Wanting to become a Midwife

DaniellaHumphreys · Jul 14, 2014

Hi there! I have the same ambitions as you except right now I am a CNA in the postpartum unit and in nursing school currently. I have been researching this the past couple years. The best schools for CNM are Oregon State University school of health sciences. (has been #1 for a long time) and University of Washington which has been the top 5. Both these schools offer a BSN-DNP. Having a DNP in Midwifery would really be the best way to do this because in DNP school you are learning more in Midwifery then you are in a masters program. For example, I got told that a CNM from a DNP program can do things like circumsisions, first assist in c-secs, etc. Plus being a CNM up here in the pacific northwest gets paid more then anywhere in the united states. Yes you do need L&D experience as a RN! anything that has to do with maternity is considered experience. Some schools will accept postpartum experience but a majority of them require RN L&D experience of at least 2 years. I've done lots of medical mission trips to cambodia, africa, and south america and I haven't yet met a CNM who gets "paid" to travel and do her job but I have met many of them as volunteers and it truly is a blessing being a midwife to women in undeveloped countries that have never had assistance with giving birth. I know that a midwife from england can't just move to the U.S and be a midwife because being a midwife in Europe only requires a bachelor degree, while in U.S it is masters/doctors. I am not sure though if it can work the other way around though. However there are still many opportunities to be a CNM internationally which you can look at what kinds of opportunities their are under the american college of midwifery. Global Outreach | American College of Nurse-Midwives

**LibraSunCNM, BSN, MSN, CNM** · Jul 14, 2014

You don't need a DNP to do circs or first assist in c-sections. I do both with a master's. There's no difference in scope of practice between MSNs and DNPs. There are certainly benefits to furthering your education, such as the ability to be a faculty member at a university, do research, etc., but a wider scope of practice than MSNs is not one of them.

Every country has different educational requirements for midwives, so it's hard to say how "easy" it would be to translate a midwifery degree here to somewhere overseas. I think the European Union is more or less impossible to get a midwife job in, because they give preference to people already living there. I've heard New Zealand is relatively easy to work in as an American midwife. The global outreach link above, and the ACNM website in general, is an excellent source of info.

ynsanchez · Jul 14, 2014

Thank you so much! At least I can have a look at two schools now. I was starting to get confused at all the school that are available but I didn't want to pick just any school. Thank you again!

ynsanchez · Jul 14, 2014

Thank you so much! I feel like I am over thinking the future a bit but I think I just want to find out now just incase. New Zealand is beautiful and with beautiful accents to admire HAHA! Thank you again!

mamagui · Jul 15, 2014

I have been researching this the past couple years. The best schools for CNM are Oregon State University school of health sciences. (has been #1 for a long time) and University of Washington which has been the top 5. Both these schools offer a BSN-DNP.

I would be cautious regarding US Weekly's 'rankings' as they are based mostly off peer opinions of programs and, therefore, are not a very objective way to evaluate individual school's programs. Why not look at local clinics/ hospitals/ birth center websites and see where local midwives have attended school? You could even reach out to some to inquire about their opinion about different midwifery programs. There are many, many great programs out there and the ACNM is a great place to start your research. Here is a link to all midwifery programs that are certified by ACNM Midwifery Education Programs - ACNM. You'll want to pick from this list so that when you are done with school you can sit for boards and be eligible to practice in all states.

Having a DNP in Midwifery would really be the best way to do this because in DNP school you are learning more in Midwifery then you are in a masters program. For example, I got told that a CNM from a DNP program can do things like circumsisions, first assist in c-secs, etc.

A DNP in midwifery is not necessary to perform the procedures that you have mentioned, as Libra has already stated. I would add that I don't know of any midwife in my neck of the woods that will perform circumcisions, however that is not to say that they are not allowed to.

