Obstetrics Nurse Career Overview

An OB/GYN nurse cares for pregnant women before, during, and immediately after labor, while an obstetrics nurse practitioner (NP) may oversee the birthing process. Both obstetrics nurses and NPs also care for women’s health-related needs, such as routine pelvic exams, birth control advice, and other reproductive health issues.

Obstetrics nurses perform these key duties:

Obstetrics nurses work in hospitals, private practices, birthing centers, and clinics. What do OB/GYN nurses do in these settings?

Obstetrics nurses function as part of a healthcare team which includes physicians, nurse midwives, or OB/GYN NPs. Since many hospitals assign the same nurse to an expectant woman, obstetrics nurses often work in antepartum (for high-risk pregnancies) and postpartum care units as well.

Obstetrics nurses educate pregnant women and family members, perform tests to assess maternal and prenatal health, and help develop birth plans.

Obstetrics nurses conduct testing that a physician or an NP orders and determine if symptoms require referral to a physician, nurse midwife, or OB/GYN nurse practitioner.

According to PayScale, the average salary for an OB/GYN nurse is $61,520, with base salaries ranging from $45,000-$104,000. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that nurse practitioners, in general, earn a median annual wage of $111,680 and nurse midwives make $111,130.

All RN jobs are projected to grow by 7% from 2019-29, a much faster rate than the national average. However, growth rates for obstetrics nurse jobs vary by geographic area due to regional differences in birth rates.

An obstetrics nurse cares for pregnant women during pregnancy and labor, women who are experiencing pregnancy-related complications, and new mothers and infants recovering from childbirth. In a hospital setting, obstetrics nurses also work with NPs or physicians to provide routine or urgent women’s reproductive healthcare. Education is an important part of an obstetrics nurse’s job too, especially those working with new mothers or mothers with health conditions.

It takes two years to earn an ADN and four years to earn a BSN. Inpatient obstetric nursing certification requires two years of nursing experience and 2,000 hours of OB/GYN nurse experience. Prospective obstetrics NPs spend two years earning a master of science in nursing. Though a doctorate is not required to be an NP, some go on to complete a doctor of nursing practice which typically takes three or more years.

An OB/GYN nurse practitioner or nurse midwife can supervise births. Licensed obstetrics RNs may work in collaboration with the physician, NP, or nurse midwife to monitor the mother’s and infant’s vital signs and provide support for the mother.