|
Overview:
Perinatal nurses care for the physical
and psychosocial needs of women before,
during and after giving birth. Duties may include
teaching natural childbirth techniques, monitoring
pregnancies, providing physical and emotional
support during labor and delivery, and promoting
healthy mother-child bonding after birth.
Typical
venues: hospitals, health departments,
community health centers, birth centers, physicians’ offices,
adult education centers
Education:
active RN licensure
Certification
available:
American
Nurses Credentialing Center
600
Maryland Ave., SW, Suite 100 West
Washington,
D.C. 20024-2571
Phone:
(800) 284-2378
General
certification information, including links to FAQs http://www.nursingworld.org/ancc/index.htm
Specific
information about perinatal certification
http://www.nursingworld.org/ancc/certify/cert/catalogs/
2000/bcc/spec.htm#spec17
Job
outlook: Nursing as a whole will be one of the top 10
fastest growing professions in the United States in the next
decade, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Opportunities:
ability to work with people during a positive life event;
autonomy providing childbirth education
Challenges:
dealing with maternal or infant deaths
For
more information:
Association
of Women’s Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nurses
2000
L. St., Suite 740
Washington,
D.C. 20036
Phone:
(800) 673-8499
Fax: (202)
728-0575
www.awhonn.org
Related
features on the NurseWeek Web site:
Mail
order and online continuing education courses http://www.nurseweek.com/career/homstudy.html)
Salary
Wizard (http://www.nurseweek.com/salary/index.html)
Job
Search (http://www.nurseweek.com/jobs/jobsearch.asp)
|
