Position Overview

In collaboration with an interdisciplinary team, the Fetal Care Nurse Coordinator provides comprehensive, coordinated services for pregnant women carrying a fetus with an anomaly, as well as families experiencing pregnancy or neonatal loss.

This role coordinates the patient journey from initial referral through delivery, treatment planning, bereavement support, and long-term follow-up. The coordinator serves as a trusted resource to patients and families, providing education, emotional support, care coordination, and advocacy during highly sensitive circumstances.

Key Responsibilities

Bereavement & Family Support

• Provide compassionate support and counseling to patients and families experiencing pregnancy or neonatal loss.
• Guide families through burial, cremation, and disposition processes related to fetal or neonatal remains.
• Maintain knowledge of hospital policies and procedures regarding pregnancy and neonatal loss.
• Conduct follow-up outreach with bereaved families for up to one year following a loss.
• Facilitate and lead perinatal loss support groups.
• Coordinate referrals to social services, spiritual care, NICU family support, and other resources.

Patient Care Coordination

• Coordinate all aspects of care for high-risk pregnancy patients referred to the Fetal Care Center.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for patients, families, and referring physicians.
• Schedule consultations, diagnostic testing, and specialty appointments.
• Accompany patients throughout appointments and assist in navigating the healthcare system.
• Coordinate ongoing communication between maternal-fetal medicine specialists, neonatologists, pediatric subspecialists, and other care team members.
• Facilitate interdisciplinary conferences and case reviews.

Patient and Family Advocacy

• Provide education regarding diagnoses, treatment options, delivery planning, and post-delivery care.
• Assist families with travel, lodging, transportation, and hospital navigation needs.
• Facilitate tours of labor and delivery, antepartum units, NICU, and other relevant care settings.
• Help families understand complex medical information and treatment recommendations.

Program Coordination

• Maintain patient databases and collect required program data.
• Prepare monthly reports and participate in quality improvement initiatives.
• Assist with development of policies, procedures, and program protocols.
• Support outreach, marketing, physician relations, conferences, publications, and educational initiatives.

Qualifications

Required Education

• Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)

Licensure

• Current unrestricted Registered Nurse (RN) license in the state of Missouri

Experience

• Minimum of three (3) years of experience in:
  • Neonatology
  • Perinatal/OB nursing
  • Pediatrics
  • Or a closely related specialty

Ideal Candidate

The successful candidate will possess:

• Exceptional compassion, empathy, and emotional intelligence
• Strong counseling and active listening skills
• Ability to support patients during grief, trauma, and crisis
• Excellent verbal and written communication abilities
• Strong organizational and coordination skills
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively
• Advanced problem-solving and critical-thinking abilities
• Experience managing multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment
• Strong documentation, keyboarding, and data management skills
• Knowledge of healthcare delivery systems, utilization management, and quality improvement principles
• Extensive understanding of perinatal, neonatal, and pediatric care practices

Work Environment

This position requires working in emotionally challenging situations involving pregnancy complications, fetal anomalies, stillbirth, and neonatal loss. The ideal candidate demonstrates professionalism, resilience, sensitivity, and the ability to provide calm, compassionate support during deeply difficult circumstances.

Work may occur in:

• Hospital settings
• Physician offices
• Community settings
• Patient homes
• Administrative and office environments

Why This Role Matters

The Fetal Care Nurse Coordinator becomes a steady source of support for families navigating some of life's hardest moments. Through compassion, clinical expertise, and advocacy, you'll help patients feel cared for, informed, and supported when they need it most.

If you are a nurse with exceptional empathy, strong perinatal or neonatal experience, and a heart for serving grieving families, we invite you to apply.

http://www.mercy.net/practice/mercy-clinic-maternal-and-fetal-medicine-st-louis/mercy-heartprints/