Midwifery follows an integrated care model approach.   

(more coming soon)

Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM)

What is a Certified Nurse Midwife?

• CNMs are educated in two disciplines: midwifery and nursing. 

• Midwifery as practiced by certified nurse-midwives (CNMs) encompasses the independent provision of care during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period; sexual and reproductive health; gynecologic health; and family planning services, including preconception care. Midwives also provide primary care for individuals from adolescence throughout the lifespan as well as care for the healthy newborn during the first 28 days of life.  Lactation and infant feeding are considered a critical component of midwifery training. 

• Midwives provide care for all individuals who seek midwifery care, inclusive of all gender identities and sexual orientations.  Midwives innately practice within a community health and social justice framework, building upon its local and global origins.

• Midwives provide initial and ongoing comprehensive assessment, diagnosis, and treatment. They conduct physical examinations; independently prescribe medications including but not limited to controlled substances, treatment of substance use disorder, and expedited partner therapy; admit, manage, and discharge patients; order and interpret laboratory and diagnostic tests; and order medical devices, durable medical equipment, and home health services. 

• Midwifery care includes health promotion, disease prevention, risk assessment and management, and individualized wellness education and counseling. These services are provided in partnership with individuals and families in diverse settings such as ambulatory care clinics, private offices, telehealth and other methods of remote care delivery, community and public health systems, homes, hospitals, and birth centers.  

• CNMs earn graduate degrees (DNP or MN), complete a midwifery education program accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education (ACME), and pass a national certification examination administered by the American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB) to receive the professional designation of CNM.   

• CNMs work with physician colleagues for consultations, co-management and referrals particularly for higher risk clients who need more specialized care.  Although many clients can see either a midwife or an obstetrician (OB) for their perinatal care, midwives are often considered a wholistic solution to birther-baby care deserts across the United States. 

(Resource: ACNM (2021) CNM Scope )

Nurse Practitioner (NP)

What is a Nurse Practitioner?

• CNMs are a type of nurse practitioner. In the United States, Nurse practitioners are known by several titles, including Advance Practice Provider (APP), Advance Practice Nurse (APN), Advance Registered Nurse Practitioner (ARNP), Advance Practice Registered Nurse (APRN), and Mid-Level Provider. 

• Mid-level provider is a misnomer as our scope of practice is similar to that of a family practice physician without a surgical specialty. However, we are trained under a different model of care - one which focuses on disease prevention and a wholistic lens to wellness.  Although models of training are shifting, physicians are generally trained to recognize disease states once they have occurred and to treat an existing problem. 

• NPs work with physician colleagues for consultations, co-management and referrals particularly for higher risk clients who need more specialized care.  Although many clients can see either an NP or a physician for their healthcare, NPs are often considered a wholistic solution to primary care deserts across the United States. 

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

What is a Doctor of Nursing Practice? 

• A Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), is a clinical doctorate (that is, the terminal degree) for health providers trained in the field of nursing. These “Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioners” may be trained in a variety of disciplines, including Nurse-Midwifery.  

What is the difference between a DNP and MN graduate?

• DNP programs are similar to Masters in Nursing (MN) programs. However, graduates of DNP programs have also trained in principles of leadership, advanced practice, and practice inquiry. DNP students must demonstrate competence in collaboration, organizational leadership and evidence-based scholarship within a clinical specialty in order to graduate. Competency in these areas may be demonstrated through the completion of a doctorate capstone project and the ‘Tripartite Immersion Practicum”. Therefore, DNP graduates complete substantially more hours working with clinical sites than their MN counterparts. 

• Many graduate nursing schools in the United States are transitioning from MN to DNP programs to meet the increasing demands for primary care providers who can effectively translate scientific evidence into practice and affect systems level change. This will also provide a greater number of doctorally prepared nurses who can teach other aspiring nurses in their clinical specialty at the graduate level.

What is the difference between a DNP and PhD graduate? 

• The DNP differs from the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in that the latter degree focuses on the collection of original research whereas the former focuses on its translation at the clinical level.

What is the DNP graduate’s scope of practice? 

• There is no difference in the scope of practice for a DNP or MN graduate. 

Masters of Public Health (MPH)

What is a Masters of Public Health?

• An MPH graduate is a professional trained to protect and promote community health through prevention, policy, and research. They are practitioners equipped with skills in epidemiology, biostatistics, and health behavior, focusing on population-level health rather than individual clinical care. 

Perinatal Mental Health-Certified Provider (PMH-c)

What is PMH-c mean?

• This designation means the provider has been trained in perinatal mental health. Perinatal mental health refers to mental health and wellbeing from pre-conception through postpartum in birthers, their babies, and their loved ones. Postpartum Support International (PSI) is now certifying perinatal mental health providers across the globe. Once a provider has passed their certification exam, they are allowed to use the PMH-c designation at the end of their name.  Certification requires several hours of live course work as well as a minimum of 2 years of practical experience in the field of perinatal health to qualify.