What is a Maternity Nurse?
Maternity Nurse Job Description
A maternity nurse is someone specialised in the care of newborn babies.
Individuals in this role are expected to help new mothers throughout the post-birth period. A maternity nurse offers help and support from the moment mother and child leave the hospital, to re-settling them back into the home and into a new routine.
This generally takes between 4 and 12 weeks, depending on the preferences and needs of the client.
A professional maternity nurse is expected to provide accurate and up-to-date advice on all aspects of newborn care, such as breast and bottle feeding, establishing daily routines, maintaining best health and hygiene protocols.
They may also be required to manage other newborn childcare tasks, such as ensuring appropriate hygiene and cleaning standards of the newborn's bedroom, linen and clothing, sterilising equipment such as pacifiers and feeding bottles etc.
A maternity nurse generally sleeps in the baby’s bedroom and may manage night feeds. They should be available 24 hours a day, 5 or 6 days a week. They are expected to adapt their personal routine to the newborn and to carry a baby monitor at all times.
Individuals in this role are expected to help new mothers throughout the post-birth period. A maternity nurse offers help and support from the moment mother and child leave the hospital, to re-settling them back into the home and into a new routine.
This generally takes between 4 and 12 weeks, depending on the preferences and needs of the client.
A professional maternity nurse is expected to provide accurate and up-to-date advice on all aspects of newborn care, such as breast and bottle feeding, establishing daily routines, maintaining best health and hygiene protocols.
They may also be required to manage other newborn childcare tasks, such as ensuring appropriate hygiene and cleaning standards of the newborn's bedroom, linen and clothing, sterilising equipment such as pacifiers and feeding bottles etc.
A maternity nurse generally sleeps in the baby’s bedroom and may manage night feeds. They should be available 24 hours a day, 5 or 6 days a week. They are expected to adapt their personal routine to the newborn and to carry a baby monitor at all times.
What are the responsibilities of a Maternity Nurse ?
Qualified maternity nurses are expected to support the mother and newborn from the moment they leave the hospital, until they are happily re-settled with no more need of assistance.
Duties may include:
Duties may include:
- Recognizing, advising on and caring for the newborn's physical (feeding, changing, sleeping and easting schedules, observing his or her physical development etc.)
- Offering accurate, up-to-date advice on all matters relating the new mother and child, especially regarding their physical and mental health and security
- Maintaining the newborn's environment to the highest standard (washing and cleaning bedrooms, linen and clothes, sterilising bottles, pacifiers and toys where necessary etc.)
What are the benefits of employing a Maternity Nurse ?
Engaging a competent maternity nurse in these crucial early stages of infancy and parenthood provides an added professional assurance and support.
He or she will help establish routines, advise on health and security, and observe the child's early development.
Having an expert professional on hand can help diagnose problems early on and relieve some of the stress associated with the challenging transition to parenthood, leaving more space for growing the loving bond between parents and children.
He or she will help establish routines, advise on health and security, and observe the child's early development.
Having an expert professional on hand can help diagnose problems early on and relieve some of the stress associated with the challenging transition to parenthood, leaving more space for growing the loving bond between parents and children.
What accommodation should be expected for a Maternity Nurse ?
- Live-in Position: a position of this kind is generally live-in. The employee would benefit from private accommodation and often a bed in the child's room.
- Live-out position: this would be rare as a maternity nurse is required available 24 hours a day.
All our maternity nurses are required to:
- Hold clean criminal records in both their country of employment and country of origin
- Present all certificates and qualifications from training centres and/or schools they attended
- Successfully pass two interview stages
- Provide at least three positive references from previous employers
- Complete professional dossiers containing: CV, cover letter, proof of identity (photocopy or scan), proof of address, proof of the right to work in the country of employment (if applicable), driving license and pay slips from previous professional placements. Candidates should be aware that other documentation may also be required.
Morgan & Mallet International places and recruits maternity nurses for temporary, seasonal, or permanent contracts. Our recruitment consultants are always available to answer your questions.