·
How
are midwives licensed?
o
Certified nurse-midwives (CNMs) are
licensed through their state’s board of nursing, midwifery board, or medical
oversight board. *(This is where you will place information specific to your state). Nurse-midwives in Indiana are regulated as independent
practitioners under the Indiana State Board of Nursing. Indiana regulations
require a nurse-midwife to obtain a written collaborative agreement with a
physician or obtain hospital privileges. ACNM: Our Credentials
*(Below you will place information specific to your state).
o
Nurse-midwives obtain an
Indiana license through submission of an application and a small fee to the
Indiana Professional Licensing Agency. Proof of an active, unrestricted
registered nursing license, graduation from an accredited nurse-midwifery
program, and successful passing of the national certification exam is required.
Once obtained, licensure must be renewed every two years.
o
Licensure varies for direct entry
midwives (DEMs). Currently, twenty-one states offer licensure or regulation to
DEMs. Generally, these states have a midwifery board that oversees and licenses
DEMs. Requirements for licensure vary state to state and may include
certification through the North American Registry of Midwives, graduation from
an accredited midwifery program, and continuing education. Midwives Alliance of North America
Legality of DEMs
·
How
are midwives educated?
o CNMs
are first registered nurses. They must complete a graduate level, accredited
midwifery program with supervised clinical experience in at least one birth
setting: hospital, birth center, or home. The nurse-midwifery program at
Frontier Nursing University, for example, requires nine terms of didactic and
clinical education with a minimum of 675 clinical hours in practice. Frontier Nursing
University
o DEMs
may come from many educational backgrounds such as apprenticeship, accredited
non-nurse-midwifery programs, correspondence programs, or self study. In states
where DEMs are licensed, education requirements are decided by each state’s
licensing body.
·
Are
midwifery programs accredited?
o Accreditation
for midwifery programs is granted and maintained through the Accreditation
Commission for Midwifery Education (ACME). ACME accredits both CNM and direct
entry midwifery programs and is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Currently, the University of Indianapolis is the only accredited
nurse-midwifery program in the state of Indiana. There are several online,
accredited programs available to Indiana residents, including Frontier Nursing
University, the oldest and most prestigious nurse-midwifery school. ACNM: Accreditation
o Accreditation
is offered for direct entry midwifery programs through the Midwifery Education
Accreditation Counsel. These programs prepare DEMs to pass the exam and skills
testing required for certification through the North American Registry of
Midwives. MEAC
·
How
are midwives certified?
o
The American Midwifery Certification
Board (AMCB) awards and maintains certification for nurse midwives in the
United States. Initial certification is obtained by passing the national
certification exam that tests candidates on antepartum, intrapartum, postpartum,
newborn, well-woman gynecology, primary care, and professional issues. ACMB
o
In order to sit for the exam, candidates
must provide proof of a registered
nursing license active within the United States,
have fulfilled the requirements of a graduate level nurse-midwifery
education program accredited by ACME, and have a letter of verification from
their program’s director. Nurse-midwifery candidates must pass the national
certification test within 24 months of graduation with a maximum of four
attempts.
o
Once initially certified, nurse-midwives
must recertify every five years through AMCB. Nurse-midwives must complete
three continuing education modules covering three practice areas:
antepartum/intrapartum, postpartum/newborn, and gynecology/primary care. In
addition to the practice modules, nurse-midwives must complete two continuing
education units equal to 20 hours of study.
o Certification
is available for DEMs. Some states in the U.S. recognize the Certified
Professional Midwife certification offered through the North American Registry
of Midwives. Certification requires documentation of clinical experience in an
out of hospital birth setting and passing of a written exam and skills
demonstration. NARM:
Certification
·
What
is the scope of practice for midwives?
o The
scope of practice for CNMs includes primary care of women from adolescence
through menopause. Gynecological care is provided, including family planning,
preconception care, treatment of sexually transmitted infections for women and
their partners. Comprehensive maternity care is provided including prenatal,
antenatal, postpartum, and newborn care up to 28 days. CNMs order and interpret
diagnostic tests, prescribe medications, perform complete physical exams, and
manage care. ACNM:
Our Scope of Practice
o The scope of practice for nurse-midwives is defined within the
Indiana Nurse Practice Act as the practice of nursing, well woman gynecology,
family planning, antepartum, intrapartum, postpartum care, and the treatment of
health problems for “the normal and expanding family”
o
In order to have prescriptive
authority in Indiana, nurse-midwives must have a written collaborative
agreement and proof of successful completion of two semester hours of a
graduate level pharmacology class. Prescriptive authority is maintained by
completing 30 CEUs, eight in pharmacology, every two years (Indiana Nurse Practice Act, 2007b).
Controlled substances may be prescribed after obtaining an Indiana controlled
substances registration and federal registration with the Drug Enforcement
Administration (Indiana Nurse Practice Act,
2007b).
o
The scope of practice for direct entry
midwives may be defined by the state in which they practice. It is usually
limited to maternity services as prenatal, antepartum, postpartum, and limited
neonatal care. DEMs cannot prescribe medications or order diagnostic tests.
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