Are you considering becoming a Nurse-Midwife? There is much confusion about this nursing specialty.
This nursing path is extremely rewarding for both midwives and patients, and midwifery ultimately results in better outcomes for mothers, babies, and public health. Since 1990, the countries around the world that have been most successful at improving maternal health have done so through the deployment of midwives.
If you'd like to learn more about the Nurse-Midwifery career path, check out this podcast from RN Radio that I came across, a podcast for nurses and students who are passionate about learning and staying informed. In the episode below, RN Radio interviews Julia Lange Kessler, DNP, CM, FACNM, Director of the Nurse-Midwifery/Women's Health Nurse Practitioner program at Georgetown University School of Nursing & Health Studies, to discuss myths and misconceptions that surround midwifery in the United States. For example, Dr. Kessler explains that some people ask her if midwifery is legal, and others don't know that midwifery requires higher education. Others still think that midwifery is restricted to only home births, when in reality midwives can deliver babies in hospitals, birthing centers, or private homes. What is the first thought that comes to your mind when you think about midwifery?
Specializes in Med-Surg, OB, ICU, Public Health Nursing.
Thank you for this article. On the Duggar show (19 kids and counting, yes I watched) I think several of the Duggar girls said they were training to become midwives. On a blog someone called them on it and it seems they backpedaled and said it was training to be a "midwife assistant." Then it seemed to be dropped altogether. It seems like they didn't have any of the higher education required to nursing training to be a midwife. I have not kept up with the story, but I was curious, especially since they have such a huge audience as reality stars. So are they truly still training to be midwives I wonder?
I admit that I watched it, too. I stopped after the scandal broke out. I thought it was interesting to see how people who have different belief systems live.
Anyway, I looked it up some months ago. They were in Arkansas and that state does have "lay midwives." In CA, you have to be RN with advanced training and a seperate license.
Proud graduate of Georgetown's midwifery program here! My father-in-law constantly has to tell people I do not practice witchcraft professionally when he tells them I'm a midwife. It's so crazy. We definitely need more education out there for the general public because midwives are awesome!
CNMs delivered both of my sons in the Army (I don't know if they still use them though). I'm not sure how a doctor directed delivery goes, but my experience with those nurses were amazing!
I admit that I watched it, too. I stopped after the scandal broke out. I thought it was interesting to see how people who have different belief systems live.
Anyway, I looked it up some months ago. They were in Arkansas and that state does have "lay midwives." In CA, you have to be RN with advanced training and a seperate license.
Actually untrue. In both Arkansas and California, CPMs are licensed. In AR, they're referred to as "lay" midwives, as you state, and in CA, they're just called "licensed" midwives. Of course in both states, they're still not going to be allowed to work in hospitals, they only practice out of hospital. But they are legally recognized as another type of midwife.
RNinIN, the military still utilizes CNMs in large numbers. Glad you had a great experience with yours!
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
Depends on where the CNM practices. At the hospitals where I was a nurse, the CNMs used the medical model and were much like OBs. Their practices were out of OB offices. They assisted in C-sections, and ordered inductions, epidurals, etc. Very little homeopathic practice going on.
Depends on where the CNM practices. At the hospitals where I was a nurse, the CNMs used the medical model and were much like OBs. Their practices were out of OB offices. They assisted in C-sections, and ordered inductions, epidurals, etc. Very little homeopathic practice going on.
I completely agree that some CNMs practice a more medical model of care, as opposed to the midwifery model, which saddens me. However it is a commonly held myth that going to a midwife for care means you have to have an unmedicated birth. My own practice sees an enormous amount of obesity, hypertension, and diabetes, and so unfortunately we have a high rate of induction of labor. Plenty of patients get epidurals. We still try to preserve the "normal" in birth as much as we can for every patient. I also think it's great that midwives can first-assist in C/S to continue care with their patients, I don't see that as somehow taking away from the midwifery model of care. Nor does ACNM.
