Certified Nurse Midwife: Career, Training, & Certification

Certified Nurse Midwife

With hospital costs on the rise, more and more women are choosing to use a certified nurse midwife as an alternative to the traditional method of going in to a hospital to give birth, or visiting a surgeon. Midwives are trained for both pre-partum and postpartum care for women, as well as highly skilled in the labor process itself, with their presence being essential for delivery. They are highly trained to watch for any part of the birthing process that is not considered normal, for optimal health of the mother and newborn. Additional training includes the ability to perform standard medical procedures and administer medicine if necessary, though they are more there to make sure the delivery runs smoothly.

Salary Outlook

The salary for a certified nurse midwife will vary greatly depending on experience and education, with those nurses holding a Master’s degree reaching a median salary that is far higher than those with only a Bachelor’s.

Average Annual Salary

46,337

Salary Range

35,000-96,097

Work Environment

Many certified nurse midwives will do home visits for the convenience of the mother, although most frequently they work out of clinical environments. This is one of the more mobile of the nursing professions, and so oftentimes a midwife will work wherever he or she is needed, in atmospheres both intimate or in the large confines of a hospital. This can include health departments, clinics, birthing centers, or other institutions.

Requirements

The requirements to become a certified nurse midwife will vary wildly depending on the state. The minimum requirements include a Bachelor’s degree, usually in nursing, combined with a current nursing license and one to two years of nursing experience. Some states also require a Master’s degree specifically in this field, making it a more advanced Nursing program. More and more in this field go on to advanced degrees, with approximately 70% of midwives holding Master’s at the moment.

Career Outlook

Worldwide, certified nurse midwives deliver up to two thirds of all babies. In the United States, the number has drastically increased in the past decade, and continues to be on the rise. One in ten babies is now delivered by a certified nurse midwife, whereas only 3 % of all births were carried out by midwives only ten years ago. This trend towards natural birthing and the use of midwives is only expected to continue increasing in coming years, according to trend analysts. While in the past this was considered a primarily female profession, more and more men have been drawn to the field in recent years.

Professional Organizations

Midwives Alliance of North America

611 Pennsylvania Ave.

SE #1700

Washington, DC 20003-4303

Phone: (888) 923-6262

www.mana.org

Citizens for Midwifery

PO Box 82227

Athens, GA 30608-2227

Phone: (888) 236-4880

www.cfmidwifery.org