367A00000X - Advanced Practice Midwife
Updated on July 01, 2023. Version 23.1
Midwifery practice as conducted by certified nurse-midwives (CNMs) and certified midwives (CMs) is the independent management of women's health care, focusing particularly on pregnancy, childbirth, the post partum period, care of the newborn, and the family planning and gynecologic needs of women. The CNM and CM practice within a health care system that provides for consultation, collaborative management, or referral, as indicated by the health status of the client. CNMs and CMs practice in accord with the Standards for the Practice of Midwifery, as defined by the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM).
Source: American College of Nurse-Midwives, 2008 [7/1/2008: title changed, definition changed, source changed] Additional Resources: American College of Nurse-Midwives www.acnm.org. The American Midwifery Certification Board, Inc. [AMCB, formerly the ACNM Certification Council, Inc. (ACC)] opened its national certification exam to non-nurse graduates of midwifery education programs and issued the first certified midwife (CM) credential in 1997. Certified midwives are educated to meet the same high standards that certified nurse-midwives must meet. These are the standards that every state in the U.S. has recognized as the legal basis for nurse-midwifery practice. All education programs for CMs, like CNMs, award a post-baccalaureate certificate or higher degree. CMs take the same AMCB certification exam as CNMs and study side by side with nurse-midwifery students in some education programs. As an organization, ACNM supports efforts to legally recognize CMs as qualified midwifery practitioners granted the same rights and responsibilities as CNMs.