More about: CERTIFICATION ORGANIZATIONS FOR MIDWIVES
NATIONAL DIRECT-ENTRY MIDWIFERY ORGANIZATIONS
·
MANA:
Midwives Alliance of North America (http://www.mana.org
)
·
NARM:
North American Registry of Midwives (http://www.narm.org)
·
NACPM:
National Association of Certified Professional Midwives (http://www.nacpm.org)
·
MEAC:
Midwifery Education Accreditation Council
(http://www.meacschools.org)
·
AME:
Association of Midwifery Educators (http://www.associationofmidwiferyeducators.org)
These
are separate organizations with separate boards of directors. Each supports the work of the other
organizations but they function independently.
They meet jointly twice a year at the MANA conference in the fall and at
a joint board meeting in April. Each
Board has a representative to a “Liaison Group” which meets periodically by
telephone.
MANA
Established
in 1982, the Midwives Alliance of North America (http://www.mana.org)
represents all North American midwives.
MANA recognizes the diversity of educational backgrounds and practice
styles within midwifery. Its goal is to
unify and strengthen the profession of midwifery. Committees such as Research, Midwifery Education and Advocacy, Legislative, Fundraising, Insurance and others
oversee areas of interest to the profession. Members receive the MANA News published
quarterly. MANA has Core Competencies for Basic Midwifery
Practice that include guiding principles, professional and legal aspects,
knowledge and skills for pregnancy, labor, delivery, the newborn, postpartum,
well woman care (http://mana.org/manacore.html) and a
Statement of Values and Ethics. MANA
hosts an annual conference in the fall where midwives can obtain continuing
education and stay current with best maternity care practices (http://mana.org/valuesethics.html).
MANA
FOR STUDENTS
MANA
has a committee especially by and for students.
The committee publishes a quarterly newsletter through a link on MANA’s
website. There is also a yahoo group where
students can network and share experiences:
MANAStudentsandNewMidwives@yahoogroups.com. All memberships on the list are approved by
the moderator. Students do not need to
be members of MANA to participate in this group. Contact the MANA Committee Chair at students@mana.org for more
information.
NARM
The
North American Registry of Midwives (http://www.narm.org) is the national certification
agency for Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs). Candidates for certification may complete
midwifery education through accredited and non-accredited midwifery schools or
through apprentice programs.
Education
programs may be intensive short-term workshops or 1 – 3 years combined
classroom instruction and clinical training.
All must have clinical birth experience outside of the hospital, in
birth centers and/or homebirths. All
candidates for certification must pass a written exam. Graduates from
non-accredited schools or apprenticeships must take a practical skill
The National Association of Certified Professional Midwives is the professional organization specifically developed to represent CPMs. They have developed Standards of Practice for CPMs and advocate for the profession on a national level. (http://www.nacpm.org/Resources/nacpm-standards.pdf).
MEAC
The Midwifery Education Accreditation Council (http://www.meacschools.org) accredits direct-entry midwifery schools and programs within schools. They can be free-standing or within an institution. Midwifery educational programs must also be licensed by the state Department of Education and approved by the state midwifery licensing agency. Midwifery programs must teach MANA’s core competencies and provide out-of-hospital clinical education. Graduates of MEAC accredited schools are eligible to take the North American Registry of Midwives national certification examination to earn the credential CPM. To learn more about how students benefit from attending an accredited educational program visit MEAC’s website at http://meacschools.org/prospective_students.php?ID=35.
AME
The Association of Midwifery Educators seeks to strengthen schools and support teachers and school administrators through connection, collaboration and coordination. AME publishes a newsletter “Giving Birth to Midwives” and provides a forum for inter-educational networking and sharing of best practices in education.s exam as
well as the written exam to become certified (http://www.narm.org/htb.htm).
NACPM
The
National Association of Certified Professional Midwives is the professional organization
specifically developed to represent CPMs.
They have developed Standards of Practice for CPMs and advocate for the
profession on a national level. (http://www.nacpm.org/Resources/nacpm-standards.pdf).
MEAC
The
Midwifery Education Accreditation Council (http://www.meacschools.org) accredits
direct-entry midwifery schools and programs within schools. They can be free-standing or within an
institution. Midwifery educational
programs must also be licensed by the state Department of Education and
approved by the state midwifery licensing agency. Midwifery programs must teach MANA’s core
competencies and provide out-of-hospital clinical education. Graduates of MEAC accredited schools are
eligible to take the North American Registry of Midwives national certification
examination to earn the credential CPM.
