Maternity Nurse or Maternity Nanny?

[nannynick]

As a nanny who has additional training in the care of newborn babies and post-natal mother, I tend to use the phrase Maternity Nanny, rather than Maternity Nurse. I'm not medically trained as such - don't think a 12 hour first aid course is really enough to say that I'm a nurse!

Anyone got any views on this (especially following recent press reports following Bringing Up Baby)? Should nannies who work with babies, be called a maternity nanny, rather a maternity nurse?

However, I have been known as a Nursery Nurse, as I worked in day nurseries - where that is an established job title... though again, not medically trained. This job title I expect dates back to Victorian times... anyone know for sure?

Here in France the job title you are talking about is "Une démarreuse", from the verb "démarrer" = to start off. I am sure that "démarreuses" have been around for a long, long time but I know nothing about either their training or their qualifications. I will look into it .

Démarreuses are very popular among the Parisian bourgeoises working mothers who have no intention of breastfeeding and want to get their figures back into their work suits ASAP .

I think maternity nurse is really misleading because it does imply that they are as medically qualified as say a midwife or hospital nurse, particularly if they wear a nurses uniform too as claire verity does in bringing up baby. I think maternity nanny is a far more accurate term and I think probably gains you respect as a person who is a nanny who as done extra training in that field rather than being in a not sure what you are grey area. Its more honest. It would be good to have these job titles established so that people don't get the wrong idea.

The term Maternity Nurse has been used for many years and without any problems until recently.

As in the term Auxilliary Nurse,in most areas this has changed to support worker.

I still advertise my services as a Maternity Nurse and feel that it is an appropriate title for me.

I am a registered Midwife and General Nurse recently retired from the NHS who also has many years experience in private households.

If the parents wanting to use the services of a maternity nurse do their research and follow up references then ultimately it is their choice who they employ.

There is training available for maternity nurses, albeit not recognised by the NMC.
Providing no-one is telling lies about their qualifications it should not present a problem.

The most qualified person is not necessarily the right person for the job! This applies to many areas, not just baby/childcare.

well if you have trained as a nurse its an appropriate term for you. If a person has no medical training then its a bit misleading and maternity nanny is a more appropriate as it doesn't imply more training than is actually there and could also mean people who actually need the services of a maternity nurse are not quite getting who they should.

So, do you have to do particular training to call yourself a maternity nurse? Can anyone just say, "I am a maternity nurse" and advertise for a position?

What qualifications does CV have?

I agree that the on paper qualifications are not as important as the way the nanny/nurse treats the baby and the experience that she has,but I think it is rather misleading to term yourself as a nurse unless you have some kind of medical training.

The term maternity nurse dates from when Norland trained "nurses" not nannies. Americans still use the term "baby nurse" to mean an experienced carer who fulfills the same role as a maternity nanny/nurse. Nursery nurse dates from the early 20th century.

I circumvent the problem by calling myself a maternity practitoner as that's what my MNT course certificate says.

There are 3 (I think) qualifications for maternity practitioners out there. The most widely recognised is the MNT/OCN course which says you're a maternity practitioner. There's also the NEST course which says you're a Post-natal carer and the Tinies course which I don't think anyone but the Tinies agency really recognises (not to be sniffy about it, but I did a lot of looking round and calling up agencies when I was choosing my course).

You could just say you're a maternity nurse and advertise as maternity nurse/nanny/practitioners aren't registered so there's no bar on calling yourself a maternity nurse in the same way there's no bar on calling yourself a nanny. We have no professional body to affiliate to/sanction people who misuse the title.

Re the nurses uniform I will confess to having worn it, however never in navy or blue and never as a full dress. I have a rather fetching teal top which I had whilst doing agency work for care homes. The reasons are threefold: 1. you look more professional because you have a work outfit 2. They are very durable and baby sick doesn't soak straight through 3. They wash at extremely high temperatures without being ruined. HOWEVER I always give the parents a choice, they know I'm not a registered nurse and what I wear is effectively up to them.

Just to add the etymology of the word nurse includes:

2. Someone, especially a woman, who looks after small children in a household, etc. See also nursemaid, nursery nurse, wet nurse.

Thesaurus: nanny, nursemaid, amah.

www.allwords.com/word-nurse.html

the nursing and midwifery council have made a statement abou this here I think from now on unless you are on the register as a nurse you would be wiser not to use the term

I tend to say maternity night nanny or maternity practitioner. Or maternity newborn care specialist