About Nurse Midwife Training
Whether you are a pregnant woman who is considering using a midwife as your health care professional or a nursing student who is considering a career as a midwife, understanding the training requirements will help you make the right decision. While there are some training difference, depending on the school chosen, the midwifery certification boards provide a measure of standardization for midwife training programs.
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What Is a Midwife
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A midwife is a trained health care professional who cares for pregnant women and delivers babies for healthy women. Nurse midwives are trained in normal childbirth and know how to monitor the physical and psychological health of expectant and postpartum moms. A midwife's role is both medical and education, as midwives provide moms with education about what to expect before and after delivery. While most midwives practice in hospitals, some assist with home births or births in birthing centers.
Classroom Training
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Certified nurse midwives (CNM) start their education by pursuing a nursing degree in a school accredited by the certification organization they intend to use. Once they are registered nurses, they start a midwifery training program. Upon completing the training program, they take the certification exam offered by the American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB) or the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM). Those seeking certification as nurse midwives must have at least a bachelor's degree before they can apply for certification, and many states require a master's degree for this certification level.
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Practical Experience
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In addition to the classroom training, nurse midwives must complete clinical training. This gives them hands-on training in assisting pregnant women and birthing babies. The clinical requirements vary from program to program. For example, midwives training for NARM certification are required to assist in at least 10 non-hospital births, along with traditional hospital birth experiences. Midwives training for AMCB certification can get all of their clinical experience within a hospital setting, or they can choose a school that allows them to complete both hospital and non-hospital clinical experience.
Length of Training
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The amount of training held by each midwife varies depending on the program of study chosen. Typically, certified nurse midwives have at least four years of nursing training followed by master's training in midwifery. The American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) estimates that around 80 percent of all CNMs have at least a master's degree. Some nurse midwives choose to pursue a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree instead of a master's degree, but this is not a requirement for midwifery certification.
Non-Certified Nurse Midwives
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Some practitioners call themselves nurse midwives without certification from the AMBC or NARM. The certification requirements focus on training and experience, putting forth standards for education. The ACNM believes that using a midwife who does not hold certification could be dangerous, because these practitioners may not have the training and credentials necessary to safely care for a woman during pregnancy and delivery. Pregnant women who seek midwives with the training necessary for certification can have confidence in their health care providers.
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