Nurse-Midwives

Employers

According to the American Midwifery Certification Board, there are about 12,218 certified nurse-midwives (CNM) or certified midwives (CM). Many are in clinical practice. More than half work primarily in an office or clinic environment, and physician practices and hospitals are the places where most CNMs are employed. At hospitals, CNMs see patients and attend deliveries on hospital grounds and use hospital-owned equipment for examinations and other procedures. Additional medical personnel are always available for emergency situations. Other nurse-midwives work in family planning clinics and other health care clinics and privately funded agencies. These nurse-midwives usually have relationships with specific hospitals and physicians in case of an emergency. Some nurse-midwives operate their own clinics and birthing centers, while others work independently and specialize in home birth deliveries.