Educating new mothers about the proper ways to look after themselves and their babies is a vital part of this job. Read further to learn more about mother-baby nurse jobs and how to become one.
What Are The Key Duties Of A Mother-Baby Nurse?
If you want to work as a mother-baby nurse, be ready to perform various duties. These duties can be:
- Supporting lactation by helping new mothers with breastfeeding positions, pumping, and dealing with similar concerns.
- Giving emotional support and resources for becoming a parent.
- Educating and guiding mothers about nutrition, self-care, and infant care.
- Recognizing the possible postpartum complications or problems that are common among mothers and newborns.
- Offering care to new mothers, which includes personal hygiene, monitoring bleeding, uterine involution, and so forth.
- Working together with several healthcare staff members and services.
- Keeping a record of extensive care offered in patient charts.
Besides being highly skilled medical professionals, mother-baby nurses should also be kind teachers and communicators, as they have multiple roles to play.
Qualifications Required For Becoming a Mother Baby Nurse
Here are all the essential requirements to be a mother-baby nurse:
- A degree or diploma from an accredited nursing program
- RN license and skills to keep up an active registered nurse status
- Clinical experience in obstetrics, labor and delivery, pediatrics, or newborn care
- Compassion and active listening abilities
- Stamina to stand for long hours
- Proficiency in relevant healthcare technology and tools
- Emotional intelligence, critical thinking, and detail-oriented approach
- CPR and neonatal resuscitation certification
These nurses must feel comfortable during an intensely emotional period while working with patients. They should be wary of multi-tasking, have good communication skills, and make quick decisions if any complications arise.
Special Skills Required To Become A Mother-Baby Nurse
Future mother-baby nurses need to have the following skills to outshine in their job:
- Time management skills
- Confidence to deal with potential emergencies
- Good communication skills for educating the mothers and their families
- Patience, especially while looking after the new mothers
- Empathy for moms who have lost a baby or are separated from their newborn.
What Is The Average Mother-Baby Nurses Salary?
The annual paycheck of a mother-baby nurse may differ depending on their state or location of employment. Hospitals are generally more likely to pay higher salaries than private clinics. Moreover, experienced mother-baby nurses are likely to earn more than newly graduated ones.
As per a report, the average payout of a mother-baby nurse is $80000 per year. But, remember, this salary differs on factors, including location, skills, and experience.
Places Of Employment
A great majority of mother-baby nurses work in hospitals. But, they are also employed in facilities like:
- Military health services
- Clinical research facilities
- OB/GYN offices
- Community health centers and more
- Telehealth start-ups
- Pharmaceutical companies
- Non-profit organizations
How Mother Baby Nurses Assist in Pregnancy and Birth?
While your pregnancy period advances and you are becoming anxious about childbirth, a mother-baby nurse is there to assist and educate. Mother-baby nurses offer care for both the newborn and the mother. They even develop their bonding and attachment in the new family. The benefits of having such a person by your side can be:
Quick Answers To All Your Questions
If you have questions regarding your newborn, you generally get very general answers that lack expertise. This is the case in most hospitals. Thus, you may miss a mother-baby nurse here. The mother-baby nurse can answer all your questions directly or go to a nursery nurse for the answers.
Good Communication With The Healthcare Team
You can have improved communication with your entire healthcare team as the same nurse cares for you and your child. In a hospital facility, there may be a pediatrician and an obstetrician. Both will work with the same nurse rather than two different nurses.
Establish A Close Connection With The Nurse
There may not be many nurses to interact with within a medical facility. But, with a mother-baby nurse, you can build more trust and feel more comfort.
More Learning
A mother-baby nurse will care for your newborn while at your bedside. With this, you can learn more about baby care.
Safety Of Your Infant
When you have a mother-baby nurse by the bedside, you can ensure more safety for your newborn. Mother-baby nursing assures increased safety by reducing the likelihood of situations like kidnapping.
With a mother-baby nurse, you can lessen the number of people caring for the mother and child. These nursing professionals are unquestionably helpful to new families. As you learn a lot about baby care, you can be more confident in your parenthood journey.
Also Read: How To Provide Emotional Support For HIV Patients (Learn How)
How To Be A Mother Baby Nurse?
Obtaining a nursing degree is one of the essential steps to becoming a mother-baby nurse. You can earn this degree after you pass an NCLEX-RN exam. But, a lot of employers ask for other requirements like:
ADN Or BSN Degree From An Accredited Program
ADN, or associate degree in nursing, is a 2-year program. On the other hand, a BSN or Bachelor of Science in Nursing takes four years to complete. Mother-baby nurses have a good experience and serious responsibilities to perform. That’s why a lot of employers demand a BSN degree. Those nursing professionals with an ADN degree save time by getting into an RN-to-BSN program.
RN License
The aspiring mother-baby nurse should take the NCLEX-RN to obtain an RN license. The NCLEX-RN is a multi-hour MCQ-based test covering almost all nursing school topics. These topics may include patient communications, practical nursing skills, and more.
Experience In Maternal And Postpartum Nursing
After you get your RN license, you can get a job in a maternity ward. Since you are an entry-level nurse, you’ll get comprehensive on-the-job training in looking after mothers and newborn babies.
Maternal Newborn Nursing Certification
After gaining at least two years and 2000 hours of experience caring for mothers and newborns, you can apply for NCC. The NCC or National Certification Corporation is the certificate in maternal newborn nursing.
Mother Baby Nurse Vs. Perinatal Nurse
A mother-baby nurse offers care following the birth of a baby. On the contrary, a perinatal nurse is a member of the team providing care to the mother during pregnancy and within the delivery room. Typically, a prenatal nurse collaborates with obstetricians.
Furthermore, she is the primary care provider for the mother during her pregnancy phase.
Prenatal nurses give details and keep an eye out for any complications like high blood pressure and gestational diabetes. By doing so, they support a healthy pregnancy. After delivery, the postpartum nurse takes charge of the mother’s and child’s care.
Are Mother-Baby Nurse Jobs Full of Challenges?
Not to mention, a day in a mother-baby nurse’s life is always hectic. They have to perform many responsibilities in just a single working day. In addition, they have to make rapid turns to deal with the necessities of their patients.
This is a demanding job wherein they have to move almost the entire day. However, the role of a mother-baby nurse has no stress, similar to other nursing specialties. There can be exceptional cases, like when a patient suffers from complications and requires emergency care.
What are the Benefits of Being a Mother-Baby Nurse?
The job of a mother-baby nurse has both pros and cons. Some may think that there will be loads of hassles in the life of a mother-baby nurse. But, it is not only like that. You can enjoy a myriad of perks by being a mother-baby nurse, including:
- Job security
- Lack of monotony
- Looking after babies
- Offering support and assistance to both mothers and their families
- Watch a mother giving birth to a baby
Conclusion
A mother-baby nurse can be a great supporting hand for every new parent and their newborn. Are you considering a mother-baby nurse for child care? Alnicor Consulting is here to assist. Enjoy a beautiful journey of motherhood with our baby nurse consultation services, which are known to have helped many mothers in need. We offer consultation via email, phone calls, or video calls. To connect with us, call (815) 782-4360. Get answers to all your queries in a single appointment.