Unhappy Nursing Student

HaleyH2 · Mar 18, 2005

Do you have a degree in anything yet?

stidget99 · Mar 18, 2005

any adivice on direct entry programs?? i'm currently in college but i just not fulfilled. my true passion is midwifery but i'm stuck going the long route any advice?? is it worth it in the long run??

anything worth having is worth the hard work necessary to get it. i guess it really depends on how badly you want it.

elizabells, BSN, RN · Mar 19, 2005

Anything worth having is worth the hard work necessary to get it. I guess it really depends on how badly you want it.

There are some very good direct-entry programs that result in CNMs. Two off the top of my head are Columbia and University of Illinois. Try looking at allnursingschools.com - look for the most clinical hours you can find.

ETA: Wait, are you in nursing school now? If so, I'd say finish and then apply to a traditional master's program. If not, then start looking at the direct-entry route.

babyktchr, BSN, RN · Mar 19, 2005

I thought in the US there were no more direct entry programs for midwifery. I talked to ACM and that is what they had told me. Programs now require bachelors in something to get into a program.

I agree with the above poster....if it is worth having...then work hard to get it...that is all part of the fullfillment. Get thru nursing school and then move on to what you want.

SmilingBluEyes · Mar 19, 2005

You could enter lay midwifery.

elizabells, BSN, RN · Mar 19, 2005

I thought in the US there were no more direct entry programs for midwifery. I talked to ACM and that is what they had told me. Programs now require bachelors in something to get into a program.
I agree with the above poster....if it is worth having...then work hard to get it...that is all part of the fullfillment. Get thru nursing school and then move on to what you want.

The program I know the most about is Columbia (I'm headed there for the NNP program). The way they do it there is a one-year pre-licensure phase leading to a BSN, then two years MSN work, after which you are a certified nurse midwife. You have to have a bachelor's degree to get into the program for any specialty.

Cherish · Mar 19, 2005

babyktchr : I thought in the US there were no more direct entry programs for midwifery. I talked to ACM and that is what they had told me. Programs now require bachelors in something to get into a program.
I agree with the above poster....if it is worth having...then work hard to get it...that is all part of the fullfillment. Get thru nursing school and then move on to what you want.

She will be finishing up her bachelors in whatever she is now. There ARE direct entry masters programs for midwifery. She just needs to finish her bachelors and apply for the direct entry program. Just like they have NP, Community Health, etc. All these require a Bachelors degree (In ANYTHING). They give you the BSN in the program when you go thru it.

BETSRN · Mar 19, 2005

You could enter lay midwifery.

Don't waste your time. If you are really intersted in midwifery, do it through getting a degree and then entering a school of midwifery that will lead you to become a CNM.

bring a diect entry midwife is pretty self-limiting.

babyktchr, BSN, RN · Mar 19, 2005

She will be finishing up her bachelors in whatever she is now. There ARE direct entry masters programs for midwifery. She just needs to finish her bachelors and apply for the direct entry program. Just like they have NP, Community Health, etc. All these require a Bachelors degree (In ANYTHING). They give you the BSN in the program when you go thru it.

You see...by direct entry..I think of going into a program without a bachelors degree. There used to be a lot of programs like that. Now they have all turned into requiring bachelors. I don't personally consider having to go thru all that a direct entry program. Sorry for any confusion

KRVRN, BSN, RN · Mar 19, 2005

How hireable will a lay midwife be though? I learned in school that many hospitals and birthing centers prefer (require?) midwives to be CNM's and that lay midwifery isn't legal. But then what does legal mean? Perhaps a lay midwife merely does home births and has a private practice?

FrumDoula · Mar 23, 2005

Don't waste your time. If you are really intersted in midwifery, do it through getting a degree and then entering a school of midwifery that will lead you to become a CNM.
bring a diect entry midwife is pretty self-limiting.

Let me offer a different perspective. I disagree that being a direct entry midwife is self-limiting. I think it depends on what direction you want to head in. I would certainly not call direct entry midwifery waste of time.

For instance, if you're absolutely passionate about babies and birth, and do not feel the need to get your BSN, followed by a graduate degree (with L&D time in between for many nurses), then direct entry midwifery can be a fantastic route to go. Assess your needs. Do you want to catch babies in the hospital? In the birth center setting? At home? Talk to both kinds of midwives and see what appeals to you.

Also, and this is the big one, determine what the state laws are that you live in. In some states where midwifery is illegal (and there are a couple, unfortunately, like Missouri), you would have to be underground. This can be a stressful situation for you and your family, but some people see it as a way of objecting to those laws while they fight for legality. And, in some towns, like St. Louis, CNM's are all but blocked from catching babies, with a few rare exceptions. Just because you're a CNM, doesn't mean the docs will like it and let you catch babies.

In some states, like Florida, there are CNM's becoming CPM's for reasons of autonomy. Florida has GREAT midwifery laws, and CPM's have tons of leeway in terms of scope of practice.

Look at each option carefully. There are pros and cons to each. I've met some CNM's who were mini OB-GYN's and wouldn't have known the Midwifery Model of Care if it had bit them in the *ss. It all depends on what you want. There are great ways to train for both. Lay midwifery training takes about 3 years, by the way, versus the minimum of 6 for a CNM. Another thing to consider.

Good luck to you!

Alison