What is a Certified Nurse Midwife?
A Certified Nurse Midwife, or CNM, has specialized their education in midwifery and child reproduction. As a nurse midwife you will deliver babies, provide family planning care, deal with emergency gynecological needs, and assist physicians in caesarian sections. While many people believe that midwives only help to deliver babies, they can help women throughout their reproductive age, providing regular exams. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the annual average salary for nurse midwives in 2017 was $103,640.
Licensed Midwife vs Certified Nurse Midwife
Although not all states recognize licensed nurse midwives, there are many states that do. These are people who complete most of the same tasks as CNMs; however, their education is a bit different. To understand more about how these two careers differ, let's take a look at the table below.
| Position | Education | Certification | Licensed States | Average Salary* | Prescription Status | Insurance Coverage | Work Environments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Licensed Midwife | Bachelor's Degree | AMCB's Certified Midwives (CM) | Delaware, Maine, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island | $39,961 | Can obtain medications to give to patients. Cannot handle Schedule II drugs | Some private insurance plans | Homes, birthing centers |
| Certified Nurse Midwife | Master's Degree | AMBC's Certified Nursing Midwives (CNM) | All 50 states and U.S. territories | $103,640 | Can prescribe all medications, including Schedule II, to patients | Yes, it's an essential medical benefit | Hospitals, homes, birthing centers, private practices, clinics |
*Source: bls.gov, 2017
How to Become a Nurse Midwife
The process to become a nurse midwife is similar to many other nursing professions. You will first go to school to become a registered nurse (RN) and pass the NCLEX-RN exam. This can be completed with an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), although it is quite common for RNs to begin with an ADN.
No matter which path you take to become an RN, there are master's degree options for you. For ADN degree holders, there are ADN-to-MSN bridge programs that allows you to skip over the bachelor's degree program and go right into studying at the graduate level. Sometimes these programs will result in both the bachelor's and master's degree to you upon completion. Generally, this type of bridge program takes about three years to complete.
If you have earned your BSN, simply continuing for your Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) is the next step. This takes roughly 15 months to two years to complete. It is during your master's degree that you will focus your studies on obstetrics and midwifery.
Once you've completed your MSN degree program, you'll need to become a certified nurse-midwife by taking the nurse midwife certification exam (CNM) provided by the American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB). This certification is the primarily recognized national certifying exam for nurse-midwives. AMCB also offers a midwife certification exam (NM), but this is for those who have not completed a nursing degree.
CNM Nursing Prerequisites
All colleges have their own prerequisites for entering a nursing program. In general, you'll find that you'll need to be a registered nurse. Some programs require that you have completed an ADN, while others ask that you have a BSN. Many MSN programs prefer that you have at least a year of registered nursing practice in a clinical or hospital setting. Along with a completed application, transcripts, and an application fee, there could be some additional requirements necessary depending on the college you are applying to. The following list looks at a few common prerequisites that universities look for:
- Letters of recommendation
- Courses in specific areas, such as statistics and health assessment
- GPA of 3.0 or higher
- Clinical portfolio
- Proof of malpractice insurance
- CPR certification
What Degree Does a Nurse Midwife Need?
Nurse midwives need to have at least a Master of Science in Nursing degree in order to become certified by AMCB. Some nurses choose to continue their education with a post-master's degree if they feel they did not spend enough time specializing in the fields of midwifery or obstetrics during their graduate program.
Nurse Midwife Education & Training
To become a nurse midwife, you'll find the nurse midwife education training includes a lot of nursing topics, along with some nursing education and leadership courses. However, when studying midwifery, you'll spend most of your time in nursing fundamental courses and clinical rotations. Some of the courses you may study include:
- Nursing care across the lifespan
- Genetics and genomes
- Evidence-based nursing
- Health promotion
- Women's health for nurse-midwives
- Epidemiology
- Technology in nursing
- Advocacy in nursing
- Community health
- Advanced health assessment
- Evolution of midwifery
- Antepartal care
- Mother-baby dyad
Depending on your college or university, you'll also complete one or more clinical rounds. Some colleges prefer to have their nursing students focus all their clinical practice in one setting, while others prefer multiple settings and areas of focus to gain the most experience possible.
Nurse Midwife Certification Requirements
In order to be certified as a nurse midwife, you must complete an MSN degree with a midwifery program. To apply for the Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM) certification exam provided by the American Midwife Certification Board (AMCB), you must have the director of your midwifery program send in a letter of recommendation that provides your name, birthday, and date you completed the program. Along with meeting the education requirements, you must have a valid registered nursing license. There is also a fee for the exam. You can sit a total of four times to pass the exam. Your certification will be valid for five years before needing renewal.
How Long Does It Take to Become a Nurse Midwife?
In total, you might expect to spend roughly six years studying to become a midwife. Depending on the path you take, this number can vary from as short as five years and to as long as eight years. You will spend two years earning your ADN. You will then either continue with a BSN for two more years, or move directly to your MSN, which typically takes about three years without a BSN. However, if you prefer to continue on with a post-graduate degree program, it'll add on another year or so to the count.
Can I Become a Midwife Without a Nursing Degree?
While you can become a midwife without a nursing degree, you will not be a nurse-midwife. As discussed before, licensed midwives are those that are not registered nurses. As of 2018, there were seven colleges, schools, and medical centers that offered midwifery programs. Some of these programs lead to a Master of Science degree with a focus on midwifery. As long as the program is accredited by the Midwifery Education Accreditation Council or the Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education, your program will likely be recognized by your licensing state. These programs tend to look more specifically at female reproduction topics, such as:
- Well woman gynecology
- Postpartum care
- Antepartum care
- Neonatology
- Medical complications of pregnancy
- Pelvic assessment
