Nurse midwives perform many duties and responsibilities pertaining to women’s health. They promote health maintenance, encouraging women to participate in preventative health tests and screenings. These nurses also educate patients about sexual health issues and provide treatment for gynecological disorders, including infertility and sexually transmitted infections and diseases.
Nurse midwives focus on family planning, educating patients about contraception options and helping them make the best choice for their needs and lifestyle. They also educate and treat patients for infertility and provide counseling and education for menopause and unplanned pregnancies. Nurse midwives focus on newborn and postpartum care, including cord clamping and lactation counseling.
These professionals treat and evaluate newborns, performing initial physical assessments and monitoring weight gain and feeding patterns. They also order screenings for preventative care, including administering vitamin K injections, providing eye ointment, and conducting hearing tests.
Nurse midwives also promote bonding and attachment between mothers and their newborns. They stabilize newborns’ temperature and closely monitor newborns’ respirations. In cases of abnormal conditions and situations, such as infection, postpartum depression, and congenital malformations, these nurses intervene.
