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What do you think is the best way to become a nurse midwife ? Should I become a labor and delivery nurse and than go back to school and become a midwife ?

I’m a senior in high school, and need help with the best route to become a nurse midwife but i’m confused and overwhelmed about the process and what you think is the best practical way to get to my end goal.

nursing healthcare nurse midwife
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Rob’s Answer

Just my personal experience, not professional advice.... We did 4 home births with 3 different midwives (we had to switch because we had moved). Our favorite was a trained nurse and had 20 years experience as a trauma nurse in the ER. She was confident, calm, and kept us informed along the way. Very wise and great bedside manner. Another was a trained nurse and was also very good but less attentive in her approach. The least favorite of ours was simply trained as a midwife. She had alot of experience in it, but our experience with her felt more like it was routine/rehearsed, not that she truly knew what she was doing even after years of practice.

So in short, I encourage you to get as much training AND experience as you can in medicine while pursuing midwifery because none of it will be wasted and it will make all the difference.

We loved our homebirthing experience and we recommend others to have a midwife no matter where they are having their baby. Best of luck. It's a great work you are pursuing!
Thank you comment icon Thank you! deana
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Emily’s Answer

As a long and delivery nurse who works extensively with certified nurse midwives (CNMs) in a hospital setting, I would highly recommend getting experience as a labor and delivery nurse prior to getting your master's degree. The experience you'll get as a labor and delivery nurse will be invaluable to you, and it's possible to get your CNM degree while you're working as a labor and delivery nurse. We have had several nurses who have started midwifery school very soon after starting their labor and delivery nurse career, and they've worked as a bedside nurse while getting their CNM degree. Typically your degree and clinicals will take about two of three years to achieve. They get lots of experience, and don't have to put their midwifery dreams on hold for a long time! They graduate with their CNM while still in their 20's and they are such strong midwives. They're knowledgeable about everything that goes into the bedside nurse role. You will learn so much as a labor and delivery nurse, and it'll make school easier for you and make you a much stronger midwife. Congratulations on the choice of career! I personally used CNMs for all of my own births and I think CNMs add so much value to the ob world. I love every single one of the midwives I work with and their patients typically have such positive experiences.
Thank you comment icon Thank you so much for helping! deana
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Sarah’s Answer

Hi there!

This is a great question. This is completely up to your personal preference.

I obtained my Master's degree in nursing in my desired specialty after working as a registered nurse for several years. In my personal experience, it is beneficial to work as a registered nurse first and gain experience before pursuing your advanced degree. This is also a great financial decision if you plan to work as a nurse while completing your graduate degree.

Sarah recommends the following next steps:

Gain experience as a CNA (nursing assistant) or PCA/PCT (patient care tech/assistant) in the field you are interested in
Complete you Bachelor's degree in nursing
Gain experience as a RN (registered nurse) in the field you are interested in
Complete you Master's degree in nursing with a Nurse Midwife certification (provided you enjoy working in labor and delivery)
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Kaili’s Answer

Yes definitely! If you have the opportunity to work as a CNA or Nurse Tech while in school, that’s even better! Then once you’re done with nursing school you’ll want to work as a nurse in labor a delivery for a couple years while you get started on a midwifery program.

Kaili recommends the following next steps:

CNA class
Pre-requisites for nursing school
Nursing school
Work as a labor and delivery nurse
Midwifery school
Thank you comment icon Thank you for your response!! It genuinely helped me understand the process and gives me an insight on my career path! deana
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