Nursing specialties

[Mc111901]

Hi I'm a high school student that definitely wants to be a nurse. I've wanted to be a nurse since I was little. I know I want to become an RN and then specialize as an OB nurse, I think it's called? I want to be the nurse that takes care of the mother and baby after delivery. I'm not sure the exact name that. If anyone could let me know if that's what it's called, and a little bit about the duties of one, and what they like about that job.

thank you so much!

[klone, MSN, RN]

Hi there! Welcome to Allnurses! Yes, that is called an OB nurse. Specifically, that would be called a mom/baby nurse, or postpartum nurse. Nurses who take care of women in labor are called labor and delivery nurses.

A mom/baby nurse does assessments on women, pushes on her fundus (top of her uterus) to make sure the uterus is firm and shrinking. She evaluates the amount of blood flow from the lady parts to make sure it's not too much. She helps women clean up and take care of their perineum (external lady parts area) after childbirth. If the woman had a cesarean delivery, she will assess the woman's incision to make sure it's healing okay. She assesses the baby, takes vitals and makes sure the baby is healthy. She helps the woman breastfeed. She does a lot of patient teaching on how to take care of the baby, changing diapers, swaddling, soothing, etc. She helps make sure the woman doesn't have too much pain postpartum.

Hope this helps, let us know if you have other questions!

[kaylee.]

I was gonna say post-partum? Not in this specialty but i think this is the one you are thinking... :)

[Mc111901]

thank you!

[Mc111901]

When do you decide on your nursing specialty?

[emily34812]

You graduate with a general degree and can apply for specialty positions

[Pudding212]

Allnurses has a specialty part of the website that you can browse to find all about OB nurses!