A nurse practitioner is a registered nurse with a master's degree and clinical training in preventive and acute health-care services to people of all ages. Nurse practitioners focus on individualized care, prevention, wellness and patient education. They not only work closely with physicians, but they also are able to provide similar care as physicians. Nurse practitioners can work in a variety of fields, including obstetrics, but to become a midwife, additional qualifications are required.
Becoming a Midwife
According to the Women's Health Channel website, a midwife provides labor and delivery support to women during childbirth. Communication is greatly emphasized between the expectant mother and the midwife. Midwives also encourage family participation during the birth, and respect the cultural values and personal preferences of their patients. With the support of a midwife, women may reduce the use of operative devices during delivery, the request for pain medication, the length of labor, and cesarean sections.
A nurse-midwife provides healthcare to a healthy woman throughout her entire pregnancy. They help with delivery and provide medical care to both the mother and the newborn baby. Nurse-midwives are well-trained on all women's healthcare issues and needs. As a result of their extensive medical training, nurse-midwives can easily identify symptoms of serious conditions, prescribe medications, and consult with physicians, if necessary, during childbirth.
A nurse pracititoner has already completed many of the important steps towards becoming a midwife, because a nurse practitioner already has advanced nursing experience. Nurse practitioners who know they wish to become midwifes should try to arrange to work within the gynecology and/or obstetrics departments of the hospital so they can begin to get experience within their field. Work within these departments may also be able to count towards the required minimum hours of clinical experience for becoming a midwife.
Steps to Take
All midwifes must graduate from nurse-midwifery program that is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education (ACME). Enrollment in an accredited program requires a masters degree or doctoral degree in nursing. Most nurse practitioners already have this advanced degree in nursing, since the same minimum education is also required to become a nurse practitioner. This means you can typically apply directly to the program. You will need to provide transcripts to the midwifery school as part of the enrollment process, showing that a master's degree in nursing was conferred upon you by an accredited institution.
Testing & Licensing
After you have completed the midwifery program at an accredited institution, you will need to pass required exams. According to the American College of Nurse-Midwives' website, the required exam to become a nurse practitioner midwife is administered by the American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB). The AMCB administers certified exams for both nurse-midwives and general midwives. The computer-based, four-hour exam consists of 175 multiple-choice questions. During the exam, you are allowed to review and change your answers. As of 2009, the examination costs $750. You must pass a national certification exam in order to practice as a nurse-midwife in any of the 50 states throughout the U.S. If you passed the exam after January 1996, your certification will expire after eight years and you will be required to recertify in order to maintain your professional title. According to Nursing-School-Degrees.com, more than 60 percent of nurse-midwives are employed at hospitals/medical centers or physician practices.
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