Obstetric and Gynecological (OBG) Nursing is a specialized nursing discipline that focuses on the comprehensive health care needs of women throughout their lifespan, from puberty to post-menopause. This field plays a crucial role in promoting maternal and neonatal health, reducing maternal and infant mortality rates, and supporting women’s reproductive rights. OBG nurses provide holistic care encompassing the entire continuum of reproductive health, including antenatal, intranatal, and postnatal care, gynecological management, family planning services, and menopause care. Their responsibilities extend beyond clinical care to include health education, counseling, and advocacy for women’s health issues. The significance of OBG nursing is particularly evident in improving health outcomes through early detection of complications, timely interventions, and promotion of safe motherhood practices. By addressing both physiological and psychosocial aspects of women’s health, OBG nurses contribute significantly to enhancing quality of life and ensuring reproductive well-being. Despite their pivotal role, OBG nurses face challenges, such as workforce shortages, limited access to continuing education, and high patient loads, which can impact service delivery. This review emphasizes the expanded roles and responsibilities of OBG nurses, highlights their contribution to achieving better maternal and neonatal outcomes, and presents strategies for strengthening this workforce. Evidence from recent studies underscores the importance of skill development, policy support, and interprofessional collaboration in optimizing care delivery. Strengthening OBG nursing services is essential not only for individual health benefits but also for meeting broader global health targets, including Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG 3), which aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all ages. By fostering specialized knowledge, clinical expertise, and advocacy skills, OBG nurses remain integral to advancing women’s health and achieving positive health outcomes at the community and national levels.

Keywords: Obstetric nursing, gynecological nursing, maternal health, postnatal care, reproductive health

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1. Yakoob MY, Ali MA, Ali MU, Imdad A, Lawn JE, Van Den Broek N, et al. The effect of providing skilled birth attendance and emergency obstetric care in preventing stillbirths. BMC Public Health. 2011 Apr 13;11 Suppl 3(Suppl 3):S7. doi:1186/1471-2458-11-S3-S7. PMID: 21501458; PMCID:PMC3231913.
2. Maternal mortality. 2023. Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/maternal-mortality
3. Every child ALIVE – the urgent need to end newborn deaths. 2022. Available from: https://www.unicef.org/media/48096/file/Every_Child_Alive_The_urgent_need_to_end_newborn_deaths-ENG.pdf
4. Wright A, Nassar AH, Visser G, Ramasauskaite D, Theron G; FIGO Safe Motherhood and Newborn Health Committee. FIGO good clinical practice paper: management of the second stage of labor. Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 2021 Feb;152(2):172– doi:10.1002/ijgo.13552. PMID: 33340411; PMCID: PMC7898872.
5. World Health Organization. Trends in maternal mortality 2000–2020: Estimates by WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, World Bank Group and the United Nations Population Division. 2023. Available from: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240068759
6. Say L, Chou D, Gemmill A, Tunçalp Ö, Moller AB, Daniels J, et al. Global causes of maternal death: A WHO systematic analysis. Lancet Glob Health. 2014 Jun;2(6):e323– doi:10.1016/S2214-109X(14)70227-X. Epub 2014 May 5. PMID:25103301.
7. Campbell OMR, Graham WJ. Strategies for reducing maternal mortality: Getting on with what works. Lancet. 2021;368(9543):1284– doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(06)69381-1.
8. Chanda SK, McHugh GA, Horne M. Barriers and facilitators to accessing and using maternal healthcare services by women living in rural Bangladesh: A theory-guided narrative literature review. Public Health Rev. 2025 Dec 29;46:1608157. doi:3389/phrs.2025.1608157. PMID: 41531778; PMCID: PMC12791047.
9. Renfrew MJ, McFadden A, Bastos MH, Campbell J, Channon AA, Fenwick J, et al. Midwifery and quality care: Findings from a new evidence informed framework for maternal and newborn care. Lancet. 2020;384(9948):1129– doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(14)60789-3.
10. Carayon P, Xie A. Challenges and opportunities in nursing practice and healthcare delivery in low resource settings. J Nurs Scholarsh. 2023;55(2):140– doi:10.1111/jnu.12813.
11. Chandra Sekhar CR, Shukla N, Singh S, Kaur H. Evaluation of knowledge and practices regarding emergency obstetric care among nursing personnel in public health facilities. Int J Community Med Public Health. 2022;9(1):55– doi:10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20214961.
12. You W. Nursing and midwifery workforce expansion as a strategic lever to reduce maternal mortality: Global evidence and policy implications from an ecological study. AIMS Public Health. 2025 May 28;12(2):579– doi:10.3934/publichealth.2025031. PMID: 40697258; PMCID: PMC12277783.
13. DeNicola N, Grossman D, Marko K, Sonalkar S, Butler Tobah YS, Ganju N, et al. Telehealth interventions to improve obstetric and gynecologic health outcomes: A systematic review. Obstet Gynecol. 2020 Feb;135(2):371– doi:10.1097/AOG.0000000000003646. PMID: 31977782; PMCID: PMC7012339.
14. Lawn JE, Blencowe H, Waiswa P, Amouzou A, Mathers C, Hogan D, et al. Stillbirths: rates, risk factors, and acceleration towards 2030. Lancet. 2016 Feb 6;387(10018):587– doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(15)00837-5. Epub 2016 Jan 19. PMID:26794078.

