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Hi all! I am applying to FNP program at Frontier but would also like to apply to CNM. If I could do anything in nursing i would become a CNM, but I'm afraid my job options would be limited by applying to this specialty instead of a degree like the FNP where there are a broad range of job options. I live in a small town and I'm not sure I'd be able to find a job as a new grad midwife. I'm very torn and want to make sure I'm going the correct career path. (Just some background info...I've been an RN for 12 years. I almost started out in post-partum as a new grad but chose to go the ICU route so that I would be more marketable. Many times I have tried to transfer to L&D or post-partum but it didn't seem like a wise choice because I would've been giving up my seniority and switching to night shift. So, I haven't worked L&D but I've always been drawn there. Also, I used a midwife for my 2 pregnancies) Any advice???

Specializes in Adult Nurse Practitioner.

The local health department in my small county utilizes CNMs for the pregnancy follow-through. Some patients opt for home birth and utilize outside CNMs as well. You may want to see about doing a survey in your area to assess the openness of CNMs in your community.

Specializes in NICU.

Well, we don't know where you live, so we can't help you figure out if there is a market for new grad CNMs...what kind of advice are you looking for?

Am I correct to assume that it is much easier to find a job as a fnp versus a midwife? I live in a small town in eastern NC. Also, can an fnp do anything ob related? Or just gyn?

CNM popularity varies greatly by location. For example: I'm in Eastern Georgia and there are virtually no CNMs here. It's a very doctor-heavy community (we have a large medical school here) and CNMs aren't utilized from what I've seen. Very different from what you might see on the West Coast or other parts of the country.

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