It might be confusing for a family nurse practitioner (FNP) to establish what specialization to pursue. There are three distinct accreditations for midwives in the United States: a certified professional midwife (CPM), a certified nurse-midwife (CNM), and a certified midwife (CM). Many aspiring midwives lack the necessary knowledge about certification and the scope of practice for each profession (Jefferson et al., 2019). The extensiveness of training, expertise and auxiliary activities expected from a midwife differs from one certificate to another.
It is necessary to recognize the scope of practice of each type of midwife. For example, a certified nurse-midwife has the most extensive training, which requires a nursing degree, clinical training, and specialized education as proven by a certificate from the American Midwifery Certification Board (Fotsch, 2017). Overall, the number of CNMs in many states is low, while the demand is high (Ranchoff & Declercq, 2019). If I were to choose this option, I would be able to easily find job opportunities and help people at the maximum capacity. A certified midwife is a person who went through the same midwifery training program as CNM yet possesses a bachelor’s degree that is not nursing (Fotsch, 2017). Moreover, this certificate is only valid in some states for prescription purposes (Fotsch, 2017). I will be able to work as a CM in all settings to provide care limited to midwifery only. In turn, a certified professional midwife has a more limited set of responsibilities. It does not require an academic degree, and a CPM is trained via apprenticeship or formal education programs (Fotsch, 2017). Due to these limitations, this option would be more complimentary for my practice rather than become a primary specialization.
This model with three different types of accredited midwives can be confusing for FNPs who wish to become midwives, although The American College of Nurse-Midwives provides a description and prerequisites for each role. It stresses the importance of a completed midwifery education program in an accredited institution (American College of Nurse-Midwives, 2017). Educational courses for FNPs may help with the current situation stemming from different midwifery certificates.
References
American College of Nurse-Midwives. (2017). Comparison of Certified Nurse-Midwives, Certified Midwives, Certified Professional Midwives clarifying the distinctions among professional midwifery credentials in the U.S. Web.
Fotsch, R. (2017). Regulating certified professional midwives in state legislatures. Journal of Nursing Regulation, 8(2), 47-49. Web.
Jefferson, K., MacKenzie, R. K., Hackley, B., & Perlman, D. (2019). Knowledge of US midwifery credentials among members of the American College of nurse‐midwives. Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health, 65(2), 238-247. Web.
Ranchoff, B. L., & Declercq, E. R. (2019). The scope of midwifery practice regulations and the availability of the certified nurse‐midwifery and certified midwifery workforce, 2012‐2016. Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health, 65(1), 119-130. Web.