Certified midwives are not registered nurses, but do have a bachelor's degree in another field, such as education, business or human services. The CM program gained approval in 1994 and takes approximately three years to complete. CMs are licensed to provide care in Rhode Island, New Jersey and New York.
Certified nurse midwives are registered nurses who continue their education through a midwife graduate program. CNMs gained approval in the United States in the 1920s and are able to provide care in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Registered nurses who already hold a bachelor's degree may complete the CNM program in about two years.
The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) and Ph.D. in Nursing are advanced programs in which master-level nurses may earn a doctoral degree specializing in midwifery. Currently, the American Midwifery Certification Board does not require a doctoral degree for practicing as a midwife. However, some states allow DNPs to have their own private practices, rather than work under directing physicians.
Midwife coursework includes classes in women's health, neonatal care, childbearing, lactation and breast-feeding. In addition, students training to be midwives must participate in and successfully pass a required number of clinical hours with a practicing CM, CNM, DNP or OB/GYN. The number of required clinical hours varies by state, but typically ranges from 600 to 900 hours.