TLAandy

Sherri is excellent. I used some of her stuff when I passed, her and Lynn Fredricks. I took the CPNE in 1/2009. You can do it!!!

I hear this a lot that if someone is pro-direct entry then they must be anti-nursing. Our country is the one of a few that have the nurse-midwife model. I am an RN and currently in a midwifery program (FSMFN) and I did not have L&D experience at all, and was told it was not really a benefit. I think the important aspects of nursing that apply toward midwifery could be learned in the LPN diploma program (I have been both LPN/RN). Sorry if I offend anyone. I just don't see "nursing" as vital to midwifery. I am proud of being an RN, but nursing tries to do everything from bedmaking to complicated chemotherapy IV infusions. You cannot master everything. We need to learn to let our old roles go and assume new ones. In this case a midwife. There is nothing wrong about being just plain ole' PRO-MIDWIFERY!!!

Yes, I work full-time I hope to cut down to part-time once my husband graduates in August, but it is doable to work fulltime. Your family just has to be supportive, my husband grocery shops and cooks dinner and my daughter does all the after dinner cleaning. I got bathrooms and laundry. I think that is where people get caught up is all the time you spend "living" that cuts into study time. If you can balance that kind of stuff you're golden!!

I am in class 71, at first I was told I did not get into that class and I would be wait listed for Class 72. Then 2 weeks before Frontier Bound they sent me an email saying I got into Class 71. It was about 6-8 weeks from the time I submitted my application till I heard that I had been wait listed.. But like anything if they get behind it could be longer. Also if you find out late about getting into class, do not worry about the Frontier Bound fee, they will take it out of your first student load residual check, just get there, they will house and feed you!! Hope this helped.

I am glad we are having this conversation and no one is arguing about the issue. That is good, usually someone assumes someone is taking "this or that" position and totally hijacks the conversation.

That is correct, it is not in any of the curriculum's I know of for CNM's. My cousin is in Medical School and he said the same thing. It is not part of the curriculum, (to actually do one) they do go over care of the status-post abortion female. But it is available for MD's, but is not required. For OB/GYN's knowing how to do the procedure is required, but they can opt out of actually doing one. They have many interactive/computer modules that can walk them through the procedure. CNM's that are practicing in the expanded role usually have a surgeon in house. CNM's will routinely close on C-sections by themselves, but have back up if needed. Early trimester abortions are not as medically significant as later trimester abortions, which even for OB/GYN's require certain circumstances. Early abortions are so medically insignificant women's bodies do most of them.

There is a thread on here about CNM's salaries ect, started by someone that just graduated. Just scroll down and you should find it. The salary thing is difficult to get a handle on. The answer is it really depends.......on what, you ask? Location How many years you have been practicing Those seem to be the big things. You will hear that it does not pay to become a CNM, that the salary is too low. And it is all about perspective. If you have been an RN for 20 some years and are making 70,000/year. It does not make sense to them to go to school for an additional 2 years and make 75,000/year as a new CNM grad (according to Payscale.com/for my area). But the earning potential is higher, what would that same CNM grad be making in 20 years? Just like any profession the higher your education level=the higher your pay. But for some nurses that have been working for quite a while it does not make sense. The other most often complained about issue is schedules of CNM's. That again is a "it depends" I have meet tons of CNM's and CPM's now and their schedules are as varied as any nurse. Some have what I consider crazy call schedules, but so do a couple of me fellow students at Frontier that are RN's in L&D. One works 3/12's and is on call for 2 days a week. She usually gets called in, she had to cut down to part-time with no-call because she could not handle the course load with working that way. One CNM (did not do birhts) worked at Planned Parenthood doing Pap/pelvics and BC prescriptions and worked Mon-Fri 9-5. And the other thing to consider is some women (like myself) just have to be a midwife. I feel like I would want to do this even if I made the same amount of money as a counter girl and McDonalds. I have wanted to do this for as long as I can remember. I can't wait to be done with school and practicing. So those things are not that much of a consideration for me. But just like FNP's, CNM's salaries are increasing and the demand for them is increasing too. I am sure I will have a comfortable living as a CNM, I do as an RN and I know it will not be worse than it is now!!

"The Farm" is in Tennessee, that is where you will find Ina May Gaskin. In Kentucky if where you will Find the Frontier School of Midwifery and Family Nursing. But wow, wouldn't it be great if they were in the same place?? What you are saying about interventions is spot on, the more interventions the more the risk of complication go up. OB/GYN's love to augment labor with Pitocin, which causes the pain to be worse (not to mention being unable to move, flat on your back) the worsening pain causes the mom to ask for an epidural, which causes the labor to slow down, which causes the OB to once again increase the Pitocin, which decreases the amount of O2 the fetus receives, TADA=Fetal distress>>>>>>>OR=C-section. I work in a Birth Center in Florida with two CNM's, as a Birth Assistant for Births and Medical Assistant in the office. I am an RN and currently a Student Nurse Midwife at Frontier. Complications like the one described above are rare at the birth center. There are no pitocin inductions or epidurals. Our client population is the same as the local hospital, yet we don't have the same kind of complications they do. It basically comes down to something I very wise Professional Midwife told me, "If you don't break the Mom and baby, you don't have to fix the Mom and baby." It is sooooo true. Some of the countries with the lowest infant/maternal mortality statistics primarily use Midwifes for most uncomplicated pregnancies. We might get there some day, I sure hope so.

