Looking for advice regarding my dream career of becoming a CNM

[sariahlynne]

Hello all!Long time lurker here, but first time poster. I have been looking around the Internet and cannot really find exactly what I am looking for, so I thought I'd ask you friendly folks :)I am currently working as a CNA for a hospital, and I have been a CNA for 5 years now, since I graduated high school. I am 23 years old (maybe irrelevant). I am starting nursing school in January to get my ASN, after I graduate from there, I am planning on transfering to a university and getting my BSN. After that is where I am I having some issues. I have always wanted to be a CNM, but not in the traditional sense...I want to help women. I am a very strong advocate for women's health, reproductive rights, etc. I know this is a touchy subject, and I do not wish to make this a political discussion, so I am asking from this point on, if you do not agree with me, please move on to another thread, I mean no harm, just asking for advice here, not a debate. ANYWAYS, because of my very strong desire to help and empower women, my dream job is to work as a healthcare provider for a Planned Parenthood clinic. I live in the Portland, OR Metro area, and I love the pacific northwest dearly, lucky for me there are 3 universities that offer CNM programs. (FYI, I have heard that nurse practitioners in the future will need doctorates, so I am basically already preparing myself for needing a doctorate in nursing practice with a nurse midwife certification) Well, considering that UW might get rid of there's, I guess when it comes time there will only be 2. There's Seattle University, and Oregon Health Science University, and then if University of Washington still has theres, then there is UW too.What advice I am looking for is how might I set myself up now, and upon becoming an RN in 2 years, to have a good chance of getting into one of these programs? I volunteer at Planned Parenthood now. I have 5 years of healthcare experience under my belt already. Is there anything else I can do now? What about after I graduate and am an RN? Should I try to get a job as a L&D nurse? All the planned parenthoods in my area do not hire RN's frequently, so I cannot rely on that really. Most hospitals in my area require L&D experience to become an L&D nurse, which I have none of. And all schools mention on their website for their CNM program that it is a good idea to have women's healthcare experience...there is one hospital locally that has a nurse residency program that hires new grads and trains them to their desired field before hiring them on with a contract of at least 2 years, and they have one for L&D nursing, but it is subject to what their hiring need is, and that too, I'm sure is very competitive. What can I do to make myself an ideal canidate for these things? Any advice that I can get I would be more then grateful for. Thanks!

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

I am not in your area of the country, but I'm quite familiar with OHSU, as my DD#1 obtained her grad degree (Biomedical Informatics) there. If that is your goal, you will need a stellar GPA & tip-top scores on any admissions tests they require. Like all medical centers, they place a great deal of emphasis on academic performance.

I am a bit puzzled at your emphasis on Planned Parenthood as a career goal. You do realize that the vast majority of their services are directed at health/wellness, right? You should probably investigate the role of RNs in that organization and the role of CNMs in general. CNMs are focused on the birth process, and all that this entails (for mom & baby) rather than dealing with terminations - which are a medical role/function. Planned Parenthood does not really provide L & D - that is outside their scope of services. Actually, if you are passionate about women's health (including reproductive rights/safety) for underprivileged women you should know that these functions are supported by tax-supported entities (hospital districts, public health depts, etc) in all locations of the US - even those without any Planned Parenthood presence at all.

You have accurately identified some of the hurdles you'll have to overcome on the way to your CNM. Clinical experience in that area is a must, but you will also need a top-notch GPA & specialty certification (AWHONN) in order to maximize your chances of admission to grad school. FYI, the 2 year contract requirement for specialty training is pretty standard - these programs are very expensive to the host facility.

Best of luck to you! Keep us posted on your progress

[sariahlynne]

I am not in your area of the country, but I'm quite familiar with OHSU, as my DD#1 obtained her grad degree (Biomedical Informatics) there. If that is your goal, you will need a stellar GPA & tip-top scores on any admissions tests they require. Like all medical centers, they place a great deal of emphasis on academic performance.I am a bit puzzled at your emphasis on Planned Parenthood as a career goal. You do realize that the vast majority of their services are directed at health/wellness, right? You should probably investigate the role of RNs in that organization and the role of CNMs in general. CNMs are focused on the birth process, and all that this entails (for mom & baby) rather than dealing with terminations - which are a medical role/function. Planned Parenthood does not really provide L & D - that is outside their scope of services. Actually, if you are passionate about women's health (including reproductive rights/safety) for underprivileged women you should know that these functions are supported by tax-supported entities (hospital districts, public health depts, etc) in all locations of the US - even those without any Planned Parenthood presence at all. You have accurately identified some of the hurdles you'll have to overcome on the way to your CNM. Clinical experience in that area is a must, but you will also need a top-notch GPA & specialty certification (AWHONN) in order to maximize your chances of admission to grad school. FYI, the 2 year contract requirement for specialty training is pretty standard - these programs are very expensive to the host facility. Best of luck to you! Keep us posted on your progress

Yes, I am aware that Planned Parenthood does not help with the L&D process...they do however help with women's health wellness, only 3% of what they do has to do with pregnancy terminations, actually. Most of it is supplying birth control, women wellness visits, pap smears, etc...and a lot of underprivledged women go to Planned Parenthood to get these services done...which is the patient population I enjoy working with. I do, however, also fully support a women's right to choose. And Planned Parenthood is a not for profit company that fully supports everything I believe in, personally, I would very much so like to work for a company that I feel passionately about. No need to try to understand this is you don't already. So yes, I know that there are other places women can go to to get these services.I want to be a CNM because the 2 types of providers they hire are CNM's and PA's. Yes, CNM's are most traditionally used in the birthing process, however, their expertise extends to women's health issues as well. And also, pro-choice does not mean pro-abortion, it does not mean I'm anti-pregnancy, or anti-children, the reason I want to go the CNM route is because I might one day also like to work as a midwife in a more traditional sense as well, which is I went the PA route, I would not be able to do.