Obstetric and Gynecological (OBG) Nursing is a specialized nursing discipline that focuses on the comprehensive health care needs of women throughout their lifespan, from puberty to post-menopause. This field plays a crucial role in promoting maternal and neonatal health, reducing maternal and infant mortality rates, and supporting women’s reproductive rights. OBG nurses provide holistic care encompassing the entire continuum of reproductive health, including antenatal, intranatal, and postnatal care, gynecological management, family planning services, and menopause care. Their responsibilities extend beyond clinical care to include health education, counseling, and advocacy for women’s health issues. The significance of OBG nursing is particularly evident in improving health outcomes through early detection of complications, timely interventions, and promotion of safe motherhood practices. By addressing both physiological and psychosocial aspects of women’s health, OBG nurses contribute significantly to enhancing quality of life and ensuring reproductive well-being. Despite their pivotal role, OBG nurses face challenges, such as workforce shortages, limited access to continuing education, and high patient loads, which can impact service delivery. This review emphasizes the expanded roles and responsibilities of OBG nurses, highlights their contribution to achieving better maternal and neonatal outcomes, and presents strategies for strengthening this workforce. Evidence from recent studies underscores the importance of skill development, policy support, and interprofessional collaboration in optimizing care delivery. Strengthening OBG nursing services is essential not only for individual health benefits but also for meeting broader global health targets, including Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG 3), which aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all ages. By fostering specialized knowledge, clinical expertise, and advocacy skills, OBG nurses remain integral to advancing women’s health and achieving positive health outcomes at the community and national levels.

Keywords: Obstetric nursing, gynecological nursing, maternal health, postnatal care, reproductive health

🔒 This is a subscription article

Full text is available to subscribers and institutional members. Please choose an option below to access it.

1. Yakoob MY, Ali MA, Ali MU, Imdad A, Lawn JE, Van Den Broek N, et al. The effect of providing skilled birth attendance and emergency obstetric care in preventing stillbirths. BMC Public Health. 2011 Apr 13;11 Suppl 3(Suppl 3):S7. doi:1186/1471-2458-11-S3-S7. PMID: 21501458; PMCID:PMC3231913.
2. Maternal mortality. 2023. Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/maternal-mortality
3. Every child ALIVE – the urgent need to end newborn deaths. 2022. Available from: https://www.unicef.org/media/48096/file/Every_Child_Alive_The_urgent_need_to_end_newborn_deaths-ENG.pdf
4. Wright A, Nassar AH, Visser G, Ramasauskaite D, Theron G; FIGO Safe Motherhood and Newborn Health Committee. FIGO good clinical practice paper: management of the second stage of labor. Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 2021 Feb;152(2):172– doi:10.1002/ijgo.13552. PMID: 33340411; PMCID: PMC7898872.
5. World Health Organization. Trends in maternal mortality 2000–2020: Estimates by WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, World Bank Group and the United Nations Population Division. 2023. Available from: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240068759
6. Say L, Chou D, Gemmill A, Tunçalp Ö, Moller AB, Daniels J, et al. Global causes of maternal death: A WHO systematic analysis. Lancet Glob Health. 2014 Jun;2(6):e323– doi:10.1016/S2214-109X(14)70227-X. Epub 2014 May 5. PMID:25103301.
7. Campbell OMR, Graham WJ. Strategies for reducing maternal mortality: Getting on with what works. Lancet. 2021;368(9543):1284– doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(06)69381-1.
8. Chanda SK, McHugh GA, Horne M. Barriers and facilitators to accessing and using maternal healthcare services by women living in rural Bangladesh: A theory-guided narrative literature review. Public Health Rev. 2025 Dec 29;46:1608157. doi:3389/phrs.2025.1608157. PMID: 41531778; PMCID: PMC12791047.
9. Renfrew MJ, McFadden A, Bastos MH, Campbell J, Channon AA, Fenwick J, et al. Midwifery and quality care: Findings from a new evidence informed framework for maternal and newborn care. Lancet. 2020;384(9948):1129– doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(14)60789-3.
10. Carayon P, Xie A. Challenges and opportunities in nursing practice and healthcare delivery in low resource settings. J Nurs Scholarsh. 2023;55(2):140– doi:10.1111/jnu.12813.
11. Chandra Sekhar CR, Shukla N, Singh S, Kaur H. Evaluation of knowledge and practices regarding emergency obstetric care among nursing personnel in public health facilities. Int J Community Med Public Health. 2022;9(1):55– doi:10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20214961.
12. You W. Nursing and midwifery workforce expansion as a strategic lever to reduce maternal mortality: Global evidence and policy implications from an ecological study. AIMS Public Health. 2025 May 28;12(2):579– doi:10.3934/publichealth.2025031. PMID: 40697258; PMCID: PMC12277783.
13. DeNicola N, Grossman D, Marko K, Sonalkar S, Butler Tobah YS, Ganju N, et al. Telehealth interventions to improve obstetric and gynecologic health outcomes: A systematic review. Obstet Gynecol. 2020 Feb;135(2):371– doi:10.1097/AOG.0000000000003646. PMID: 31977782; PMCID: PMC7012339.
14. Lawn JE, Blencowe H, Waiswa P, Amouzou A, Mathers C, Hogan D, et al. Stillbirths: rates, risk factors, and acceleration towards 2030. Lancet. 2016 Feb 6;387(10018):587– doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(15)00837-5. Epub 2016 Jan 19. PMID:26794078.