There are two types of maternity nurses: labor and delivery nurses and midwives. Labor and delivery nurses need a minimum nursing education of four years. They can go on to train in hospitals, private practices or birthing centers as labor and delivery nurses, assisting doctors in newborn delivery. Midwives are nurses that typically have six years of training and education. They can work at hospitals, birthing centers and can even own their own practice. Midwives assist women in preparing for their pregnancy naturally and are there to monitor the delivery process. Midwives also counsel women on proper newborn care, as well as serve as support to the new mom and her family when needed. In emergency situations, such as the need for a c-section, maternity nurses may need the assistance of a physician.
Maternity nurses are trained in areas such as childbirth techniques, newborn feeding and prenatal health for mother and baby. These subjects are learned in classroom, lab and clinical settings, such as hospitals or clinics.
Both labor and delivery nurses and midwives must hold a valid nursing license in their state of practice. To keep their license valid, they must complete any required medical education or professional hours and training.
Maternity nursing training can be stressful and extremely time consuming. As a maternity nurse, you should love helping others and be able to make mothers as comfortable as possible. You should also be able to stand on your feet for long hours and perform several duties at once.