Male RN seeks open-minded CNM for career choice info

NickB · May 23, 2011

There is a male CNM in the Pittsburgh area I think. His name is Patrick if I am remembering correctly, and has a successful practice and his pt. seem to love him. I'm sure he has gone through some of what you are going through and would be willing to talk to you. Who cares what the other Midwives have said to you. You can probably get some of your deliveries logged with OB's who won't be so judgemental. I have been pondering the exact same path you are pondering for a few years. I think if I were younger, I would've gone to med school and ended up being an Ob/Gyn, but since that isn't possible, the next best thing would be midwifery. I also like the more holistic approach of it. We have a midwife that delivers on our floor, and she first assisted in a section the other day with the MD she has her agreement with which I thought was pretty cool. She is totally cool to the idea of me being a midwife. Yet, there is a certified midwife (not nurse midwife) in the next city over who wouldn't even acknowledge my emails and phone calls when I tried to do community service with her while in Nursing School. To be honest, I think they are threatened by the thought of a male midwife. If you want it than I say go do it. You're going to get weird looks at Frontier I'm sure, but I bet there will be people there that will be supportive. As far as jobs afterward; people will always be having babies and need someone to deliver them.

chicagonurse2b · May 27, 2011

Go for it, David. GL!

ixchel · Jun 4, 2011

That is such a shame that people are so judgmental I feel like we're in a world that needs more holistically-minded people. Why does it matter if you are a man? I say go for it, and ignore the ridiculousness. THEY are the ones who have the problem, not you, and if this is your passion, don't let anyone stop you.

(Sorry, I know I'm not really responding to your OP, but I just don't understand how any midwife would ignore anyone trying to get into midwifery....I thought midwives in general hoped to get more people in the push for better birth practices. I'm surprised, I guess!)

ktsnm · Jun 29, 2011

David -

The Region III (Southeast) rep for ACNM is a CNM and also happens to be male - Michael McCann. Perhaps he has some insight. I noticed that in November www.worldvisionreport.org published a report on male midwives in Liberia. Follow your dream!

RNmilwife · Jul 3, 2011

I can't help you with information but I just wanted to say, that I don't understand why men would be judged that way for being a Nurse Midwife. There are LOTS of male OB/GYN and they don't get look at questionably. Such a shame. Good luck to you.

MaineMan88 · Jul 14, 2011

Hey David! I am a CNM student at Vanderbilt, and I am male. Vandy is VERY accepting of men--the program director and another faculty member actually wrote an article in a nursing journal last year about the NEED for more men in the field. When I expressed interest in the program 2 years ago via email she actually called me on the phone and we were in contact over a period of months. Although I have not started the actual CNM portion of the program--I am completing the "pre-specialty" RN portion of the program right now and "bridging" into the CNM program in August--the midwifery faculty have treated me equally and with the upmost respect thus far.

Perhaps not coincidentally, the male midwife from Pittsburgh that Nick mentions above actually closed his practice, moved to Nashville, and now works at Vanderbilt Medical Center.

Consider Vandy! :yeah:

Nate