Mother/Baby Nurse

[Nutmeg524]

I have been wanting to become a mother-baby nurse, but do not know how to get into it. What kind of schooling do I need? I am under the impression I just need to become and RN and then take some sort of exam to become a mother/baby nurse, but I have a feeling there is more to it! If anyone is a mother/baby nurse, please let me know what I need to do, and how much schooling is needed! Oh and btw, is there a better term to use rather than mother/baby nurse? Thanks!

[EricJRN, MSN, RN]

I moved your post to the Nursing Career Advice Forum for more responses. You're right that the first step is to complete a nursing program. After that, you would apply for jobs on a mother/baby unit (also known as a postpartum unit).

Most specialty certification exams require at least one year of full-time practice in a given area, so that usually isn't part of acquiring your first job.

[Nutmeg524]

Thank you so much! Does it matter if I go to a school with a 2 year nursing program or a four? Obviously four would be best, but I am looking for 2 year if possible.

[MBN2009]

Are you seeking to work in private homes caring for newborns and mothers? Because if so you would not need to become an RN straightaway. What you do need is several years of proper newborn care experience. Their are Professional Baby Nurses/Infant Specialist programs that certified you , however you still must have proper experience to work in private homes. You would need to know how to properly teach new parents how to care for their new babies as well as sleep , and feeding training for the new baby. Time is 12-24hrs from 2 weeks up to 6 months depends on the famiy's needs. Proper programs are only a weekend long and RN's actually take these courses too ones overseas a very intense for a short period, but require experience as well as intensive post class testing to be certified. I hope this helps...if you have any questions please feel free to ask.

Regards