Required Education in Midwifery
Midwifery involves prenatal care, delivering babies and the reproductive health of women. If you are considering becoming a midwife, you will need the proper education to ensure that you will be able to care for your patients in an ethical and responsible manner. There are many areas to consider when deciding on a path to complete the required education in midwifery.
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Types
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There are two types of educational paths to choose from to practice midwifery: direct entry midwives and certified nurse midwives. Direct entry midwives complete a midwifery program and will only be able to practice midwifery when they have completed their education. Certified nurse midwives complete a nursing program and a midwife program, as well. Once their program is complete, they can practice nursing or midwifery. The education requirements to practice midwifery will vary by state.
Time Frame
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The amount of time it will take to complete the required education to become a midwife will depend on each student. Direct entry midwifes can complete education requirements in as little as a two years. Certified nurse midwifes will have to complete a bachelor's degree program, which generally takes around four years. It is important to remember that on top of the required education to become a midwife, a student must attend births and deliver babies after they have completed all of their education requirements.
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College Options
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Certified nurse midwife programs are almost exclusively offered at four-year colleges and universities. Direct entry midwife programs are offered at community colleges and, in some instances, at technical schools. Students may also take some of the prerequisites at an online school and transfer the coursework to another learning institution. However, they should check with the institution they plan on transferring to, to make sure their coursework will be accepted and will meet the midwife program's requirements.
Certification
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Once the student has completed the midwife program of her choice, she will be required take a certification test called the Certification Examination in Nurse-Midwifery/Midwifery before she will be certified to practice midwifery. This is a computer-based test that has to be taken at an approved testing center. Information on taking the certification test will be available at the school where the midwife program was completed.
Considerations
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The route a future midwife chooses to complete the required education should depend on the state of residence requirements as well as her future goals. If a midwife wishes to branch out in the field of nursing or other aspects of medicine, then she would be better off completing the certified nurse midwife program. However, if the midwife does not plan to continue her education and wants to stay a midwife for many years, then a direct entry midwife program should suffice.
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References
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