Advertisement
Advertisement
|
Home :: Career Center
:: Healthcare Career Profiles :: Nursing Career Profiles
Maternity Nurse - Career Profile |
Career OverviewAt present, a maternity nurse has a job similar to that of a midwife. Like midwives, maternity nurses monitor the general health of pregnant women.
They often participate in the prenatal visits of pregnant women, which occur throughout a pregnancy at varying intervals. They also assist in educating pregnant women and their families on proper health practices for the pregnancy and important issues such as nutrition.
Maternity nurses have extensive knowledge and skills to facilitate the diagnosis and treatment of conditions that affect pregnant women. As part of prenatal care, maternity nurses may be called upon to perform the routine diagnostic tests administered to pregnant women.
Maternity nurses are trained to administer the standard blood tests performed during pregnancy to determine blood type, iron levels, HIV status, and Rh-types. They may also be called upon to tests for conditions such as Chlamydia and other bacteria and viruses that may affect the health of an unborn child or newborns who are exposed to viruses or bacteria in the birth canal.
As part of their specialized training, maternity nurses are also equipped to monitory pregnant women for risk factors during pregnancy and they are trained to assess risks for serious issues such as preterm labor, breech positions, and health issues affecting the fetus.
Within the scope of practice, maternity nurses are also in a position to assume administrative positions or to become general educators, policy-makers, or consultants for hospitals, clinics, health centers, or health organizations for the benefit of improving the general health of pregnant women.
|
Career RequirementsTo become a maternity nurse, individuals are required to have a current license to practice as a registered nurse. They are usually preferred to have at least two years experience as a registered nurse working in maternity or prenatal care.
Although it is not mandatory, most maternity nurses have at least a four-year Bachelor's Degree in Nursing in addition to their qualification as a registered nurse and also in addition to any additional certification in maternity care. Many maternity nurses may eventually study for an advanced degree; many specialist fields in nursing do require Master's Degrees or post-graduate qualifications.
Maternity nurses are trained to provide basic care to pregnant women and to assist them and their families in the preparation for the arrival of the child. Maternity nurses are trained to provide counseling and educational support to promote a healthy lifestyle for pregnant women and this is an increasingly important aspect of their role in patient care.
The American Nurses Credentialing Center awards licenses to qualified hospital nurses and is the official source for more information about finding an accredited training course. Contact information features below.
Association of Women's Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nurses
2000 L St. NW, Ste 740,
Washington, D.C. 20036
www.awhonn.org
American Nurses Credentialing Center
600 Maryland Ave., SW, Suite 100 West
Washington, D.C. 20024-2571
(800) 284-2378
American Nurses' Association
8518 Georgia Ave.,
Ste. 400,
Silver Spring, MD 20910
www.nursingworld.org
National League for Nursing
61 Broadway
New York, NY 10006
www.nln.org
|
Advertisement
|
Job OutlookIn the next decade, nursing will be one of the top 10 fastest growing professions in the United States according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Health care facilities will be looking to cut back on general costs so maternity nurses may become the preferred alternative to obstetricians or general practitioners when it comes to monitoring the general health of pregnant women and their unborn children.
The future looks bright in the nursing field, with the number of jobs for registered nurses expected to increase at a rate far greater than that of most other jobs in the next couple of years.
Increasingly, the treatment of pregnant women is falling into the hands of nurses, as opposed to physicians, so long as the pregnancy is considered low risk. Prenatal care administered by midwives allows physicians to focus on monitoring high-risk pregnancies and thus cuts medical costs overall.
There has been some discussion about dividing the field of nursing into professional nurses and technical nurses. This will distinguish between those who have four-year degrees and those who have associate degrees. Maternity nurses with advanced degrees and specialist training will likely be more secure in the job market if such a distinction occurs.
As the field develops, there will certainly be increased opportunity for maternity nurses to demonstrate leadership and to influence the direction of general maternity care.
The role of the maternity nurse is and will remain a vital ingredient to ensure a positive experience of pregnancy for women and their families.
|
Career TrackMaternity nurses have credentials and the opportunity to gain experience that will allow them to take on numerous responsibilities in the field of medicine and in particular in the care of pregnant women, newborns, and infants.
The career track of every maternity nurse may vary considerably but they have an excellent foundation to excel in maternity care or to expand their specialization to become midwives or specialists in prenatal care.
The general education, training, and experience of maternity nurses offers an excellent foundation for a career track in a variety of areas and in a variety of capacities, from patient care to hospital administration in the field of maternity care. Wherever your ambitions take you, the qualifications and experience of working as a maternity nurse is likely to help you get there.
Maternity nurses have the opportunity to work in hospitals, in special clinics, in general health centers, and even in private practices.
|
CompensationAlthough compensation for maternity nurses varies according to their levels of seniority, the annual pay is generally equal to that of a registered nurse.
- Maternity nurse: $40,000 to $70,000
- Emergency room nurse: $45,000 to $70,000
- Licensed practical nurse: $35,000 to $45,000
- Nurse practitioner: $60,000 to $125,000
- Nurse supervisor: $55,000 to $85,000
- Registered nurse: $40,000 to $65,000
|
|