To learn more about how students benefit from attending an accredited
educational program visit MEAC’s website
at http://meacschools.org/prospective_students.php?ID=35.
AME
The
Association of Midwifery Educators seeks to strengthen schools and support
teachers and school administrators through connection, collaboration and
coordination. AME publishes a newsletter
“Giving Birth to Midwives” and provides a forum for inter-educational
networking and sharing of best practices in education.
NATIONAL
NURSE-MIDWIFERY ORGANIZATIONS
—
ACNM:
American
College of Nurse Midwives. (http://www.acnm.org)
—
AMCB:
American Midwifery Certification Board.
(http://www.amcbmidwife.org )
—
ACME:
The Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education (http://www.midwife.org/acme.cfm)
ACNM
The American College of Nurse-Midwives (http://www.acnm.org) is the professional association for CNMs and CMs. Divisions within ACNM oversee specific specialty
areas such as the Division of Standards and Practice, Division of Research,
Division of Education and Division of Women’s Health Policy. The ACNM has regional chapters throughout the
US. In the 1940s the National
Organization of Public Health Nurses (NOPHN) established a section for
nurse-midwives. In 1955 this
organization incorporated as the American College of Nurse-Midwives. They added Certified Midwives in 1994. ACNM publishes
the Journal of Midwifery & Women's Health and has developed Core
Competencies for midwifery education and practice. ACNM hosts a national convention every year
during the spring where midwives can earn continuing education credits and stay
current with the latest evidence-based practice information (http://www.midwife.org/core_competencies.cfm).
ACME
The
Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education (http://www.midwife.org/acme.cfm) accredits
nurse-midwifery educational programs. In
1994 they added certified (non-nurse) midwifery education programs. Students are required to complete a
bachelors degree before enrolling in an ACME accredited educational program. There are two tracks to the ACME accredited
midwifery programs:
- Bachelors Degree + general
science courses + 2 years graduate midwifery education (masters degree or
post-baccalaureate certificate program) = CM
- RN + Bachelors Degree OR BSN +
2 years graduate nurse-midwifery education (masters degree or
post-baccalaureate certificate program) = CNM
Educational
programs must be housed in an institution of higher education. Hospital based clinical experience is
required. Upon graduation, the student
has completed at least 6 years of education.
AMCB
The American
Midwifery Certification board (http://www.amcbmidwife.org) separated from the ACNM In 1991. They provide CNM certification for
nurse-midwives and CM certification for non-nurse midwives who have graduated
from an ACME accredited midwifery program
(http://www.acnm.org/map.cfm). CNMs and CMs who
were certified after January 1996 are certified for a maximum of eight years
after which they must renew certification.
For more information on the Certification Maintenance Program
requirements, contact AMCB
(http://www.amcbmidwife.org) or call
410/694-9424.
STATE LICENSING
To
practice legally in any community, a midwife must apply for a license. Midwives are licensed differently in each
jurisdiction (country, province, state).
In the US, a midwife must be licensed to practice by each individual
state. Nurse-midwives are licensed in
all 50 states. The legal status and requirements for
direct-entry (non-nurse) midwives vary from state to state. The Midwives Alliance of North America tracks
the laws and regulations in each state for direct-entry midwives (http://mana.org/laws.html).
Each
state’s law will require that the applicant for a midwife license do some or
all of the following:
- complete specific education
- pass an examination
- obtain national certification
- submit practice protocols
- identify a physician to back up
the midwife’s practice
- pay certain licensing fees
- some jurisdictions allow
reciprocity, meaning a midwife can use a license from another state or
country to get a license in that state/country.
The
state law identifies what agency regulates midwives, usually part of the
state’s Department of Health. Typically states have laws against licensing
anyone who has had a health care practitioner license revoked in another state
or has been convicted of a felony which could impact safe practice.
HOW TO BECOME A
MIDWIFE
There
are several ways to become a midwife in the United States. Choosing the path that best fits your
personal philosophy and professional goals will require you to decide what you
want to do as a midwife and which avenue of preparation will best get you where
you want to go.
What is your
philosophy about health care and childbirth?
What
are your own personal experiences in health care and childbirth? Do you personally prefer the medical model of
health care or holistic, “alternative” or “traditional” modalities? Would you be more comfortable practicing
midwifery in a medical setting or outside of a hospital? What kind of a professional relationship do
you want to have with medical doctors?
