Nurse-Midwifery, NP, and DNP possibilities...

[ChristsInstrument]

Hello all!

I'm actually still working on my BSN, but I'm doing some long-term planning now that exams are over. :)

I'm planning to pursue my master's in nurse-midwifery, but ultimately I want to have my NP as well (whether it's family NP, neonatal NP, or something else NP, I'm not really sure yet). I've had a few thoughts as to how this might all work, but I'd like some input...

1.) Masters in Nurse-Midwifery followed by a DNP - would this be possible and would I be able to work as an NP?

2.) Masters in NP followed by a post-grad cert (or something along these lines?) in nurse-midwifery.

I'm not truly sure how this would work, and I've bee trying to compare grad schools but the specs are hard to figure out. I've looked at UCincinnati, Frontier, Bethel, and Stonybrook (PhilU is out since I'm not American), and I honestly can't figure out for sure what's cheaper/better/faster/more transferable.

Thoughts?

Thank you so much all,

Sheila

[klone, MSN, RN]

What is your goal with having both a CNM and an NP? Are you hoping to work in both roles simultaneously? If so, I would say that is going to be very difficult. I know a few nurses who have their NP and went back for a post-Master's in nurse-midwifery. None of them actually USE their NP, as they all work fulltime as a nurse midwife (one of them, though, who worked as an FNP before becoming a midwife, has a VERY well-rounded skillset and knowledge base and is well-equipped to manage comorbidities with her gyn patients).

Anyway, I think you need to figure out what you want to do with two advanced practice degrees and realize that it might not be totally realistic to think that you can work in both roles simultaneously.

[queenanneslace, ADN, MSN, APRN, CNM]

Usually when someone selects an advanced practice nursing role - they only choose one speciality - though I have seen that some nurse-midwives are also FNPs. Reasons for doing this are to take care of other family members and do more well-child care - also to do more primary care - which CNMs traditionally don't do.

Think about what you want to do and how you want to practice - and select the specialty that fits that.

You can get as many degrees as you want - and in whatever order you want, really. I don't know that you will need those degrees to do the things you hope to do.