Many people immediately think of doctors, nurses and dentists when they think about medical careers. However, there are many different types of jobs in health care in a wide range of sub specialties. One such category is the nurse midwife.
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Identification
A nurse midwife is a nurse who has obtained additional training in order to help with delivering babies. This type of nurse is also trained to provide care for a mother before she delivers a child and in the period following childbirth. A nurse midwife may help to deliver babies in hospital settings as well as in residences when home births are desired. Sometimes nurse midwives also provide help with family planning, pap smears, certain types of health screenings and gynecological exams. According to AllNursingSchools, some states even allow nurse midwives to prescribe medications (see Resources below).
Personal Care
Unlike obstetricians, who must often divide their time between more than one delivering mother, a nurse midwife typically stays with a pregnant woman throughout her entire labor and delivery. This allows her to provide the very personal level of care some women desire. Additionally, nurse midwives receive training that helps them to recognize when a problem has occurred or is developing based on certain signs and symptoms that differ from what they expect in a normal labor and childbirth situation. When a problem occurs, these nurses are trained to consult with a doctor and seek her involvement in the labor and delivery process.
Preparation
According to AllNursingSchools, there are some prerequisites for becoming a certified nurse midwife (CNM). Each nursing school's requirements vary, but most of them require a student to have a bachelor's degree. Some schools even accept those who have bachelor's degrees that are not in nursing. A nurse midwife candidate is usually required to have a license to practice as a registered nurse and at least 1 or 2 years of nursing experience (see Resources below).
Certification
Many states require a nurse midwife to be nationally certified. According to the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM), a person must be a graduate of an ACNM-accredited program in order to take the national certification exam. These exams are given four times per year and are available throughout the United States (see Resources below).
Licensing
According to the American College of Nurse-Midwives, some states will only license certified nurse midwives who have obtained bachelor's degrees while others require master's degrees. The ACNM also asserts that approximately 70 percent of CNMs have obtained master's degrees. There are also some schools that allow a person to combine earning a bachelor's degree or master's degree with training to become a CNM.
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