The problem of course, which I think is your main point, is when normal, healthy patients are receiving the interventions you're talking about excessively or unnecessarily.
Specializes in Mental health, organization and leadership.
Talking about the international educational level of midwifes, in Sweden midwifery is a nursing speciality on one year masters level. A BSN is required to enter midwifery training, and I believe that basically the same goes for most Scandinavian countries.
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
My point is, these CNMs did not even TRY to practice holistically.
Sure, it's great they can first-assist at c/s. But so can RNFA. You don't need an expensive (and very highly-skilled/educated) CNM for that.
I would rather see them at least try to encourage natural low-intervention birth. But they didn't. Plenty did "social" inductions just the same as the OBs did.
At least this is what I saw in the hospitals where I worked. And to me, that was a missed opportunity for our patients. The medical model was controlling their practice. Sad if you ask me.
I decided I was the one mistaken. I may have misunderstood the role of the CNM. I thought they encouraged more low-intervention birth and took care of healthier patients. I must have been very wrong. I used to want to become one, but after what I saw, changed my mind.
Wow, I'm so sorry you experienced that. I wouldn't say you misunderstood the role of CNMs, I would say those are CNMs practicing only a medical model of care.
I wanted to add that midwives are't free to practice everwhere. I live in Alabama, and while technically you can work as a midwife in a hosptial the laws surrounding their ability to practice are so awful, and where I live there aren't any practicing. Assisted homebirths are illegal here, so if you want a midwife to attend you in an out of hosptial setting you have to travel over state lines. Currently there are a lot of people trying to get the laws changed though, and I hope it happens because my ultimate goal is to be a CNM in a birthing center.
I wanted to add that midwives are't free to practice everwhere. I live in Alabama, and while technically you can work as a midwife in a hosptial the laws surrounding their ability to practice are so awful, and where I live there aren't any practicing. Assisted homebirths are illegal here, so if you want a midwife to attend you in an out of hosptial setting you have to travel over state lines. Currently there are a lot of people trying to get the laws changed though, and I hope it happens because my ultimate goal is to be a CNM in a birthing center.
What are some laws that you're talking about? I thought CNMs are pretty accepted everywhere.
Technically they can practice in a hospital setting here, it's just really really hard. They fall into the same class as NP and are pretty much treated very poorly. They're not allowed to own their own pharm license, they have to work under in OB who has to sign off on all charts. I want to say there's only something like 20 CNM registered in the whole state. Alabama is also one of the worst place in the US to have a baby, so that doesn't help. Here's a pretty good article on the issue here.
My point is, these CNMs did not even TRY to practice holistically.
Sure, it's great they can first-assist at c/s. But so can RNFA. You don't need an expensive (and very highly-skilled/educated) CNM for that.
I would rather see them at least try to encourage natural low-intervention birth. But they didn't. Plenty did "social" inductions just the same as the OBs did.
At least this is what I saw in the hospitals where I worked. And to me, that was a missed opportunity for our patients. The medical model was controlling their practice. Sad if you ask me.
I decided I was the one mistaken. I may have misunderstood the role of the CNM. I thought they encouraged more low-intervention birth and took care of healthier patients. I must have been very wrong. I used to want to become one, but after what I saw, changed my mind.
I call these "medwives". I would venture to say that these are *probably* people with lots of experience with traditional US birth factory type settings. Maybe L&D nurses who were entrenched with hospitals like that and take those practices with them in their midwifery careers.
When people ask me ob vs midwife I will almost always say OB, but that interviewing them first is of utmost importance. Because there are medwives and there are also OB who are *MDs* aka Midwives in Disguise
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I admit that I watched it, too. I stopped after the scandal broke out. I thought it was interesting to see how people who have different belief systems live.
Anyway, I looked it up some months ago. They were in Arkansas and that state does have "lay midwives." In CA, you have to be RN with advanced training and a seperate license.
http://www.healthy.arkansas.gov/aboutadh/rulesregs/laymidwifery.pdf