Future nurse-midwives have three degree options to obtain certification. Depending on your current education and licensure, you have four entry options for nurse-midwife programs. Current registered nurses with a diploma or associate's nursing degree can apply to bridge programs in which they gain a bachelor's degree in nursing (BSN) before beginning graduate study to obtain either a master's of science in nursing degree (MSN) or doctorate of nursing practice (DNP). Bachelor-degree prepared nurses can enter either MSN or DNP nurse-midwifery programs. Applicants who have non-nursing bachelor's degrees who want to enter nursing will choose direct-entry MSN programs. Advanced practice nurses who already have a MSN in another concentration can choose schools with post-master's certificate or DNP programs.
Admission requirements for nurse-midwifery programs depend on your entry point. Registered nurse applicants with an ADN or BSN generally have less stringent requirements since their degrees and nursing background provide them with beneficial experience. These applicants usually have to take only college-level statistics and research methods courses. Direct-entry applicants have more stringent requirements, especially those with non-science bachelor's degrees. Required courses typically include anatomy and physiology, microbiology, psychology, statistics and biochemistry. All applicants also need some experience working as a doula or shadowing a nurse-midwife.
Nurse-midwifery curriculum consists of the core competencies as established by the American College of Nurse-Midwives. Core subjects include general, reproductive, pregnancy, fetal and neonatal physiology and pathophysiology; primary care, women's health and perinatal pharmacology; women's primary care, reproductive care, care during pregnancy, birth, postpartum period and care of the newborn clinical management; reproduction and parenting psychosocial issues; cultural literacy and research methods and their application to clinical practice. In addition to classroom instruction, you will also complete a minimum number of clinical hours depending on your program.
The length of your chosen nurse-midwifery program will depend on your current degree and certification. If you are a registered nurse with a BSN, your program will range from two to three years for an MSN and three to four years for the DNP, depending on whether you choose a full-time or part-time program. Direct-entry master's students attend three-year, full-time programs. They spend the first year obtaining registered nursing licensure, and the second and third years taking their MSN courses. Registered nurses with a ADN typically take an accelerated year of undergraduate nursing courses to prepare them for the MSN program. From there, they have the same options as a traditionally-prepared BSN registered nurse. Regardless of your entry point, degree and program length, you will take the nurse-midwifery exam administered by the American Midwifery Certification Board.