May spontaneously break into song” which just about sums me up. Definitely musicals!

Make sure to follow our blog as we publish profiles about more of our amazing Nurses of Note honorees throughout the year!

For more about Nurses of Note 2024, check out the full list of winners.