midwives and cancer care

[cherrymary]

Do CNMs do any oncology work? I know they can do all kinds of well-woman care, including breast and cervical cancer prevention, but how about treatment? I'm curious what you all have experienced.

[lovingpecola]

I don't know the "real" answer to this, but I just came off of an Oncology floor for my last MedSurg (nursing school) rotation and the RNs there did some treatments at an outpatient "center" that was right there on the hospital unit...so, my logic is that since CNMs become RNs first, I would imagine that they could "treat" some things...???

[midwife2b]

The focus of midwifery care is on health and healthy women. Oncology is not within the core competencies of our education "per se". CNM's can manage certain aspects of cancer: For example if a woman has an abnormal pap smear, colposcopy training can be added; some are able to do breast biopsies. This is not the norm however, and it is up to each midwife and the practice she is in to decide what services a CNM provides. For the most part we diagnose and refer when it is cancer related.

Chemo is not something one learns in a CNM program. If a CNM wanted to be able to prescribe and administer chemo she would have to have extra education and provide evidence of this to ACNM.

IMHO there is enough to do with keeping well women healthy and I am not sure the oncologists would like me trying to provide a service at the same level and quality. I'd never have enough patients.