I want to become a nurse midwife

babycatcher12 · Apr 1, 2008

Some programs recommend one year of labor and delivery experience but I don't think it is required. There aren't a ton of midwifery programs, especially in the midwest. A good website for all (or most) of the programs in the US is allnursingschools.com. Also, the American College of Nurse Midwives has a website with the listing of approved programs. I know that Marquette University in Milwaukee is the only school in Wisconsin (if you're looking nearby). U of Minnesota has a program as well. I would check those websites and see what you find.

As for experience, I'm currently a L&D RN and am starting a midwifery program in the fall (I will have one year of experience). I personally think it is going to be helpful but some would actually say that it is not helpful because you learn the medicalized way of labor and delivery which is very different from the midwifery model of care. Also, there are many ETP (entry to practice) programs out there for midwifery and actually I think most midwives are coming from those sorts of programs so they don't have any RN experience outside of school. I hope this helps.

chris_at_lucas_RN, RN · Apr 1, 2008

I have 1 year left until I get my bachelor degree. I want to know how long do I need to work before I can apply to a nurse midwife program, masters degree? I'm from Illinois, so far I've only seen UIC offering the program. Does anyone have any advice for me

Move to Dallas, TX. Baylor has a good MSN/FNP program, and they are just starting up their NM program. You can be one of the first students! Look me up when you get here.....

chris_at_lucas_RN, RN · Apr 1, 2008

Forgot to mention that all graduate students who are not on academic probation get a scholarship from the Baylor foundation. It's pretty good too--my tuition and fees for 8 hours dropped from about $8,000 to just over $3,500.

And if you work within the Baylor system, you get some help with tuition etc. I am given to understand the reimbursement eligibility starts as soon as you start work.....

Check with them first, but that's what I was told by classmates.

hoskid1 · Apr 1, 2008

:nurse:

I have 1 year left until I get my bachelor degree. I want to know how long do I need to work before I can apply to a nurse midwife program, masters degree? I'm from Illinois, so far I've only seen UIC offering the program. Does anyone have any advice for me

Check Mary Brenkenridge,Hyden KY.They have an online course .

chris_at_lucas_RN, RN · Apr 1, 2008

Gosh, I saw that and I cannot imagine how anyone could be competent at an independent practice such as midwifery from an online course.....

In answer to the OP question about how long you have to wait after graduating, to my knowledge, all they ask at Baylor is an RN (Texas) and a bachelor's in anything. Doesn't hurt that yours will be in nursing.....

CEG · Apr 1, 2008

Gosh, I saw that and I cannot imagine how anyone could be competent at an independent practice such as midwifery from an online course.....
..

It's just like all the other distance nursing ed programs (RN-BSN, MSN, etc). You attend a few sessions in person, take regular on-line classes and complete your clinical hours with a preceptor in your local area. Frontier (this is the school being referred to) is one of the oldest nurse-midwifery services in the country and an extremely highly respected program. I don't go there but I have heard wonderful things about it. Definitely worth looking into since most brick and mortar schools are offering a lot of their nursing classes online these days anyway.

Bree124, BSN, RN · Apr 1, 2008

I am starting Marquette's direct entry MSN program in May, and plan to apply to the midwifery program in the spring, which would start me in the fall of 2009. It is a great program!

Marquette is in Milwaukee, WI only about 1.5 hours north of Chicago.

revamp · Feb 5, 2009

Bree124--

My wife was just accepted to Marquette's direct entry program and will be starting classes this may ('09), and plans to pursue the midwifery program. I would love to chat some on your impressions so far of the program, and ask some questions. Does this forum have a chat or personal message function?

Thanks!

EDIT: I see I have to have 15 posts prior to being allowed to send private messages.

I can be reached at revamp11 at gmail dot com if you get this and are up to sharing some info. :)

Bree124, BSN, RN · Feb 6, 2009

Hi revamp - I emailed you.

Dr. Tammy, FNP/GNP-C · Feb 8, 2009

Check Mary Brenkenridge,Hyden KY.They have an online course .

Isn't that the Frontier program?

Dr. Tammy, FNP/GNP-C · Feb 8, 2009

Gosh, I saw that and I cannot imagine how anyone could be competent at an independent practice such as midwifery from an online course.....

You're killing me. When I think of the birth place of NP's I think Dr. Loretta Ford and University of Colorado. When I think of the birth place of CNM's I think of Mary Breckenridge and Frontier as the gold standard for midwifery education. Both instituions for ANP education are administered in a distance ed format and I would put the reputation of the institution of its graduates and faculty against any brick and mortar instituion in the country. Incidentally a few other schools have gone distance ed for ANP's such as Duke and Johns Hopkins.