Do you want to learn how to open your own practice? Do you want your education to include
holistic approaches such as herbs, homeopathy, chiropractic and oriental
medicine in addition to drugs and medical treatments? Do you want your clinical training to be
hospital based or do you want to learn how midwifery is practiced in birth
centers and homebirths?
Where do you want
to practice?
How
do you envision your midwifery practice?
Do you want to work in a hospital, or deliver babies outside of the
hospital, in a birth center or in clients’ homes? Do you want to be an employee? Do you want to set up your own independent
practice? Are you willing to be on call
or do you want a “9-to-5” job? Do you
want to serve a particular population?
The more specific you are about your midwifery goals, the better you
will be able to choose the training method and community that fits your needs.
In what state do
you want to become licensed?
Start
by finding out the requirements to become a midwife where you want to practice
midwifery. Does the state license direct-entry midwives,
and if so do they have to be CPMs or CMs?
What are the educational requirements?
What will you be able to do when you get licensed: work in a clinic,
deliver babies in a hospital, open your own homebirth practice, start a birth
center? The MANA website tracks the laws
and regulations in each state for direct-entry midwives (http://mana.org/laws.html). The Childbirth Resource Center lists the
midwifery associations in each state.
Visit their website at: http://www.socalbirth.com/resource/contacts.html
What kind of a
learner are you?
Do
you learn best in structured situations or do you do better with
self-teaching? Do you like going to
classes with face-to-face interaction or do you prefer online learning? Are you organized and disciplined enough to
set your own schedule? Are there any
constraints on your ability to go to school such as financial, family, career,
location? Can you attend full time or
part time? Choosing a program that fits your learning
style and accommodates your personal situation will maximize your ability to
succeed.
HOW TO CHOOSE A
MIDWIFERY SCHOOL
There
are a variety of midwifery schools and programs. Some are accredited by one of the two
national midwifery accrediting agencies, the Midwifery Education Accreditation
Council or the Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education. Some are not accredited. Some are state licensed. Some are run by a state or community
midwifery group. The program may be
classroom-based, correspondence, online or “hybrid” which refers to a
combination of online and onsite education.
The program may be anywhere from a few months to 3 years long. Some will have hospital-based clinical
training, some will place students with midwives in birth centers and homebirth
practices, some will include a center as part of the school, some will offer
students the opportunity to gain clinical experience abroad, and some
correspondence courses do not include a clinical component.
An
excellent resource for anyone thinking about what kind
of midwife you want to be and what training options are best for you is a book “Paths to Becoming a Midwife: Getting an
Education” which is published by Midwifery Today. Visit the website and learn more about this
book at http://www.midwiferytoday.com/merchant2/merchant.mv?Store_Code=MT&Screen=PROD&Product_Code=C514PM
Some
questions you might want to ask when considering a midwifery school or program:
- What education and training are
required in the state in which you want to become licensed? Does the school/program you’re
considering meet these requirements?
- Does the program teach you what
you want to learn about midwifery?
- How well does it fit with your
personal philosophy and orientation to health care: Is its orientation
primarily medical? Does it include
holistic “alternative” modalities?
- Who are the teachers, what kind
of credentialing and experience do they have?
- What clinical placements does
the school provide, and where?
- Does graduation enable you to
become nationally certified?
- Is the school/program licensed
by the state Department of Education?
Is it approved by the agency that licenses midwives in your state?
- Is the school/program
accredited by a national or regional accrediting agency? Does it offer financial aid?
- How transferrable is the
education to meet the licensing requirements in any other state, province
or country in which you might want to practice in the future?
- Is the program in a free-standing
private proprietary school or in a larger institution: a private or public
college or university?
- Who owns the school? How long has it been in existence? What kind of a reputation does it have,
what do graduates, practicing midwives, and those who didn’t complete the
course have to say about it?
- What are the prerequisites for
admission? How large are the
classes? How many apply and how
many are accepted?
- What is their graduation rate, their
pass rate on the national certification exam and where do their graduates
work?
- What is the cost for tuition,
books, equipment, supplies and other requirements such as health insurance
and liability insurance?
- Will I need a computer and
internet access?
- Does the class schedule fit in
with my personal, family and job demands?
Will I be able to work and go to school? If not how will I support myself?
- If I want to go on to another
health care field, will the credits or course content be accepted by other
schools?
CHOOSING AN ACCREDITED MIDWIFERY EDUCATION PROGRAM
A program that is accredited:
- has
met educational standards for the profession so that graduates know they
have completed the academic and clinical requirements for national
certification and licensing for the state in which the school’s home
campus is located.
- has
met administrative, financial and performance requirements.
