The care they provide is why some call it "maternal nursing." That said, on a typical day, a maternity nurse performs the following duties. The work of maternity nurses helps ensure a safe delivery and healthy start in an unpredictable and sometimes stressful work environment. Below are the work activities involved in being maternity nurse according to their importance on the scale of 1 to 5 (1 being lowest and 5 being highest) and competency level on a scale of 1 to 7 (1 being lowest and 5 being highest). In this article, we discuss what a maternity nurse is and what they do, review some foundational skills for those in this role, provide steps to become a maternity nurse and examine the average salary and job outlook. Develop the personal and professional skills you need to supervise others and affect change. Nursing is stressful in any environment. Registered Nurses, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2016-17 Edition, Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/registered-nurses.htm, Summary Report for Registered Nurses, O*NET OnLine https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/29-1141.00, accessed December 2017. In order to practice as a CNM, you need to graduate from a program accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education (ACME). A successful maternity nurse has a passion for helping pregnant women and their newborns. Nurse midwives must be credentialed as a Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM) by the American Midwifery Certification Board to practice in most states and to gain staff privileges at many hospitals. Read more:.css-1v152rs{border-radius:0;color:#2557a7;font-family:"Noto Sans","Helvetica Neue","Helvetica","Arial","Liberation Sans","Roboto","Noto",sans-serif;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;-webkit-transition:border-color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1),background-color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1),opacity 200ms cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1),border-bottom-color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1),border-bottom-style 200ms cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1),border-bottom-width 200ms cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1),border-radius 200ms cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1),box-shadow 200ms cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1),color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1);transition:border-color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1),background-color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1),opacity 200ms cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1),border-bottom-color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1),border-bottom-style 200ms cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1),border-bottom-width 200ms cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1),border-radius 200ms cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1),box-shadow 200ms cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1),color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1);border-bottom:1px solid;cursor:pointer;}.css-1v152rs:hover{color:#164081;}.css-1v152rs:active{color:#0d2d5e;}.css-1v152rs:focus{outline:none;border-bottom:1px solid;border-bottom-color:transparent;border-radius:4px;box-shadow:0 0 0 1px;}.css-1v152rs:focus:not([data-focus-visible-added]){box-shadow:none;border-bottom:1px solid;border-radius:0;}.css-1v152rs:hover,.css-1v152rs:active{color:#164081;}.css-1v152rs:visited{color:#2557a7;}@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce){.css-1v152rs{-webkit-transition:none;transition:none;}}.css-1v152rs:focus:active:not([data-focus-visible-added]){box-shadow:none;border-bottom:1px solid;border-radius:0;} 11 Ways To Improve Your Interpersonal Skills.css-r5jz5s{width:1.5rem;height:1.5rem;color:inherit;display:-webkit-inline-box;display:-webkit-inline-flex;display:-ms-inline-flexbox;display:inline-flex;-webkit-flex:0 0 auto;-ms-flex:0 0 auto;flex:0 0 auto;height:1em;width:1em;margin:0 0 0.25rem 0.25rem;vertical-align:middle;}. If youre already an LPN or RN, you may be able to earn an accelerated BSN through a bridge program. Practice caring for pregnant, laboring, and postpartum women. Advance practice nurses trained in another specialty can become a CNS or CNM by completing a post-masters certificate program. Some schools also offer an accelerated BSN program (12 years) for students with a bachelors degree in another field. ADN programs are typically found at universities, community colleges, and specialized schools of nursing. Maternity nurse jobs can be both challenging and rewarding. Advanced practice nurses sometimes leave the clinical setting for careers in management, research or academia or to open private practices. Many schools offer accelerated bridge programs for LPNs seeking an ADN degree. Copyright 2020 Citytowninfo.com. Besides these opportunities, you can develop your skills by volunteering and touring different hospitals and birth centers. 3 credits. As experts in the care of women and children, maternity nurses can be found in any setting that provides reproductive health services, including hospitals, schools, doctors offices, outpatient clinics and patients homes. Which education path you choose can depend on the work responsibilities you want. Many colleges and universities offer different nursing programs you can choose from depending on the type of maternity nurse you want to be. (14 Career Options), 10 Scientist Career Change Jobs To Consider (With Salaries), 20 Roles in Digital Marketing (Plus Definitions and Salary), How To Find Singing Jobs (8 Steps Plus Expert Tips), How To Get a Job in the Oil and Gas Industry in 5 Steps. Gather data to guide strategic planning and organizational improvement. Other desirable credentials for maternity nurses at all levels include: Innerbody Research is the largest home health and wellness guide online, helping over one million visitors each month learn about health products and services. (Rarer, non-degree diploma