Nurse-Midwives: Changing Health Care for the Better, Midwifery: An Ancient Commitment, A Modern Success Story

Midwives are a certified nurse midwife (CNM) is a licensed health care provider that is trained in both nursing and midwifery. A certified midwife (CM), is also licensed but is trained in midwifery. The professional organization for midwifery in the United States is the American College of Nurse-Midwives. CNMs and CMs are nationally certified by the American Midwifery Certification Board through a national midwifery certification exam.

A women’s health nurse practitioner (WHNP) is an educated and experienced nurse practitioner who focuses on offering primary care services to women of all ages. In order to become a WHNP, nurses must first complete an education as a registered nurse and then go on to advanced studies in order to become a nurse practitioner. It is during these studies that students can choose to specialize in women’s health and go on to complete clinical, hands-on experience with female patients. It is important to note that a women’s health nurse practitioner is different from a certified nurse-midwife (CNM). While CNMs tend to focus on childbearing, from conception to delivery, a WHNP follows the entire lifespan of women’s health and does so most often in a primary care office setting, rather than a hospital or delivery room. Further, while the two paths share some educational similarities, the specializations and post-degree steps will differ: a CNM must now complete an AMCB-accredited, specialized MSN or DNP degree prior to becoming certified as a nurse-midwife, while a WHNP must complete an NCC-accredited, specialized MSN or DNP degree prior to pursuing a license to practice as a nurse practitioner.

CNMs must complete a graduate school program prior to taking the examination.CNMs are licensed through each state’s Board of Nursing or Medical Board. Certification must be kept current! Recertification for competency of practice is completed every 5 years and approved both by the issuing state government of practice and by the American College of Nurse-Midwives. Midwives help women with normal pregnancies and deliveries, with the idea of letting childbirth occur as naturally as possible. Midwives are trained to help women with normal, uncomplicated pregnancies, labor, and deliveries.

The scope of Nurse-Midwifery Practice:

·         Pregnancy, birth, & new-born care

·         Women’s primary care & health promotion

·          Family planning

·         Advanced clinical practice by some,

E.g.:  first assist in surgery – circumcision – colposcopy – ultrasonography

·         Education • Public Health

Current Global Trends

There are currently approximately 5,000 practicing nurse-midwives in the United States, and since 1975the number of nurse-midwives has continued to grow each year. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there is a critical global shortage of “skilled birth attendants”.

·         34% of the world’s births occur at home without a trained medical professional present.

·         The World Health Organization cites midwifery as a key component of improving global maternal and child health, and seeks to promote the profession on a global scale!

Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner Role Requirements

·         In order to become a WHNP, one must first become a registered nurse (RN) by completing an accredited nursing program at the undergraduate level. From there, students must apply and be accepted to a nurse practitioner program. Some programs will require that students declare a specialization upon application but others will not. Many RNs find it helpful to have some clinical experience as an RN before going on to enroll in an NP program since that can be helpful when it comes to choosing a specialization. Each WHNP program will have its own prerequisites, which may include a certain GPA in undergraduate coursework, letters of recommendation, and graduate school entrance exams.

·         Due to the high demand for nurses around the country, many advanced nursing programs have distance learning options for those who are already employed as RNs. Interested students may be able to pursue a nurse practitioner program with online courses without having to relocate or stop working.

·         Women’s health nurse practitioners do not require certification in all states, but that requirement is becoming increasingly common. The main organization which offers credentials for women’s health nurse practitioners is The National Certification Corporation. Certification requires that nurses sit for a computer-based exam and provide transcripts from an approved nurse practitioner program. Upon successful completion, nurses will be able to claim the Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner-Board Certified credential.

·         Many nurse practitioners also find value in professional organizations, such as Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health (NPWH), which offers educational and networking opportunities as well as political and research advocacy, as well as the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nurses(AWHONN).