In the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, a Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM) is a nurse midwife who exceeds the

International Confederation of Midwives The International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) supports, represents and works to strengthen professional associations of midwives on a global basis. At present, ICM has over 139 members, representing midwifery associations in around 118 count ...

' essential competencies for a

midwife A midwife (: midwives) is a health professional who cares for mothers and Infant, newborns around childbirth, a specialisation known as midwifery. The education and training for a midwife concentrates extensively on the care of women throughou ...

and is also an

advanced practice registered nurse An advanced practice nurse (APN) is a nurse with post-graduate education and training in nursing. Nurses practising at this level may work in either a specialist or generalist capacity. APNs are prepared with advanced didactic and clinical educ ...

, having completed registered nursing and midwifery education leading to practice as a nurse midwife and credentialing as a Certified Nurse-Midwife. CNMs provide care of women across their lifespan, including

pregnancy Pregnancy is the time during which one or more offspring gestation, gestates inside a woman's uterus. A multiple birth, multiple pregnancy involves more than one offspring, such as with twins. Conception (biology), Conception usually occurs ...

and the

postpartum period The postpartum (or postnatal) period begins after childbirth and is typically considered to last for six to eight weeks. There are three distinct phases of the postnatal period; the acute phase, lasting for six to twelve hours after birth; the ...

, and well woman care and

birth control Birth control, also known as contraception, anticonception, and fertility control, is the use of methods or devices to prevent pregnancy. Birth control has been used since ancient times, but effective and safe methods of birth control only be ...

. Certified Nurse-Midwives are recognized by the International Confederation of Midwives as a type of midwife in the U.S.

Education and training

The American College of Nurse-Midwives accredits

midwifery Midwifery is the health science and health profession that deals with pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period (including care of the newborn), in addition to the sexual and reproductive health of women throughout their lives. In many cou ...

education programs and serves as the national specialty society for the nation's CNMs and Certified Midwives (CMs). CNMs in most states are required to: * possess a minimum of a

graduate degree Postgraduate education, graduate education, or graduate school consists of academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications usually pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate (bachelor ...

, such as the

Master of Science in Nursing A Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) is an advanced-level postgraduate degree for registered nurses and is considered an entry-level degree for nurse educators and managers. The degree may also prepare a nurse to seek a career as a nurse adminis ...

or Master of Science in Midwifery or a Doctorate of Nursing Practice or a Doctorate in Midwifery * pass the

NCLEX The National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) is a nationwide examination for the licensing of nurses in the United States, Canada, and Australia since 1982, 2015, and 2020, respectively. There are two types: the NCLEX-RN and the NCLEX-PN. ...

examination to become a

registered nurse A registered nurse (RN) is a healthcare professional who has graduated or successfully passed a nursing program from a recognized nursing school and met the requirements outlined by a country, state, province or similar government-authorized ...

* pass the American Midwifery Certification Board exam * hold a state license to practice midwifery or nurse-midwifery * keep up to date on latest knowledge as pertains to their field

Practice

CNMs function as primary healthcare providers for women and most often provide medical care for relatively healthy women, whose health and births are considered uncomplicated and not " high risk," as well as their neonates. Often, women with high risk pregnancies can receive the benefits of midwifery care from a CNM in collaboration with a

physician A physician, medical practitioner (British English), medical doctor, or simply doctor is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through the Medical education, study, Med ...

. CNMs may work closely or in collaboration with an obstetrician & gynecologist, who provides consultation and/or assistance to patients who develop complications or have complex medical histories or disease(s). CNMs provide health care for

sexual health Sexual and reproductive health (SRH) is a field of research, health care, and social activism that explores the health of an individual's reproductive system and sexual well-being during all stages of their life. Sexual and reproductive healt ...

, as they also see women for routine exams and are able to initiate all types of contraception. CNMs practice in

hospital A hospital is a healthcare institution providing patient treatment with specialized Medical Science, health science and auxiliary healthcare staff and medical equipment. The best-known type of hospital is the general hospital, which typically ...

s and private practice medical

clinic A clinic (or outpatient clinic or ambulatory care clinic) is a health facility that is primarily focused on the care of outpatients. Clinics can be privately operated or publicly managed and funded. They typically cover the primary care needs ...

s and may also deliver babies in birthing centers and attend at-home births. Some work with academic institutions as

professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an Academy, academic rank at university, universities and other tertiary education, post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin ...

s. They are able to prescribe medications, treatments, medical devices, therapeutic and diagnostic measures. CNMs are able to provide medical care to women from

puberty Puberty is the process of physical changes through which a child's body matures into an adult body capable of sexual reproduction. It is initiated by hormonal signals from the brain to the gonads: the ovaries in a female, the testicles i ...

through

menopause Menopause, also known as the climacteric, is the time when Menstruation, menstrual periods permanently stop, marking the end of the Human reproduction, reproductive stage for the female human. It typically occurs between the ages of 45 and 5 ...

, including care for their newborn (

neonatology Neonatology is a subspecialty of pediatrics that consists of the medical care of newborn infants, especially the ill or premature newborn. It is a hospital-based specialty and is usually practised in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Th ...

), antepartum, intrapartum,

postpartum The postpartum (or postnatal) period begins after childbirth and is typically considered to last for six to eight weeks. There are three distinct phases of the postnatal period; the acute phase, lasting for six to twelve hours after birth; the ...

and nonsurgical gynecological care.http://www.pacode.com/secure/data/049/chapter18/s18.4.html In some cases, CNMs may also provide care to the male partner, in areas of

sexually transmitted diseases A sexually transmitted infection (STI), also referred to as a sexually transmitted disease (STD) and the older term venereal disease (VD), is an infection that is spread by sexual activity, especially vaginal intercourse, anal sex, oral ...

and reproductive health, of their female patients. In the United States, fewer than 1% of nurse midwives are men.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Certified Nurse-Midwife Nursing credentials and certifications Midwifery in the United States Advanced practice registered nursing

Education and training

Practice

See also

References