[ Yes you do need L&D experience as a RN! anything that has to do with maternity is considered experience. Some schools will accept postpartum experience but a majority of them require RN L&D experience of at least 2 years./QUOTE]
This is not true. Many programs simply require experience as an RN before beginning a CNM program, and the majority that I have looked into require 1 year RN experience, not 2.
You may want to consider working with Doctors Without Borders if you want to get paid to travel and nurse. The pay is pretty meager, but I am sure the experience would be life-changing Registered Nurses / Nurse Practitioners | MSF USA
You could inquire here www.midwife.org.nz about the requirements to work as a midwife in New Zealand

mamagui · Jul 15, 2014

Actually, here is the site you need to go to for info about practicing in New Zealand. They even have a handy online registration form!

Internationally Qualified Applicants (or Non-New Zealand Applicants) | Midwives - General | Midwives

The Application fee is $NZ1,000.

The following documents are required from all applicants and are additional to the online application form:

Evidence of your identity - certified as a true copy
Evidence of current and/or past registration as a midwife
Certificate of Good Standing from current registration authority
Full transcript of pre-registration midwifery education programme
Portfolio or detailed curriculum vitae
Police report from each country in which you have resided for 12 months or more
Medical certificate
Two character references
Self Assessment against the Competencies for Entry to the Register

DaniellaHumphreys · Jul 17, 2014

Hi sorry for the information that you find false but according to almost every graduate school I've looked into requires at least 2 years of L&D experience. I know because I looked at it again to make sure I wasn't posting false information but after double checking yes you do need 2 years labor and delivery experience. It really depends on the university really.. I only looked at schools in WA, CA, OR.

mamagui · Jul 17, 2014

I'm not at all sure where you are getting 2 years L/D experience required. I have compiled a list of requirements below, including a couple of schools in the northwest. None of them mention 2 years and many do not require any nursing experience. Which schools, specifically, do you see that require 2 years of L/D experience?

Baylor University Requirements:

Complete the online graduate school application.

Baccalaureate Degree with a major in nursing

GPA of 3.0 or higher

Three letters of recommendation

GRE or MAT scores, taken within the last 5 years.

Optimally, although not required, have one year of clinical practice preferably in Labor and Delivery, extensive observational experiences of birth or education and practice as a doula.

(notice that NO clinical experience is REQUIRED)

Baystate requirements:

Admission Criteria

Education
1. Current Massachusetts RN license.
2. BA or BS degree, any major.
3. College level course in Physical Assessment with a clinical component within the last five years.
4. An undergraduate course in statistics.
[*]Transcripts
1. Transcripts from all previous academic programs: A GPA of 3.0 or greater is required.
2. Transcripts should also be sent directly to both Baystate Midwifery Education Program and Philadelphia University.
[*]Work Experience
1. One year of full-time maternal-child health nursing experience is strongly recommended.*
2. Otherwise qualified new graduates will be considered.

(Notice one year of maternal-child health experience recommended, not required, and not necessarily L/D)

Columbia Univ. requirements:

Admission criteria include:

Current New York State nursing license prior to clinical start
Satisfactory score on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
An undergraduate course in statistics
A physical assessment course
Three references attesting to applicant's academic ability and potential
Personal goal statement that is congruent with program goals (two pages, double-spaced, 12 pt. font)
Resume or Curriculum Vitae
Bachelor's degree in nursing from an NLN or CCNE accredited program or a non-nursing bachelor's degree

*RN's with a non-nursing baccalaureate degree are required to complete 5 credits in community health in addition to the course requirement listed. The courses that fulfill the community health requirement are N6703, The Science of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention in the Community (3 didactic credits) and N5292, Nursing Practice in the Community (2 clinical credits).

(again, no nursing experience required)

Eastern Carolina U requirements:

You may earn an Associates Degree in Nursing (ADN) from a community college, then you may apply to the RN to BSN program at ECU while working in the hospital as a nurse.

If you have a Baccalaureate degree in something other than nursing you may apply to the Accelerated BSN program. This takes one year to complete.

