High School
In high school, prepare for a career as a nurse-midwife by taking a broad range of college preparatory courses, with a focus on science classes. Anatomy, biology, and chemistry will give you solid background information for what you will be studying in college. Additional classes in sociology and psychology will help you learn how to deal with a variety of patients from different ethnic and economic groups. English and business classes will teach you how to deal with the paperwork involved in any profession. Finally, consider learning foreign languages if you want to serve as a midwife to immigrant communities.
Postsecondary Training
All CNMs begin their careers as registered nurses. The two most common ways to become a registered nurse are to get a bachelor's degree in nursing from an accredited four-year program or to get an associate's degree in nursing from an accredited two-year program. When you are choosing an undergraduate school to attend, however, keep in mind that a bachelor's degree in nursing is required for entry into most certificate or graduate degree programs in nurse-midwifery. Bachelor's degrees are also usually required for those who want to advance into supervisory or administrative positions or hold jobs in public health agencies.
After you have completed your undergraduate education and passed the licensing exam to become a registered nurse, you can apply to nurse-midwifery programs. The American College of Nurse-Midwives Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education accredits post-baccalaureate certificate programs and graduate programs in nursing and midwifery schools throughout the United States. A certificate program typically requires nine to 12 months of study.
The American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNW) requires a master's degree for entry into clinical nurse-midwifery practice. Graduate programs that result in master's degrees usually take 16 to 24 months to complete, and some also require one year of clinical experience in order to earn a nurse-midwife degree. In these programs, the prospective nurse-midwife is trained to provide primary care services, gynecological care, preconception and prenatal care, labor delivery and management, and postpartum and infant care. Doctorate degrees are typically required for those who want to work in top levels of administration, in research, or in education. These degrees normally take four to five years to complete.
Procedures that nurse-midwives are trained to perform include physical examinations, pap smears, and episiotomies. They may also repair incisions from cesarean sections, administer anesthesia, and prescribe medications. Nurse-midwives are trained to provide counseling on subjects such as nutrition, breastfeeding, and infant care. Nurse-midwives learn to provide both physical and emotional support to pregnant women and their families.
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