Online Midwife Programs

[mickey72]

Hello. I am looking for a Masters Midwife program that is all online. The state I live in does not offer any such program. Anyone know of a good one?

[Crux1024]

The only one I know of is this one: http://www.midwives.org/home.html

Frontier School of Midwifery and Family Nursing

Ive heard its a good one, but no personal experience as to whether it is or not.

Good luck on your search.

[mickey72]

Thanks I found that one too but didn't see any others....anyone have any experience with Frontier?

[SiennaGreen]

There are several. Google the ACNM site, click on Education and locate schools. you can sort by "online only" opion. U of Cincy is one I can think of off the top of my head.

[tiaglad]

Greetings,

I have a few friends that have come through Frontier and have been told it is quality. They have been training midwives for years and years. Its a distance learning program. You have to come there like 3 times over all but everything else is done in your home town including your preceptor. Its the track I am on soon too.

Peace

Tia

[mzjennx, BSN, RN]

i heard about this from a student who was currently in the program who is doing the distance education and preceptoring with a local midwife. she recommends it. i wouldnt mind trying for the program since hawaii doesnt have a midwifery program.

[Calzonan RN]

I work in a hospital with a lot of midwives and most of them have been educated through Frontier. It's a great program, I plan on applying for it very soon. Good luck, maybe I'll see you at orientation

[mzjennx, BSN, RN]

i dont work in l&d but it will make sense to do a midwifery program without the experience?

[SiennaGreen]

Interestingly, it is a question that I have heard a couple different really good answers to.

Some MW's have told me that doing the CNM w/o L&D experiance is a short sighted path. That even though my intent to practice as a MW is more natural, home or birth center birthing, I will want to have had that pexerience dealing with high acuity patients so that on the very rare occasion that something begins to go wrong;I will have seen the signs previously and have an idea what to do with it.

Others have said that Midwifery and L&D are so different in philosophy and that if I want to hold on to my belief that women's bodies are created for this work and they function beautifully- instead of mentally preparing for every complication that might occur (which according to them is a by product of working within the medical model system) that doing hospital L&D prior to CNM will actually rob one of this belief system.

I'm torn. I see merit in both approaches. I am grateful that I have had significant experience in out of hospital, non-medical model birth. I am mature enough to know that sometimes, bad things happen, and that doesn't negate good design. I lean toward getting the hospital experiance, for myself, because I hope I can emerge still holding firm to my beliefs AND possess a broader wealth of experience to pull from if the situation calls for it.

Now...just to find that L&D job when I graduate :)

[mzjennx, BSN, RN]

i agree with both. i work and an intern in l&d and hated the whole medical part of birth. i prefer the more natural process of midwifery which is why i want to persue. i want to work in l&d, but i was unable to find a new grad job. in the mean time i am working in med-surg. i hope im doing the right thing. they say 2 years of med-surg helps you to be a better l&d nurse. i hope its true its hard to find a l&d job anywhere these days.

[teriadn2004]

We have a CNM who delivers at our hosptial who graduated from Frontier - she is WONDERFUL!

[LDRNMOMMY, BSN, RN]

Some MW's have told me that doing the CNM w/o L&D experiance is a short sighted path. That even though my intent to practice as a MW is more natural, home or birth center birthing, I will want to have had that pexerience dealing with high acuity patients so that on the very rare occasion that something begins to go wrong;I will have seen the signs previously and have an idea what to do with it.

I think you will do just fine if you don't have any L&D experience. The midwife that I am seeing with this pregnancy has only been a midwife for about a year. She became a midwife without any L&D experience and I chose her because I work alongside her in L&D and she is AWESOME! (not that the other CNMs or OB/GYNs that I work with aren't) I just really really like her and most of her patients end up with intact perineums.