Nurse-Midwifery
is one of the oldest nursing professions. The nurse-midwife
“meets the healthcare needs of the entire family from
preconception through the vulnerable postpartum period (Nichols
& Zwelling, 1997, p. 52).” Nurse-midwives typically take a
holistic approach in providing care. Unlike OB-Gyn Physicians, the
Nurse-Midwife is with the mother throughout labor and delivery.
The educational
requirements are a master’s degree or training at a school of
nurse midwifery. Educational programs and requirements can be
found on
http://www.midwife.org/
. As well, Certified Nurse-Midwives must take a national
examination.
Nurse-Midwives
practice in hospital settings, ob-gyn offices and birthing
centers. Refer to http://www.midwife.org/prof/backfact.htm
for different
locations for midwives to practice. The salary
ranges can vary according to the location where the nurse midwife
works; unfortunately, salary information is not readily available.
More and more women are turning to nurse-midwives as their
provider for pre and postnatal care. For this reason, many
birthing centers are being established.
For those
interested in the public health sector, it is possible for
Nurse-Midwives to own and/or manage their own birthing center.
However, nurses must understand the public sector and participate
in extensive planning for the center to be financially viable and
successful (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2000).
Helpful websites:
