Nurse midwives have the monumental responsibility of bringing the next generation into the world. These Advanced Practice Registered Nurses conduct many aspects of gynecological care, from providing annual exams and family planning services ...to prenatal care... to birth and delivery. The job of nurse midwives doesn’t start and end in the delivery room. While they manage and treat some birth complications, such as bleeding or lacerations, they also provide care in the months before birth...performing examinations... monitoring the fetal heartbeat… and identifying the baby’s position and size. They record this information to diagnose, treat, and prevent issues that may arise. Nurse midwives also educate their patients about the expected changes throughout pregnancy and birth, potential symptoms to monitor, and about any procedures that their patient is considering. Nurse midwives may work independently through a private practice or on a care team at a hospital or birthing center. They may be needed at all hours to manage labor and deliveries. Nurse midwives must be strong in order to lift and position their patients, and may be vulnerable to back injury. To enter the field, candidates typically need a registered nursing license, a master’s degree, and certification. With these professionals, patients can rest assured that the future... is in good hands.
What they do:
Diagnose and coordinate all aspects of the birthing process, either independently or as part of a healthcare team. May provide well-woman gynecological care. Must have specialized, graduate nursing education.
On the job, you would:
Monitor fetal development by listening to fetal heartbeat, taking external uterine measurements, identifying fetal position, or estimating fetal size and weight.
Initiate emergency interventions to stabilize patients.
Provide prenatal, intrapartum, postpartum, or newborn care to patients.
Health
medicine and dentistry
therapy and counseling
Math and Science
psychology
biology
Arts and Humanities
English language
Business
customer service
Basic Skills
listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions
talking to others
Problem Solving
noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it
Social
understanding people's reactions
looking for ways to help people
Verbal
communicate by speaking
listen and understand what people say
Ideas and Logic
notice when problems happen
use rules to solve problems
Attention
pay attention to something without being distracted
do two or more things at the same time
People interested in this work like activities that include helping people, teaching, and talking.
They do well at jobs that need:
Integrity
Concern for Others
Dependability
Stress Tolerance
Attention to Detail
Self Control
You might use software like this on the job:
Spreadsheet software
Microsoft Excel
Medical software
digiChart OB-GYN
GE Healthcare Centricity EMR
Office suite software
Microsoft Office
master's degree or certificate after master's usually needed
Get started on your career:
New job opportunities are very likely in the future.
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