Throughout the course of history, midwives have been a key component in successful child births. Despite all the advances of modern medicine and the knowledge available to first-time mothers through books and easily accessible classes, midwives still play a major part in caring for expecting mothers.
Midwives do a lot more than just ensure safe child birth. The job includes providing family planning counseling and gynecological care as well. Their duties can start as early as preconception, and extend through the prenatal period to labor, delivery and the postpartum months. The experience of using a midwife can provide a more natural, intervention-free child birth for low-risk patients.
A certified nurse midwife is responsible for providing a holistic approach to care that is continuous, safe and educational for the mother. It requires someone who is sensitive to patient needs, a good communicator, has a flexible schedule, good judgement and is willing to manage long-term relationships.
Midwifery can be an unpredictable job with strange and sometimes long hours, however. A profession that deals with human life at its most fragile state can be demanding, but not without reward in many cases. If you have a passion for infants and the child rearing process, work as a midwife may suit you.
This article highlights the education requirements and career outlook for midwife positions, and provides financial resources to help you along your journey.
Education
Like almost any other medical profession, a properly trained, certified and licensed midwife is held to a high educational standard.
The American College of Nursing Midwives (ACNM) plays an important role in midwife certification, serving as an accreditation authority for the American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB). There are varying levels of midwife status with most midwives entering the field through the doorway of nursing. Some levels have different educational and experience requirements as well as licensing regulations and renewal procedures that are outlined below.
Certified Nurse Midwife: In order to become certified, a CNM must have graduated from a nurse-midwifery program accredited by ACNM and possess an active Registered Nurse license. Their educational background must include a minimum of a master’s degree from an accredited university and they need to have experience with management of primary care for women. This includes reproductive health, pregnancy, birth, care of newborns and an understanding of managing sexually transmitted diseases in male partners. A CNM can practice in any one of the 50 states or U.S. territories. Certifications must be renewed every five years.
Certified Midwife: Educational requirements, renewal of certificates and job expectations are the same as for a CNM, but certified midwives are only permitted to practice in certain states.
Certified Professional Midwife: Operating under the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM) certifications, CPMs do not have to adhere to the same standards. A degree is not necessary to attain CPM credentials, but completing a Portfolio Evaluation Process (PEP) administered by NARM, graduating from an accredited midwife education program or completing a state licensure program is a must. Their clinical skills must also include prenatal management and postpartum newborn care. A CPM’s clinical education must come under a nationally-certified midwife who has practiced for at least three years and been present for a minimum of 50 out-of-hospital births. A CPM is subject to various regulations, but can legally practice in 27 states.
How to Pay for Education
Financing your midwife education can be made easy through a number of resources. A good amount of research should be done to find the best option, but two resources aspiring midwives should look into are ACNM Foundation scholarships and the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) loan repayment program.
ACNM offers as many as six scholarships annually of $2,000-$4,000 to midwife students who are ACNM members.
NHSC’s loan repayment program could be an option open to those who commit to working in underserved communities. Payment of tuition, books and other supplies for a four year education may be available, as well as a monthly stipend. For each year of support, recipients will be required to serve a year in an underserved area of greatest need determined by federal designation.
Career Outlook
There are an estimated 15,000 midwives working in the United States, but despite the increasingly common realization that this female empowered method of maternity care provides individualized care that is often better for mother and child, midwives are only present at 10% of the births in the country. As time goes on, midwives will likely become more common in the future.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics projected a 31% job growth for nurse midwives between 2012 and 2022. The average wage for a nurse midwife in 2014 was $96,970.