programs connected to hospitals may be offered in your area as well.) Maternity nurses may have different credentials depending on their education, so they may also work in different roles, such as an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN), registered nurse (RN) or midwife. BSNs can also practice and achieve certification in almost any RN specialty. Nurses must possess strong mental focus in order to provide stellar care often in a short time frame. RNs with a bachelors degree have many advantages. The curriculum is very similar to an associate degree in nursing (ADN) program. Below are the knowledge areas needed to be maternity nurse according to their importance on the scale of 1 to 5 (1 being lowest and 5 being highest) and competency level on a scale of 1 to 7 (1 being lowest and 7 being highest). A maternity nurse, also know as a labor and delivery nurse, is usually a registered nurse who specializes in working with pregnant women, new mothers and newborns in a hospital maternity ward or birthing center. Masters-trained nurses generally assume leadership roles in their hospitals. The degree often commands a higher salary and opens doors to leadership. Diploma programs involve both hands-on training and classroom learning. Expectant mothers who have had uterine surgery or who have other gynecological problems also fall under their care. ADN programs blend practical and classroom learning. A masters degree in nursing prepares you to work as an advanced practice nurse. For example, you can earn your associate's or bachelor's degree in nursing to work as a registered nurse, or you may choose to pursue a master's degree to become an APRN or nurse-midwife. Accreditation by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) is also a sign of quality and professionalism. To get relevant experience, consider internships or residency programs in hospitals and other facilities with maternal nursing specialties. Study how the experience of pregnancy and birth impacts the bodies of both mother and child. For example, if you wish to become an LPN, you need to take the NCLEX-PN exam, but if you want to be an RN, you need to pass the NCLEX-RN. Some labor and delivery nurses work in correctional facilities or obstetrician's offices. All Rights Reserved. Discuss how conflicting values can impact patient care. Critical-thinking skills can also help them recognize and react to any potential mental or physical changes that mothers or infants experience. To become a successful maternity nurse, consider developing or enhancing these skills: Maternity nurses often make decisions that affect both the newborn and the mother, including how to respond to birth complications or whether the mother and child are ready to be discharged from the hospital. This course focuses on providing a nursing process framework for examining families in the childbearing years. Organizations like the National Certification Corporation (NCC) and others will accept nurses to sit for the exam once they have worked 2,000 hours in their specialty field. Advanced practice nurses (NPs, CNSs and CNMs) are found in many outpatient settings, including community health centers, obstetric medical offices and private practices. Develop the skills needed to change and improve complex delivery systems. Theres a lot to learn before they head home with a new baby. It enables a maternity nurse to stay positive and remain helpful even during stressful situations involving a mother or baby. A few decades ago, almost all nurses trained in hospital-based diploma programs. On average, maternity nurses earn .css-1v152rs{border-radius:0;color:#2557a7;font-family:"Noto Sans","Helvetica Neue","Helvetica","Arial","Liberation Sans","Roboto","Noto",sans-serif;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;-webkit-transition:border-color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1),background-color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1),opacity 200ms cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1),border-bottom-color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1),border-bottom-style 200ms cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1),border-bottom-width 200ms cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1),border-radius 200ms cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1),box-shadow 200ms cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1),color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1);transition:border-color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1),background-color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1),opacity 200ms cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1),border-bottom-color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1),border-bottom-style 200ms cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1),border-bottom-width 200ms cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1),border-radius 200ms cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1),box-shadow 200ms cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1),color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1);border-bottom:1px solid;cursor:pointer;}.css-1v152rs:hover{color:#164081;}.css-1v152rs:active{color:#0d2d5e;}.css-1v152rs:focus{outline:none;border-bottom:1px solid;border-bottom-color:transparent;border-radius:4px;box-shadow:0 0 0 1px;}.css-1v152rs:focus:not([data-focus-visible-added]){box-shadow:none;border-bottom:1px solid;border-radius:0;}.css-1v152rs:hover,.css-1v152rs:active{color:#164081;}.css-1v152rs:visited{color:#2557a7;}@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce){.css-1v152rs{-webkit-transition:none;transition:none;}}.css-1v152rs:focus:active:not([data-focus-visible-added]){box-shadow:none;border-bottom:1px solid;border-radius:0;}$69,225 per.css-r5jz5s{width:1.5rem;height:1.5rem;color:inherit;display:-webkit-inline-box;display:-webkit-inline-flex;display:-ms-inline-flexbox;display:inline-flex;-webkit-flex:0 0 auto;-ms-flex:0 0 auto;flex:0 0 auto;height:1em;width:1em;margin:0 0 0.25rem 0.25rem;vertical-align:middle;} year in the United States.