What Do You Get from a Nurse-Midwifery Degree?
Obtaining a nurse-midwifery degree is a big step toward entering one of the most rewarding professions on the planet. You may be wondering, however, what you will need to put into getting one and what you will get out of most nurse-midwifery programs. Before you sign up at a school, here's what you need to know.
It's Very Involved
Becoming a certified nurse-midwife is involved enough in terms of total coursework that there is a pretty good chance you will also be able to become certified as a nurse practitioner with little or no additional coursework. Most nurse-midwifery programs ask that students have attended and completed a bachelor's degree program. You should also have an active license to work as a registered nurse.
The program is a master's level program, so you will also likely need to take the GRE exam and add it to your submission materials when applying for schools. Some programs also prefer that students have at least one year of practical nursing experience prior to applying. A standard program can usually be completed in two to three years, depending on the course load.
Finding a School
The Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education (ACME) certifies programs in the United States. You can find a list of ACME-accredited institutions on their website. Take note that some less-populated states do not have any ACME-accredited programs available, so you should be aware that going to school may call for relocating. The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education and the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing also accredit schools.
Costs
You can expect nurse-midwifery programs to require between 50 and 60 college credits. Each credit is likely to cost between $500 and $700. If you elect to seek a Doctor of Nursing Practice concurrently while becoming a Certified Nurse Midwife, some schools will expect you to complete about 20 credit-hours of additional coursework. There are also some programs that offer a complete track that takes a student from RN, to BSN, to either a CNM or DNP degree.
Pay
That's a lot of education, and you'll want to be sure that it pays off. Fortunately, numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate that median pay for nurse-midwives runs more than $110,000 per year. The occupation is in demand nationwide, and you can expect your education to open up doors if you're looking to relocate to a desirable part of the country.