I am also SNM, I recommend you go to your local chapter meeting of ACNM, I went to mine shortly after starting school and midwives just came up to me and started offering to help in anyway possible. Good luck!!

Excelsior was fine, that CPNE (clinical test-out) was a beast, but if you go into it like you do not know anything and practice exactly like the study guide said to do it, you were fine. I like Frontier. I am liking it more and more. The first year (bridge from ADN to Master's) was a little rough, but now that I have cut down my interaction with drama filled students I like it more and more. The work is not too hard, if you set up a schedule and follow it, it is very doable. I work full time too, so it requires a schedule, otherwise I would never get anything done!!

Frontier is the place to check out! I too was an LPN and then did my RN online through Excelsior. I am in my second year at Frontier. Just like any program it has its good and bad points, but if it was not online I would not be able to do it. Good luck!!

It varies state by state. It also depends on the physician you are working with. A great resource on something like this is ACNM website, they actually address issues like this in their "Standards for Practice of Midwifery" document. The last section: STANDARD VIII MIDWIFERY PRACTICE MAY BE EXPANDED BEYOND THE ACNM CORE COMPETENCIES TO INCORPORATE NEW PROCEDURES THAT IMPROVE CARE FOR WOMEN AND THEIR FAMILIES. The midwife: 1. Identifies the need for a new procedure taking into consideration consumer demand, standards for safe practice, and availability of other qualified personnel. 2. Ensures that there are no institutional, state, or federal statutes, regulations, or bylaws that would constrain the midwife from incorporation of the procedure into practice. 3. Demonstrates knowledge and competency, including: a) Knowledge of risks, benefits, and client selection criteria. b) Process for acquisition of required skills. c) Identification and management of complications. d) Process to evaluate outcomes and maintain competency. 4. Identifies a mechanism for obtaining medical consultation, collaboration, and referral related to this procedure. 5. Maintains documentation of the process used to achieve the necessary knowledge, skills and ongoing competency of the expanded or new procedures. Reference: http://www.midwife.org/siteFiles/descriptive/Standards_for_Practice_of_Midwifery_12_09_001.pdf Source: Division of Standards and Practice Approved: ACNM Board of Directors, March 8, 2003; Revised and Approved: ACNM Board of Directors, December 4, 2009 (Supersedes the ACNM's Functions, Standards and Qualifications, 1983 and Standards for the Practice of Nurse-Midwifery 1987, 1993. Standard VIII has been adapted from the ACNM's Guidelines for the Incorporation of New Procedures into Nurse-Midwifery Practice)

I am currently a student at Frontier, this is my second year. I was a bridge student in 2010. If you are an RN, I do not see why not. There was a student with us that finished his BSN while in the bridge and transitioned into the MSN track. But if you do not have an RN license it would be no. I know they are very flexible on the 1 year RN experience stuff, because I did not have 1 year experience as an RN and some of my fellow students did not either. For the midwifery track you do not need 1 year of L&D, despite what you might read. I graduated in March 09, passed the boards in April 09, was accepted to Frontier in Sept 09, started Jan 10. I did not have 1 day of experience in L&D. The only experience I had was working for an OB/GYN as an LPN several years before. Hope this was helpful!!

leablossom, I am an Excelsior graduate. I graduated in April, 2009 applied to Frontier for their Sept class 2009 and was accepted. During my phone interview I was told that my being an "online student" is a strength, considering that Frontier is a distance program. It did not seem to even be an issue. I did not apply to any other programs. I had bee wanting to go to Frontier for years. Hope this is helpful!!

Nope, you do not have to have experience as an RN in L&D to get into their CNM program. I passed the NCLEX in May of 2009 and started that November 2009 in the ADN to MSN bridge program. I stayed in the same field I had worked as while being an LPN, rehab. You also do not have to have your license in hand, I met several students via facebook that where already accepted, pending they past the NCLEX. So apply there is no good reason not to.

Update: I will be starting at the end of the month Class 71, I got called Monday the 2nd. Whoohoo, don't have to wait till March, PAR-TAY:jester:!! I will be paying for the school with student loans. I am hoping once in the midwifery track, I can get a scholarship with the National Health Service. They pay for your school and you work for them for 2 years. And they have a student loan repayment program also. If you meet the qualifications pretty much you get accepted from what I have been told, you just might not get into that class, if there are alot of applicants you will get wait listed, the sooner you get your application in the better it is. The applicants I talked to all the early ones got in and the ones that got applications in were wait listed, like me. I got my application in 2 weeks before the deadline. Good luck!!

