Hi there. I was advised to repost this in this forum to see if I got some more advice.
I got married this year to my American husband and I have my green card now (woop!) and will be moving over next year.
I have a UK BSc Midwifery and 5 years of post grad experience in the UK. But unfortunately no nursing degree (as with most UK midwives nowadays).
I want to be able to have the option to work all over the US and despite being a community midwife for 18 months, attending home births etc, I do not wish to do this in the US. I wish to be in the hospital like I am currently.
Am I right in thinking that my only option is to go back to school (looks like 15 months) to complete an accelerated nursing program and then do the NCLEX. Become a L&D nurse and then perhaps go on to become a CNM in the future?
There is not other way around it? I could probably pass the NCLEX with a few months of study and reading and I would want to just go into L&D nursing. In the UK from my understanding our role is a cross over of L&D RN and CNM.
It's just frustrating to have to do 15 months of expensive education to only do the same job as I do now.
I understand that a nursing qualification would be useful as it's always good to learn more broadly and I will be receiving double the salary I do at home. I just want to make sure I'm not missing anything.
Any advice would be gratefully received! If there is anyone that has been in a similar position and made the move with similar qualifications I'd love to hear your story.
No problem at all! Hope it helps. You can definitely do it cheaper but I wanted to get back to work quickly. So it’s over $100k for an Ivy League school on their accelerated 18 month program. It ain’t cheap! But the teaching is very good and pay over here is much better once you start working. As I said you can do it much cheaper. University of Minnesota is very well respected. You could also be a CPM (a homebirth midwife) but the integration between home and hospital maternity care is very poor. You wouldn’t be able to work in a hospital as a CPM and they aren’t allowed to practice in all 50 states. Good luck with your move. Let me know what you choose to do!
what is the best way to stay in contact with you?? you have helped me a lot! I would like to keep in contact with you if that is ok as it has been hard enough to find someone that understands where I am coming from let alone the correct information re: continuing practice
It might be too late to leave a comment here, hopefully you are still around. I think you could help me with my questions since you are studying to be a midwife in USA. My case is a bit different though, I studied nursing in Spain (BSN 4 years) and then I specialised in midwifery (a postgraduate, 2 years). I was working as a midwife in Spain but then I moved to UK, so currently I'm working as a midwife in London. I'd really like to work as a midwife in USA but I don't have family or anything like that in US, for which I'd need a sponsor.
Anyway, the main issue before the sponsorship, it's the validation of my studies. I think they won't validate my midwife qualification because it is not accredited by the midwifery board there, but I was wondering if being a nurse with experience as a midwife I could work as a Labour and delivery nurse while I study the masters to be a CNM. Have you heard about it? Do you think that could be possible?. I have been in contact with an agency for nurses abroad and they said I need to be a L&D nurse in UK or Spain to be able to work as the same role in US (which it is not gonna happen since we don't have that role LOL). Any comments and advice will be helpful. Thanks in advance guys!!
Hi Maria!
I hope I can help you out a bit. I think that your Spanish nursing qualifications will probably transfer to the US. The best way is to have your qualifications evaluated by an organization in the US. Hopefully a nursing agency will be familiar with one they would recommend. They’ll probably charge a few hundred dollars for this and you’ll have to send all your transcripts from nursing and midwifery to them. Then you will have an idea if you are all good to go (once you have sponsorship) or if you need to do any other qualifications to become a US RN. The NCLEX is the national exam that all US graduates of nursing take. It’s pass/fail and you’ll probably also have to do this to get your RN license.
Yes you could definitely work as a L&D nurse as you get your CNM licence. I work as a postpartum nurse while getting my CNM. You are basically working as a L&D nurse in the UK. L&D nurses just have less responsibilities as they don’t (usually!) catch the baby or suture afterwards.
Good luck with your journey! Let me know how you get on.
Ooh thanks so much, really helpful! I know my nursing qualification can be transferred because other Spanish nurses that I know have done it, just a matter of time and money, of course haha. And after that NCLEX, sure. The midwifery is the one that shamefully I'm afraid is not gonna be validated. But if I could work as a L&D nurse at least I could bare with the waiting doing something that I like and I already have skills about (while I get some money to afford the crazy fees, have to say!)
I will post in the future if I get to this dream, for sure. Thanks for your help, I hope you get your studies done soon and enjoy your time there meanwhile ?
No problem! Good luck with everything. I just checked on the ACNM website and it says: "In order to take the exam that is offered by the American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB),
which leads to the credential CNM or CM, the individual must have a graduate degree from a US midwifery education program that is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Midwifery Education (ACME). This means that most midwives educate abroad will need to take at least one additional course from an ACME-accredited program."
For sure I'll need to take some courses then. Let's start with baby steps trying to validate my nursing degree first ?? at least I know I could work as L&D nurse which was one of my main concerns. Thanks!
I would agree with Vimmie you could use your experience and qualification from Spain as you are already nirse trained thats the beauty.
Im not able to work as a midwife in USA as I am a direct entry midwife (not a nirse first) so I would need to go through an application process through ACNM plus take an exam...! It just means proving myself again which is why I have decided to put it on the back burner for now eventhough midwifery is my passion!!
Ooh I know, that's a shame! I wish all countries had agreements, everything would be much easier. All my best for you, I hope this is a good opportunity to find another profession that fulfills you
vimmie
36 Posts
No problem at all! Hope it helps. You can definitely do it cheaper but I wanted to get back to work quickly. So it’s over $100k for an Ivy League school on their accelerated 18 month program. It ain’t cheap! But the teaching is very good and pay over here is much better once you start working. As I said you can do it much cheaper. University of Minnesota is very well respected. You could also be a CPM (a homebirth midwife) but the integration between home and hospital maternity care is very poor. You wouldn’t be able to work in a hospital as a CPM and they aren’t allowed to practice in all 50 states. Good luck with your move. Let me know what you choose to do!