How do I start? And more questions...

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Hi there,

I'm looking into becoming a CNM and I'm wondering what the very first step is?

Also, my husband is military, so we move around alot. How will this effect becoming a CNM?

Thanks!

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Well, I haven't strated yet either but I have run through these questions!

If you aren't already a nurse, you begin with doing your pre requisites for nursing school. Check out the pre nursing section in the student section of this forum for some great advice. You will need a BSN in order to pursue your CNM-which is a Masters level nursing degree.

I guess your being military will only affect you as often as you move. Your BSN program will be a 2 year program-after finishing your pre requistes. There are many reputable CNM programs that can be done at a distance/ on line but will require having a local preceptor. Again, you will be best served if you can stay in one place for a 2-3 years during that time also.

It is doable with some planning and committment. I do believe it is more difficult for military spouses to continue their education. You may have to be more creative and tenacious than the next person!

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Specializes in OB.

I agree with the above poster except that you don't HAVE to have a BSN first.

I have my ASN and am doing a Bridge program through Frontier. My first year is a "bridge" from ASN to MSN which basically gives me the necessary classes that I would need if I had a Bachelor's degree. Then the Master's portion begins, which is another 2 years.

The entire program is distance learning except for 3 approx. 1 week visits to Kentucky, over the course of the 3 years. It's a great way to go!

You do have to find your own preceptor/clinical site in your community at the end of the program. I would think you would really need to be in one place for the last year, if at all possible.

Good Luck! This website is a great information source!

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Another great thing about Frontier is that you can do your clinicals anywhere you want. You do not have to stay in one place for all of your clinicals. I think it is a good idea to preceptor with a couple of different people so you can see different ways of doing things. I know several students who have by choice gone up to Alaska or down to Arizona just to vary up the education they received. So if you will have to move while your in clinicals do what you can where you are and then network in your new community and do what you can there. There are so many options now, good luck to you.

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Thanks so much for all the input!! It definitely helps. I ordered a book called "Paths to Midwifery" from midwiferytoday.com and it has been so helpful as well! I'm still really thinking and praying about this. I am really beginning to believe that CNM is the way for me to go. I just need to make sure before starting anything. I'm so relieved to hear that distance learning is possible!

Thanks again! And if you have anything else to add, please do!

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Specializes in Emergency Department.

Out of curiosity, what is the publishing date of that Paths book?

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Specializes in Rural Health.
Out of curiosity, what is the publishing date of that Paths book?

According to the website, it was copyrighted in 1999

http://www.midwiferytoday.com/reviews/pathssue.asp

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According to the website, it was copyrighted in 1999

http://www.midwiferytoday.com/reviews/pathssue.asp

I have the 3rd Edition, 2002.

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I'm also wanting to become a midwife and was wondering what was the fastest track to get there from LPN...That is my ultimate goal and it seems so far away. Any advice from a 4th quarter LPN student?:imbar

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i love this question because it is also my own question. my husband is also in the military and i am wanting to become a cnm. we just moved to a new duty station and we are going to try to be here awhile. i was thinking about getting my asn and then doing frontier but i can't find a nursing program here that offers an asn. i wonder if i am looking wrong. all the schools here look like they only offer a bsn or higher. i am new to the nurse lingo so i could be missing it. :rolleyes: thanks for the friendly help ladies. :nurse:

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Specializes in Labor and Delivery.
i love this question because it is also my own question. my husband is also in the military and i am wanting to become a cnm. we just moved to a new duty station and we are going to try to be here awhile. i was thinking about getting my asn and then doing frontier but i can't find a nursing program here that offers an asn. i wonder if i am looking wrong. all the schools here look like they only offer a bsn or higher. i am new to the nurse lingo so i could be missing it. :rolleyes: thanks for the friendly help ladies. :nurse:

hi! just my 2 cents, but thought i'd share a suggestion. if there is a bsn program that is close to you, you may want to consider it. to get into an adn (an associate degree in nursing) program, you typically have to take prereqs like english, biology, chemistry, math, sociology, etc. etc..things like that. those take at least a year or more and then you get into the adn program which is 2 years full-time. after that, you are talking about the bridge program at frontier, which adds an extra year onto the traditional msn part of the program. so that total (before reaching the msn portion of becoming a cnm) is at least 4 years.....

if you were to go right into a bsn program, it would take 4 years full-time, however, that includes all of those pre-req classes like english bio etc., and then eliminates that extra year at frontier.

does that make sense?? just a thought! good luck with your plans! i'm starting at frontier in just over 3 weeks (yikes!) and can't wait!

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Thank you. I thought that the ADR route would be the quickest. Thank you for your insight though. :nuke:

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