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There are several educational paths which will allow
someone to become a maternity nurse. The more training a nurse receives, the
more employment options will be available, and this is something important to
consider when making plans for a nursing education. Maternity nurses can work in
hospital and clinic environments, and they may also provide home care services
to their patients.The role of the maternity nurse is to provide care for
pregnant, laboring, and postpartum women. Some maternity nurses choose to focus
on care in a specific area, such as helping women get ready for delivery,
monitoring women during labor, or providing education after the birth. Someone
who wants to become a maternity nurse can do things like teaching birthing
classes, providing community outreach for women preparing to give birth, and
assisting staff in a labor and delivery ward. Educational paths to become a
maternity nurse all require going to school and successfully passing a licensure
exam to be admitted to practice. One option is a diploma program, which usually
lasts three years. It is also possible to take a two year program to become a
registered nurse (RN). Many maternity nurses have a four year nursing degree,
and some RN's later get a bachelor's in nursing to increase their employability.
In all cases, after someone has completed the training, it is still necessary to
pass an exam to become a maternity nurse. The nursing exam tests applicants on
basic principles of nursing and is designed to ensure a standard level of
competency. An adequate nursing program will usually prepare nurses to take the
exam with a combination of coursework and clinical experience which is designed
to provide students with hands on opportunities to apply their learning. It is
also possible to take classes specifically to prepare for the licensing exam to
become a maternity nurse, and these classes will offer test taking tips and
other helpful hints to make the test less stressful. Once admitted to practice,
a nurse's education is not over. A skilled maternity nurse will take advantage
of continuing education opportunities. Many nurses belong to professional
organizations. Continuing nursing education after graduation and licensure is
usually require to retain a nursing license, and exceeding the continuing
education requirements demonstrates that a nurse is committed to the work and is
interested in constant improvement and the chance to offer more skilled nursing
care. Continuing education also gives someone who wants to become a maternity
nurse an opportunity to learn about new standards and practices in the nursing
community. |
