Finally looking at grad school!

[2BNavelgazer]

I am one of those women who decided to go into midwifery after the birth of my own children with midwives. I became a doula, a childbirth educator, but that just wasn't enough. I decided on the nursing route to midwifery and am getting ready to graduate with my BSN.

Now, I have to start thinking about grad school! Everywhere seems to require one year in L&D (ew). I graduate in December and want to apply over this summer so that I can at least start on the core requirements in Spring, but it doesn't look like it will happen because of the one year L&D requirement. Plus, all school want a copy of my license which I will not have until after the spring semester begins! On top of all of that, I need to go to an online program because there are no options in my area and moving is out of the question.

Basically, I am hoping for a little guidance! Are there any schools that you wonderful folks know of that have waived the one year requirement? If not, what online programs do you recommend? It seems like there are only 3 options: Frontier, Cincinnati, and Philadelphia. Am I missing one?

I am an older student and I am afraid that if I stop to take time off that I will lose my momentum!

[shado]

Hi there, I am a CNM and a WHNP. My midwifery school was Frontier CNEP- that is community-based NurseMidwifery Education Program. It is excellent for an individual that is focused and driven and has a family life and needs to stay home. It requires a cooperative spouse/friends in understanding the daily disappearance of your mental/physical person for study.

As far as the L&D requirement...they won't ignore the requirement but they will draw on your personal birth experience/knowledge as well as the fact you are new out of school with some L&D education while getting your BSN.

I respect your idea of working L&D as much as you can until you make a decision of schools. The Frontier CNEP starts you out with total didactic so if you want to work a couple days a week it is feasible.

I am also can tell you that you can do your CNM and MSN at Frontier now.

As far as being an older student, that seems typical amongst the midwifery students and yes you can lose your momentum once you get going. That was another factor for me in choosing Frontier. Shado/CNM

[HeritageRN]

I talked to Frontier about this awhile back and they said that they would accept a person without L&D experience but sometimes those people had a harder time finding preceptors. You should talk with the programs you are interested in and let them know your experience and they may waive that requirement. Also network with midwives in your area to find a preceptor that doesn't mind the lack of L&D training. I have not applied yet but hope to soon, but the midwife I hope to have preceptor me actually prefers people to not have the L&D training. Good luck with your decision.

[Baby Catcher, CNM]

I urge you to get L&D experience before you become a CNM. There were 2 people in my class without it and they really struggled. It is also very hard to find a clinical site without it not to mention your credibility with the nurses in L&D. Midwifery schools assume you already know how to do cervical exams and EFM. It will be to your benefit and your future pts to be an experienced nurse first. Advance practice means exactly that and you need the basics before you can expand on them.

[2BNavelgazer]

i urge you to get l&d experience before you become a cnm.

i agree with this i just do not see why that l&d experience cannot be had while i am completing the didactic portion of the program. by the time that i would start the clinical portion i would have that 1 year requirement met.

i didn't mention previously, but i was able to apprentice with a birth center/homebirth cnm who is a dear friend for 3 months. i used that experience to decide if i wanted to spend the time it took to become a midwife or if doula'ing would satisfy that birth craving. i learned how the basics of being a midwife during this time. i have some skills so i am not going into a grad program blind here!

[Selke]

i agree with this i just do not see why that l&d experience cannot be had while i am completing the didactic portion of the program. by the time that i would start the clinical portion i would have that 1 year requirement met.

this is an excellent plan! this would be sufficient experience to take into your ip clinicals ... there is much to midwifery, such as office visits, that l&d nursing experience does not really give you an edge on ....

i didn't mention previously, but i was able to apprentice with a birth center/homebirth cnm who is a dear friend for 3 months. i used that experience to decide if i wanted to spend the time it took to become a midwife or if doula'ing would satisfy that birth craving. i learned how the basics of being a midwife during this time. i have some skills so i am not going into a grad program blind here!

you got great experience here with labor support and out of hospital births, but, i wouldn't go so far as to say "all" the basics of being a midwife -- being at births in this environment is good to have, though. schools usually don't let students attend homebirths for liability reasons. best of luck to you!