If you are a registered nurse (RN), you must have worked in a hospital as a nurse for a minimum of one year prior to applying to the program. If you have your ADN you may start working on the one year of experience while attending the RN to BSN program

(notice that they require 1 year nursing experience, not in a specific specialty)

Frontier U:

Have one year of nursing experience. For RNs with less than one year of RN experience, the Admissions Committee may consider other significant experience in health care including working as a doula, childbirth educator, and/or lactation consultant.

(notice 1 year NURSING experience, no specialty required)

Marquet U:

Students must submit a completed application, have a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing Degree, three letters of recommendation (one academic recommendation preferred), have a GPA of at least 3.0 and successful completion of the following courses with a C or better:

Nursing Research 3 credits
Health Assessment 3 credits
Statistics (with Inferential Analysis) 3 credits — within five years of program start date

In addition, students must hold a current RN License in the state of Wisconsin and must be in good standing. A current Resume and a Goal Statement are also required.

(no nursing experience required)

Philadelphia U:

Submit a University graduate application.

Non-refundable $40 application fee, payable to "Philadelphia University."

Submit official transcripts from all post-secondary coursework taken for credit. NACES accredited US equivalency full, course-by-course evaluation is required if education was outside of the U.S.

Provide evidence of successful completion of a three-credit statistics course from a regionally accredited institution of higher education.

Submit a professional resume or CV.

Be a Registered Nurse currently licensed in the state in which you work and/or in the state you plan to do clinical or successfully complete the CM Pathway.

Hold a baccalaureate or higher degree in any discipline with a GPA of 3.0 or higher.

Have a personal interview with a potential clinical preceptor and submit a written promise to work toward a clinical site agreement with the university.

Submit two letters of reference from professionals who can attest to your character, academic and clinical abilities

Submit a personal statement according to program guidelines.

Submit one of the following:

Official GRE Scores OR an academic writing sample following program guidelines

In addition, one year of work experience relevant to midwifery is strongly recommended.

(again, 1 year relevant experience recommended, not required and not necessarily nursing)

New York U:

Prior to entering the specialty courses of a a respective nursing master's program, at least one year of full-time clinical experience as a registered nurse is required

(one year required, not 2)

Oregon Health & Sciences U:

•

Work Experience: One year of labor and delivery experience is recommended.

(Recommended 1 year, not required)

University of Washington:

We believe that experience is important to success in graduate school and will evaluate applicants based on professional and volunteer experiences that demonstrate a commitment to women's and maternal-child health issues. Applicants with a background in nursing specialty areas such as labor & delivery, mother-baby, antepartum, gynecology, or ambulatory women's health are excellent candidates for nurse-midwifery education.

Training and experience in professional areas outside of nursing can also provide a strong background for nurse-midwifery education. Applicants with experience as a doula, lactation consultant, childbirth or health educator, mental health counselor, or in public or international health programs are all good candidates.

(also, no nursing experience required)

cashCNMFNP, MSN, APRN, NP, CNM · Jul 20, 2014

I just wanted to add that some schools are moving away from the "required" nursing experience all together and actually doing bridge programs that allow students to come in as non nurses, complete their RN, and bridge up to MSN (and some to DNP or PhD). I refer specifically to Vanderbilt in Nashville, TN. I was one of only 4 students that was considered "direct entry" meaning we came in with a BSN already. The other 20 or so students of my class were "pre specialty" or those who came in as non nurses. This has been a consistent ratio over the past few years.

I agree with previous comments regarding advanced skills. To be honest, as a nurse I first assisted so to say that you can only do that with a DNP is incorrect. If a midwife chooses to do advanced skills, he or she must do the necessary training that might include preceptorship and demonstrate competence. This may or may not be included in the traditional midwifery program.

You are correct that it is difficult to secure a job in L & D but having nursing experience in general is a leg up (in my opinion). You should make contact with some of the schools you are interested in. They will provide you with good information and some will even set you up with a current student in the program so that you might inquire about additional details of the program from the student perspective.