How to become a midwife?

[las217]

Okay well I am seventeen and I dropped out of high school in my second year of ninth grade because I got pregnant and had no help. I am currently in the process of getting my GED and I have always wanted to be a midwife. This is what I read somewhere. "A Certified Nurse Midwife requires you to go to nursing school to achieve a BSN, get your RN license, work in L&D for a minimum of 1 year, then go to graduate school for a master's degree in nursing. I should say, currently CNMs require a master's level education, but in 2015 I believe is when the changeover will happen that you need a doctorate of nursing practice (DNP) degree, which is another 2-3 years beyond a master's degree. Once you graduate from a CNM program you take a certification exam to earn the title of CNM." I was wondering if this is the easiest or best/smartest way to go about it as a single mom with an eighteen month old daughter? Please help!

[klone, MSN, RN]

At this time, there is no requirement for CNMs to have a doctorate degree, and no announcements that this will be required in 2015. And in reality, a DNP is only an extra 1+ years after a master's.

Best bet is to go to a university, get your BSN, and then get into a master's program in nurse-midwifery. That's pretty much the only route. There are many programs out there that do not require experience in L&D, so a year in nursing in any area, as long as you have the grades and the desire, should get you into a CNM program.

Good luck to you!

[las217]

Thank you!

[allthemadmen]

I was also a young single mom who wanted to be a midwife. I would suggest you go to a community college for a two-year ADN RN program and then a BSN completion program; this way you can work as a nurse after only two years of school, and if your plans/life change, requiring a delay in advanced education, you can still make a living. Hopefully you can go straight through, though. Good luck!