Learn About Becoming a Nurse

Are you compassionate, well-organized, calm in a crisis and a critical thinker with good communication skills? A career in women’s health, obstetric or neonatal nursing might be right for you.

This field encompasses the full spectrum of women’s health throughout their lives:

• OB/GYN nurses help care for women’s reproductive health and prepare for childbirth.
• Labor & Delivery nurses  provide care for women during pregnancy, the process of labor and birth and recovery.
• Neonatal nurses care for newborns in special care units and high risk mothers in antepartum units.
• Women’s health nurses focus on conditions unique to women including reproductive health, fertility and menopause.

Nurses help women make the transition from pregnancy to motherhood and share the joy when families see and touch their babies for the first time. Families need A LOT of education from nurses including healthy pregnancy, coping with labor and birth, postpartum care, newborn care, and more. This is a field that is never stagnant, sometimes hectic, and always provides opportunities for lifelong growth and learning, on both personal and professional levels.

Most nursing jobs will require a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and additional licensure. Some may require specialized certification after several years of practice. Nurses must first gain on-the-job experience before they can specialize, as each specialty area is unique.

Nursing Specialty Areas in Women's Health, Obstetric, and Perinatal Care

AWHONN represents the interests of over 350,000 nurses working in the fields of women’s health and obstetric and neonatal health. Our members practice in a variety of fields and settings, including hospitals, clinics, birth centers, primary care offices, and home settings. The vast majority of AWHONN members are registered nurses (RNs) working in the following areas: