Nurse Midwifery

Overview

Nurse midwifery programs include topics such as:

• Pre- and post-natal care
• Pre-delivery screening
• Physician referral
• Infant care during and after delivery

Schools

All nurse midwifery programs are offered at the graduate level.

Many universities and nursing schools offer graduate-level nurse midwifery programs. A Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) typically requires two years of study beyond a bachelor's degree. The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree program usually requires two or more years of study beyond the master's degree.

Many schools are phasing out the master's degree as preparation for nurse midwives. The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) is becoming the most common level of preparation.

See schools that offer this program.

Graduate Admissions

Admission to graduate programs is competitive. You need a bachelor's degree in nursing, good grades, and good test scores. If you have a diploma in nursing, a bachelor's degree in another field is often acceptable.

Additional requirements at some schools include:

• Graduate Record Exam (GRE) General
• Miller Analogies Test (MAT)
• Letters of recommendation
• Personal statement
• Undergraduate course work in statistics
• One year or more of clinical nursing experience
• State nursing license

Typical Course Work

Graduate Program Courses

This graduate program typically includes courses in the following subjects:

• Antepartum Care
• Breastfeeding
• Complications of Childbirth
• Family Planning
• Intrapartum Care
• Labor and Delivery
• Neonatology
• Newborn Care
• Nursing Theory
• Pharmacology
• Physical Assessment
• Maternal and Fetal Physiology
• Postpartum Care
• Primary Care of Women

Graduate programs that lead to a doctoral degree in nursing typically include:

• Required courses
• Clinical rotations
• Preliminary exams (doctoral degree only)
• Dissertation and dissertation defense (doctoral degree)

Nurse midwifery programs require you to participate in several clinical rotations, where you work and study in hospitals and medical centers under the supervision of professors and nurse midwives. Typically you "rotate" through different types of medical settings, such as hospitals, birth centers, health maintenance organizations (HMOs), and private practice. Students continue learning about labor and delivery and caring for mothers and newborns. At the same time, they also practice the skills and techniques of patient care acquired through classroom training. This can include administering medications, assisting with childbirth, and assessing newborns.

Rotations allow students to apply their course work to real life situations. Rotations also give students valuable experience that they can apply to their work after they complete their degree.

Things to Know

Some schools offer a doctoral (PhD) degree in nursing. This degree is more focused on nursing research.

After you graduate from an accredited program you need to pass an exam to become certified. Several states require that you become certified.

As a certified nurse midwife, you are qualified to practice in all 50 states.

Schools

King-Snohomish Area

Seattle University

• Certified Nurse Midwifery
• Nursing--Advanced Practice Nursing Immersion

University of Washington - Seattle

• Doctor of Nursing Practice (many specialties)
• Nursing Science
• Nursing Science--Graduate Certificates