A nurse midwife, also known as a Certified Nurse Midwife or CNM, is a nursing professional who has received advanced practice nurse certification. Midwives of this type are fully trained registered nurses who have completed additional education and training that allows them to offer additional medical services. They are primarily focused on the care of pregnant women who are in good health and have excellent prospects for an uncomplicated pregnancy and easy delivery. While women make up the vast majority of nurse midwives, a few men have also entered the field.
The nurse midwife, unlike many other types of nurses, is capable of serving as a primary healthcare provider for women. While many of these advanced practice nurses specialize in caring for pregnant women, a nurse midwife can care for women of any age. Regulations imposed local medical boards and state-level departments that oversee healthcare within the jurisdiction frequently limit the scope of practice.
Anyone interested in working in this field must be fully trained as a registered nurse and maintain nursing credentials in the jurisdiction where he or she intends to practice. Many state health departments in the United States require candidates to have a master’s degree in a relevant field, such as a Master of Science in Nursing. A number of medical schools are developing nurse midwifery graduate programs, which are expected to become commonplace in the next decade.
A nurse midwife typically has the authority to write prescriptions for a limited number of medications and can care for patients with minor illnesses. A midwife may work in a hospital, a private clinic, or even run their own practice, depending on where they practice. Birthing centers are frequently associated with nurse midwives. Some midwives have additional training and certification in newborn care, a variety of therapeutic techniques, and even basic counseling.
While a nurse midwife may work as part of a team or independently, it is common for this type of healthcare professional to collaborate closely with a specific obstetrician or gynecologist, depending on the midwife’s specific focus. This working relationship may be strictly consultative at times, or it may take the form of a partnership at other times.
While midwifery has a long history of being involved in labor and delivery, the profession fell out of favor in the latter half of the nineteenth century. The increased training required to become a CNM today, combined with some women’s desire to have their children in a setting other than a hospital, has sparked a resurgence of interest in this medical field. The number of women who choose natural childbirth with the help of a nurse midwife has increased dramatically since the 1990s.