- is
in compliance with state educational laws and regulations including refund
and teach-out policies in case the student withdraws or the school closes
while students are in progress.
- teaches
the philosophy and ethics of the profession.
- reports
outcomes regarding student retention, graduation, national exam pass
rates, and successful practice in the field.
- has
a mechanism which includes the accreditation agency to address student
concerns
Other benefits may include:
- access
to federal financial aid if the school participates in Title IV funding
- easier
transfer of credit for course content completion from one school to
another which is similarly accredited
The
US Department of Education has information online for consumers about
accreditation: “Prepare for my future: Diploma Mills and Accreditation” on the
web at: http://www.ed.gov/students/prep/college/diplomamills/index.html
For
more information on accreditation in the United States, please visit: http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html.
LINKS
National
Professional organizations for maternity care providers
—
AABC
– American Association of Birth
Centers. Contact AABC at www.birthcenters.org
—
ACNM
– American College of Nurse
Midwives. Contact ACNM at www.acnm.org
—
ACOG
- American College of Obstetricians
& Gynecologists. Contact ACOG
at www.acog.org
—
ACME
– Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education. Contact ACME at www.midwife.org/acme.cfm
—
AMA
- American Medical Association. Contact AMA at www.ama-assn.org/
—
AMCB
– American Midwifery Certification Board.
Contact AMCB at www.amcbmidwife.org
—
AME
– Association of Midwifery Educators.
Contact AME at www.associationofmidwiferyeducators.org
—
MEAC
- Midwifery Education Accreditation
Council. Contact MEAC at www.meacschools.org
—
NACPM
– National Association for Certified
Professional Midwives. Contact NACPM at www.nacpm.org
—
NARM
- North American Registry of
Midwives. Contact NARM at www.narm.org
National
organizations: Maternity-Related & Consumer Advocacy
—
ALACE
–Association of Labor Assistants and
Childbirth Educators and Doulas.
Contact ALACE at http://www.alace.org/
—
APHA
– American Public Health Association. Contact APHA at http://www.apha.org/
—
Childbirth
Solutions, Inc. “What is a Certified
Professional Midwife?” http://www.childbirthsolutions.com/articles/birth/cpm/index.php
—
CfM
– Citizens for Midwifery. Contact CfM at http://cfmidwifery.org/index.aspx
—
CIMS
– Coalition to Improve Maternity
Services. Contact CIMS at http://www.motherfriendly.org/
—
CRC
- Childbirth Resource Center. Contact
CRC at http://www.socalbirth.com/resource/contacts.html
—
DONA – Doulas of North America. Contact DONA at http://www.dona.org/
—
ICAN – International Cesarean Awareness
Network. Contact ICAN at http://www.ican-online.org/
—
ICEA
– International Childbirth Education
Association. Contact ICEA at http://www.icea.org/
—
LLLI
– La Leche League International. Contact LLLI at http://www.llli.org/
—
NACC - National Association of Childbirthing Centers. Contact NACC at
http://www.birthcenters.org/
National
educational organizations
·
ACE – American Council
on Education. http://www.acenet.edu//AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home
·
National Center for
Public Policy and Higher Education. http://www.highereducation.org/
·
NCCA - The National Commission for
Certifying Agencies. Contact NCCA at http://www.noca.org/Resources/NCCAAccreditation/tabid/82/Default.aspx
·
National Commission For Certifying Agencies Accredited Certification Programs http://www.noca.org/NCCAAccreditation/AccreditedCertificationPrograms/tabid/120/Default.aspx
·
NOCA - National
Organization for Competency Assurance.
Contact NOCA at http://www.noca.org
·
NPEC - National Postsecondary Education Cooperative. http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/research/
·
UNESCO - The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural
Organization. http://www.unesco.org/en/higher-education/
·
USDOE
– United States Department of Education.
Home page http://www.ed.gov/index.jhtml
·
US
Department of Education database of accredited post-secondary institutions and
programs. http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/
·
US
Department of Education Links to Educational Associations and Organizations. http://www.ed.gov/about/contacts/gen/othersites/associations.html
International
midwifery and related organizations
·
ICM - International
Confederation of Midwives.
ICM is an organization representing 85 national associations from more
than 75 countries which promotes women’s health worldwide. Contact ICM at http://www.internationalmidwives.org/
CONTACT US
The Association of Midwifery Educators
24 S. High Street, Bridgton, Maine 04009
Phone: 207-647-5968
On the web at: http://www.associationofmidwiferyeducators.org
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