Hiya!! I just found out I was accepted to Frontier to become a CNM and I have no L&D experience. I can understand you wanting to get some, because I did too, but I ran into the same problem you did, no one would hire me. I found it harder to get into L&D than to a CNM graduate program, what is wrong with that? LOL, and programs usually view it in a good/bad light. It does make some of the material more relatable, you understand it faster, but on the other hand, it also indoctrinates you to the medical model of birth VS the midwifery model, which is very different schools of thought. Wishing you luck!!

:clpty:Just got off the phone with Frontier, I am ACCEPTED!! I had applied to class 71 in July, I found out I have been deferred till (Class 74) March 2010 due to the large number of applicants. Boy am I glad that is over!!! I am soo tired of waiting!!! Whoohoo!! Graduate school here I come!! I'm gonna be catching babies!!!:clpty:

I just had my telephone interview this AM, it went well. It was very informative, they use a point system is how it was explained to me, the lady interviewing me told me I was in the higher scoring category, which make me very :yeah:happy!! But you have to keep in mind you are judged for that applicant pool for that class, so who knows!! Class 71 is full, Class 72 is what they are interviewing for right now. She did tell me I should find out really soon. It sounded really positive!! I am sooo impressed with this program. It has a great history and it's ability to change with the times pretty much sets it apart from all other schools!!! I sooo hope I get in for class 72, but if not worse case scenario I might get deferred to class 74 with Bound in March. Could be alot worse!! I am soooo excited, I was more nervous than I thought I was going to be. The questions are pretty much like the ones that are part of your application. I think I might have had someone practice with me before hand in hindsight, I think I would have been less rambling and a little less nervous!!! Good luck to everyone!!! I will post as soon as I know anything!!! Thanks again to everyone!!!

My application is almost finished, I had an issue with one of my references getting lost in the mail, and had to replace it. The application deadline is August the 10th. They are no longer accepting application for WHCP or FNP, just the CNM. MisstreviRN, feel free to PM if you want to!! I would love to talk to someone that might be attending Frontier Bound at the same time!!! Feel free to email me also. Good luck to everyone!! Teresa Anderson

It depends on which track you want to take. Either Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM), Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) or Certified Midwife (CM). The education routes to these are all different so, you would need to decide (with research) which appeals to you the most. Just a little background information on each: A person with the credential CNM, CM or CPM has earned a nationally recognized credential. CNMs are required to have a nursing background. Neither CMs nor CPMs are required to have a nursing background. CNMs and CMs practice primarily in hospitals. CPMs practice primarily in out-of-hospital settings. CNMs are licensed in all 50 states. Legal recognition has not yet been extended to CMs and CPMs in all 50 states. But do research online!! Type in some of the titles and find out what options are out there. Don't do one over the other because more people think it is a good idea. There is a ton of information out there. I recommend you start at http://www.midwife.org/ It is a great resource.

I am in the process of applying to Frontier and looking for web-buddies that are also in this process. I am applying to the bridge program. Good luck!!! Teresa

just fyi: i am posting this as a resource for information, i am an rn that is the process of applying to frontier's cnm program. i am part of the yahoo group american council of certified nurse midwives in florida. i joined as a way to follow the midwife community here in florida. i also was told incorrectly about the 2010 deadline and it had upset me greatly because that was not what i had found when i researched. the next block of text is my email to the group and the blue is their responses that follow. this was all current as of 10/2008. i would think these ladies would be more up to date on the ins and outs in policey making on a national level, than any of us here posting. hope this helps!! i am a nursing student with my sights set on becoming a cnm, i had heard talk that florida was gearing up to make all arnp have their phd by 2010, is this true? i also was told that it is all ready in effect. any information on this would be appreciated. thanks currently, in the state of florida, you must have a masters degree and a certification from the certifying arm of acnm. while there is lots of discussion nation wide regarding the move towards doctoral level degrees as entry level in nursing, this will not happen soon. definitely not by 2010. anna small anna small's reply is correct. keep your sights on that cnm credential. upcoming retirements will leave plenty of work for new midwives. cecilia jevitt university of south florida the doctor of nursing practice dnp is the new degree being offered. some midwifery programs have stopped the msn and have made their programs direct dnps bypassing the master's. some midwifery programs still offer the msn and have a dnp completion option. this allows cnms to practice for awhile before they finish the dnp. there is a push to make all apn have a dnp by 2015...while the american college of nurse midwives has not yet decided to require that all cnms be dnps. for more information see http://www.aacn. nche.edu/ dnp/index. htm and http://www.midwife. org/sitefiles/ position/ midwifery_ ed_and_dnp_ 6_07.pdf http://www.midwife. org/faq_for_ students. cfm suzan ulrich, drph, cnm, facnm chair of midwifery and women's health frontier school of midiwfery and family nursing http://www.midwives. org

I just found out I passed today and the trick about being able to reschedule was true in my case!!