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This position has closed. Northwestern Medicine removed this listing from their careers page on Oct 5, 2026. The interview prep below is still useful, and there are similar open roles at the bottom of this page.

Childbirth Educator RN-Perinatal Education Casual

Northwestern Medicine · Lake Forest, IL · Part time · Health Care Provider

Posted Oct 2, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 5, 2026

Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

About your past

Tell me about your labor and delivery background and how it shows up when you teach expectant parents.

What they are checking: Whether real bedside experience gives them credibility and real examples to bring into the classroom.

Clinical recommendations change. Tell me how you would bring a curriculum update to leadership.

What they are checking: Whether they keep up with evidence and can make a clear, sourced case for changing what is taught.

Tell me about a time you presented to a group and it was not going well. What did you change?

What they are checking: Whether they can sense when a room is lost and adjust on the fly rather than push through slides.

What would you do

Halfway through a class, one couple keeps dominating the discussion with their birth plan. How do you handle it?

What they are checking: Whether they can read and redirect group dynamics without embarrassing anyone, which the posting stresses.

How do you adapt a set curriculum for a group that includes first-time teen parents and an older couple on their third baby?

What they are checking: Whether they can tailor a standard NM curriculum to very different learning needs in the same room.

A parent tells you privately after class that they are scared because of a past traumatic birth. What do you do?

What they are checking: Whether they respond with empathy, stay in scope, and know when to connect the parent with further support.

How do you include a support partner who seems disengaged or uncomfortable in class?

What they are checking: Whether they can draw in partners with different comfort levels, which affects how supported the birthing parent feels.

About the work

How would you teach pain management options without steering people toward or away from an epidural?

What they are checking: Whether they can present choices honestly and support parental decisions instead of pushing their own preferences.

What is different about teaching a virtual class compared to an in-person one, and how do you keep people engaged online?

What they are checking: Whether they have practical techniques for virtual delivery, since the role covers both formats.

How do you tell whether a class actually worked, beyond people saying they liked it?

What they are checking: Whether they evaluate teaching effectiveness and adjust, as the posting asks, rather than just delivering content.

How do you talk about warning signs that mean a parent should call their provider or come to the hospital?

What they are checking: Whether they can teach safety-critical information clearly so parents act at the right time.

Practice this interview out loud.

Offer builds a real interview for this exact role at Northwestern Medicine from your resume and this job description, asks the questions one at a time, and tells you what landed. The first one is free.

Practice this out loud

The full job description

As published by Northwestern Medicine.

The Childbirth Educator RN reflects the mission, vision, and values of NM, adheres to the organization’s Code of Ethics and Corporate Compliance Program, and complies with all relevant policies, procedures, guidelines and all other regulatory and accreditation standards. The primary purpose of this position is to provide prenatal education to expectant parents. This will primarily be done in a formal, structured group, classroom or virtual setting, but may also be conducted in a one-to one less formal interaction. This position requires a high-level individual with excellent presentation skills, a clinical background in labor and delivery as well as other maternal/newborn areas, and the fluidity and savvy to assess and monitor the culture and tone of each class, responding seamlessly to changing group dynamics to provide the optimal education experience. Responsibilities: • Provides childbirth preparation and other related prenatal education to expectant couples in a classroom setting, via an NM provided curriculum. • Works with department leadership team to review and update class curriculum to reflect changing clinical practice recommendations. • Identifies learning needs and provides individualized instruction based on the needs of the group. Evaluates the effectiveness of the teaching intervention and adjusts the teaching accordingly. • Utilizes and projects an empowerment model that fosters positive health decision making and self-management of diseases and conditions. • In collaboration with other department colleagues and NMH staff, assists in planning, implementing, and evaluating women’s health programs for the community. • Strong working knowledge of PowerPoint and audio visual devices such as a laptop. • Special projects as identified or assigned. Required : • Registered Nurse in the State of Illinois • Bachelors of Science, Nursing • Must be one of the following: BLS instructor per American Heart Association, Certified Childbirth Educator, Certified Breast Feeding Counselor or International Board Certified Lactation Consultant • At least 1 year of labor and delivery staff RN experience or postpartum nursing experience, depending on area of program focus for the department Preferred: • At least 1 year of group teaching experience Northwestern Medicine is an equal opportunity employer (disability, VETS) and does not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of age, sex, race, color, religion, national origin, gender identity, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation or any other protected status. Background Check Northwestern Medicine conducts a background check that includes criminal history on newly hired team members and, at times, internal transfers. If you are offered a position with us, you will be required to complete an authorization and disclosure form that gives Northwestern Medicine permission to run the background check. Results are evaluated on a case-by-case basis, and we follow all local, state, and federal laws, including the Illinois Health Care Worker Background Check Act. Artificial Intelligence Disclosure Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools may be used in some portions of the candidate review process for this position, however, all employment decisions will be made by a person. Benefits We offer a wide range of benefits that provide employees with tools and resources to improve their physical, emotional, and financial well-being while providing protection for unexpected life events. Click on or copy and paste URL to your browser to view detailed benefits information NorthwesternMedicine Career Page https://jobs.nm.org/benefits Please refer to the Benefits Eligibility by Employment Classification to determine benefits eligibility for job postings. If sign-on bonus is included in a job posting eligibility is as followed: Internal employees and rehires who left Northwestern Medicine within 1 year are not eligible for the sign-on bonus. Exception : New graduate internal employees seeking their first licensed clinical position as a Registered Nurse at NM may be eligible.