Maternity Nurse in the UK versus Newborn Care Specialist in the US
Maternity Nurses and Newborn Care Specialists are both in-home childcare providers who focus on the care and well-being of a newborn.
Maternity Nurse is the term used in the United Kingdom (and in Europe).
Newborn Care Specialist is the term used in the United States.
Some Maternity Nurses and Newborn Care Specialists may me Registered Nurses or may have a medical background, but most of the time, this is not the case.
Newborn Care Specialist (NCS) is a professional credential overseen by the Newborn Care Specialist Association (NCSA).
To become a NCS, individuals must complete a comprehensive training program and pass an exam to demonstrate their expertise in newborn care.
It’s actually illegal in most US states for providers to use the term “nurse” unless they are a registered nurse (hence the term Newborn Care Specialist). And it is illegal in ALL states to claim a license that you do not hold.
Maternity Nurses may have relevant experience, but their qualifications can vary widely. Maternity Nurses may or may not reflect the same level of training and expertise as a Newborn Care Specialist.
In fact, in the UK, and in Europe, anyone can call themselves a “Maternity Nurse” even if they are no Registered Nurse or Newborn Care Expert.
In the UK, Maternity Nurses are paid between £250 and £350 per 24 hour on average (that’s £10-15 gross per hour) or more or less £20 per hour (often less) for day or night shifts only.
Maternity Nurse salaries in the UK are ridiculously low because most of the candidates who occupy these positions are not qualified enough and do not always have good enough experience.
Salaries are also very low because the terminology is not the right one : indeed, parents who hire a Maternity Nurse don’t want to pay more if they don’t have a “real” nurse in their home…
This is very unfair to candidates who are qualified nurses with a medical background. It’s difficult for them to negotiate salaries that match their training and experience because parents can always find someone who will charge them less…
Sadly, an other reason why salaries are so low in the UK is that it is common for UK agencies to negotiate fixed daily or weekly rates. Most agencies in the UK do not worry about whether candidates will be paid for each hour worked, and whether the hourly rate will be decent.
In the US, Newborn Care Specialist are paid minimum $35 per hour in all major cities (slightly less in smaller towns) and wages can even go up to $50-70 per hour in the richest cities like San Francisco, or for twins for example.
In the US, NCS can earn between $600 and $1000 per day, or even more!
Salaries are higher in the US than in the UK because America is a more expensive country to live in than Britain, but also because in the United States, not just anyone can proclaim themselves NCS!
There is more transparency and less deception in the US : parents who hire a Newborn Care Specialist may not have a Registered Nurse in their home, but they will have a candidate with the right training and experience!
If salaries are higher in the US than in the UK, it’s also because US nanny agencies advocate more for nannies than in the UK. Fixed daily or weekly rates are not standard in the US. What is standard there is to be paid for each hour worked, and at a decent rate.
The reason we chose to highlight these differences is that, of course, US salaries are the stuff of dreams for UK and EU candidates.
Since all NCS positions are temporary, British and European Maternity Nurses are willing to occupy them illegally and work with an ESTA !
They don’t understand that when a job posting says NCS at minimum $35 an hour, the family or agency is not looking for a European or British candidate who doesn’t have the right training and not even the right to work legally in the United States !
Once again, the standards are not the same between nanny agencies in the United States and England.
UK agencies have no problem sending British or European candidates to work illegally in the United States with an ESTA.
US agencies would never allow a UK or EU applicant to work illegally in the US with an ESTA. They cannot consider UK and EU applicants unless they have dual US citizenship or a Green Card.
We know that some American families are willing to consider British and European Maternity Nurses working with an ESTA, but generally it is to pay less…
And we know that many UK and EU candidates do have US experience. They may not have been paid $35 an hour, but they still earned more than in the UK or Europe.
We obviously understand why they take the risk, but it’s important to keep in mind that this remains illegal work, and if they get caught working in the US with an ESTA, they can get in big trouble.
Because you are willing to work illegally in the United States to make more money, does not mean that families and recruiters are also willing to consider candidates who are not legally allowed to work in the United States.
It is not possible for UK and EU Maternity Nurses to find NCS jobs in the US through US agencies. When you apply to them, you are wasting your time (and theirs…).
If you are a UK and EU Maternity Nurse seeking work and a higher salary in the US, only UK agencies can possibly help you find work in the US, as they don’t worry about all the visa issues if it will help bring in money…
Again, if you are a UK or EU Maternity Nurse considered for a US-based position and if you are required to work with an ESTA, chances are you will be underpaid !
To increase their chances of finding a well-paying position in the United States, some British and European Maternity Nurses find it is enough to replace the term “Maternity Nurse” on their CV with the term “Newborn Care Specialist”.
As we already explained at the beginning of this article, anyone can call themselves a “Maternity Nurse”. Not just anyone can call themselves a “Newborn Care Specialist”.
By doing this, you come across more like an impostor than a professional, and you just prove that you don’t know much about the industry you claim to be an expert in!
