Pregnancy is an exciting time for expectant parents but there are always a lot of questions and worries. Having access to an educated nurse midwife can make an overwhelming experience a beautiful one, which is why many nurses choose to become a nurse midwife.
Overview
Certified Nurse Midwives, also known as CNM’s, are advanced practice nurses that take on the responsibility to provide care to women during preconception, pregnancy, childbirth, and even during the post partum period. This job is usually very closely linked to that of a certified midwife, which is known for providing family centric healthcare to women.
Certified nurse midwives attend 7% of all births in the United States each year. 97% of these deliveries occur in hospitals, while 1.8% occur in birthing centers, and 1% occur at home. A certified nurse midwife can expect to spend 10% of their time caring for women who are giving birth and attending to their newborns.
Many nurse midwives will also provide routine healthcare to women including annual gynecologic exams, reproductive counseling, and peri and post menopausal care. A certified nurse midwife will diagnose, treat, and counsel their patients throughout their reproductive lives.
Working Conditions
There are many settings in which a certified nurse midwife can find him or herself. Hospitals, birth centers, health clinics, and private homes are among the most common. The certified nurse midwife is in high demand in all areas as they are an integral part of the healthcare team for women of all ages and stages of their reproductive life. Nurse midwives can enjoy a job in clinical practice, education, administration, research, and even health policy and legislation. Being a nurse midwife can take you all around the world as there are many international health programs that are calling on the education of those who have this certification and experience. With an average salary of $70,000 this can be a very lucrative career choice.
Academic Requirements
To become a certified nurse midwife, you must complete a nurse midwifery program. There are many different programs to choose from, but generally to be considered for the program you must have a bachelor’s degree, and most will require that you are already a registered nurse, although there are some that simply require the bachelor’s degree in any area. If your degree is not in nursing you will become a certified midwife, if it is in nursing you will become a certified nurse midwife at the completion of the course. Once you have completed the program you will then be required to pass the national certification exam to begin practicing in a clinical setting.