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RESPONSIBILITIES
A maternal-child nurse AKA maternity nurse works w/
pregnant women before, during, & after birth.

A maternity nurse also takes care of newborn infants &

sometimes young children.

Maternity nurses must encourage, support, & care for the

pregnant mother.

Maternal-child nursing often involves caring for two patients:

mother & baby. In the past, newborns were exclusively cared
for in the nursery, but changes have been made to increase
bonding b/w mother & child & this involves both being cared
for simultaneously by the nurse.

A maternity nurse’s responsibilities include care from three

aspects: before, during, and after birth.
Before birth and during labor the nurse monitors the mother
and fetus. The nurse is constantly checking vital signs such as
mother’s BP, fetal heartbeat, contraction patterns and so on.

During delivery the nurse will assist the obstetrician/midwife.

The birthing process requires multiple people in a health
care team, and sometimes even two teams (1 for mother and
1 for baby) depending on the circumstance. The maternity
nurse may attend to either patient immediately after delivery.

Following delivery and during recovery time, the nurse provides

information and education to the new parents on how to care
for the baby. The nurse often teaches breastfeeding,
bottle feeding, changing diapers & other infant care. This is
especially important when working w/ first-time parents as they
often have many questions/concerns. The nurse must be able
to answer their questions.

SCHEDULE
Maternity nurses generally work full time, 12 hour shifts, hrs vary.
If pt is delivering & it’s the end of your shift, you can’t just leave.
Most babies are delivered in hospitals, so that is mainly where
a maternity nurse would work. Birthing centers are also an option.
SALARY
Maternity nurses make b/w 23-43$ an hour, w/ the avg being 28$.
For comparison, this ends up being on average 58k per year,
some maternity nurses make up to 93k per year

CAREER ADVANCEMENT AND EDUCATION

Maternal-child nurses are typically required to be RNs, however,
many types of other nurses are involved in maternity care. Such
as LPNs, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, & nurse
midwives. An RN or BSN graduate can begin working in a labor
& delivery unit to gain initial experience & further their career
later by obtaining additional education, degrees, & specialities.

ADVANTAGES
Maternity nursing is fast-paced, and exciting
Maternity units are usually viewed as “happy” part of hospital.
Being able to help families and teach new parents is rewarding
Witnessing the miracle of birth.
And of course, caring for tiny newborn babies.

DISADVANTAGES
Long hours and shifts may vary or become unpredictable.
As with most types of nursing, it is physically demanding
& usually requires being on your feet the entire shift.
It can get very messy.
There is a common misconception that the maternity unit is
always a happy place. But the reality is that pregnancy and
delivery don’t always go as planned. Emergency situations
do arise, with the mother’s health, baby’s health, or both.
Fetal or infant deaths do occur.

Overall, maternity nurses report feeling satisfied with their careers.

Maternity nursing is considered a very rewarding profession despite
the occasional drawbacks. After doing my research I still am
considering working in this field of nursing but I also am exploring
other options. Thank you.
 References

Belle, M. J., & Willis, K. (2013). Professional practice in contested territory: Child health nurses

and maternal sadness. Contemporary Nurse, 43(2), 152-161.

Critical role of nurse staffing during childbirth. (2015). American Nurse, 47(2), 11.

Gama, S. d., Viellas, E. F., Torres, J. A., Bastos, M. H., Brüggemann, O. M., Filha, M. T., & ...

Leal, M. C. (2016). Labor and birth care by nurse with midwifery skills in Brazil.

Reproductive Health, 13, 226-233. doi:10.1186/s12978-016-0236-7

Martin, P., Ashton, C. A., Block, D., Cruz-Richman, D., Murray, T., Niedringhaus, L., . . .

Oliveira, H. (2008). The essentials of baccalaureate education for professional nursing

practice. Retrieved from http://www.aacn.nche.edu/

Neiva, C. A., Guimarães, K. O., Vale, I. N., & Carmona, E. V. (2013). Opinion of mothers of

hospitalized babies about nursing interventions: A descriptive study. Online Brazilian

Journal of Nursing, 12(4), 844-53.

Rodwell, J., & Fernando, J. (2016). Managing Work Across Shifts: Not All Shifts Are Equal.

Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 48(4), 397-405. doi:10.1111/jnu.12220