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What Do Nurse-Midwifes Do?

Certified nurse-midwives (CNMs) provide care to women from adolescence through the menopausal years, but generally focus on gynecologic and obstetric care. Working with other doctors and specialists, they provide prenatal care to pregnant women, attend births and assist during the postpartum period. Nurse-midwives are very involved in the birth process, spending one on one time with women during labor and delivery.

CNMs practice midwifery in hospitals, clinics, birthing centers, health departments, and private practices. Some nurse-midwives may even own their own practices.

Since the specialized practice of nurse-midwifery began in the 1920's, CNMs have made significant contributions to women's health care, including reducing infant and maternal mortality, premature births, and low birth weight rates.

Education & Training Required to Become a Nurse-Midwife

All CNMs start out as registered nurses (RNs). After 1-2 years of working experience, aspiring nurse-midwives must then complete a specialized nurse-midwifery graduate program and pass a national certification exam.

Many of the nearly 40 graduate programs accredited by the American College of Nurse-Midwives offer some form of online degree or distance learning, balancing online core classes with clinical hands on work in local partner hospitals.

Typical Characteristics of a Nurse-Midwife

Nurse-midwives have to be natural collaborators, sharing responsibility with physicians, social workers, dietitians, or other nurses. It's a nursing specialty that attracts students from all walks of life, but who all share a deep commitment to maternal and child health care.

Nurse-midwifery requires compassion and assertiveness, as well as a willingness to form meaningful relationships that last with the women and families you care for. CNMs often treat the women who need one-on-one guidance the most, as 70 percent of nurse-midwives' patients are at risk because of age, socioeconomic status, or lack of education.

High Demand for Nurse-Midwives

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, job prospects for registered nurses should continue to boom through 2018. But a high demand for nurse-midwives in particular stems from a growing need for obstetrics and gynecology services in low-risk patient populations. In fact, the number of nurse midwife positions across the country has grown exponentially in the last two decades.

A 2007 survey by the American College of Nurse-Midwives found a median annual salary ranging from $79,093 to $89,916.