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What is a Nurse Midwife?

Job Description: Diagnose and coordinate all aspects of the birthing process, either independently or as part of a healthcare team. May provide well-woman gynecological care. Must have specialized, graduate nursing education.

Nurse Midwife Responsibilities

  • Provide patients with direct family planning services, such as inserting intrauterine devices, dispensing oral contraceptives, and fitting cervical barriers, including cervical caps or diaphragms.
  • Educate patients and family members regarding prenatal, intrapartum, postpartum, newborn, or interconception care.
  • Provide primary health care, including pregnancy and childbirth, to women.
  • Manage newborn care during the first weeks of life.
  • Order and interpret diagnostic or laboratory tests.
  • Prescribe medications as permitted by state regulations.

What Skills Do You Need to Work as a Nurse Midwife?

Below is a list of the skills most Nurse Midwives say are important on the job.

Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

  • Clinical Site Coordinator and Supervisor
  • Nurse Midwife
  • Certified Professional Midwife
  • Certified Nurse-Midwife
  • Staff Midwife

Job Opportunities for Nurse Midwives

In 2016, there was an estimated number of 6,500 jobs in the United States for Nurse Midwife. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 20% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 1,300 new jobs for Nurse Midwife by 2026. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 500 job openings in this field each year.

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The states with the most job growth for Nurse Midwife are North Dakota, Utah, and Idaho. Watch out if you plan on working in Vermont, Rhode Island, or Maine. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

Average Nurse Midwives Salary

Nurse Midwives make between $70,100 and $151,070 a year.

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Nurse Midwives who work in California, Massachusetts, or New Jersey, make the highest salaries.

How much do Nurse Midwives make in each U.S. state?

State Annual Mean Salary
Alaska $85,210
Arizona $114,900
California $139,990
Colorado $107,100
Connecticut $111,340
Delaware $96,340
District of Columbia $95,730
Florida $88,060
Georgia $109,640
Idaho $67,950
Illinois $105,640
Indiana $110,040
Kentucky $101,990
Maryland $115,440
Massachusetts $119,380
Michigan $92,030
Minnesota $113,440
New Hampshire $105,120
New Jersey $113,980
New Mexico $97,930
New York $110,150
North Carolina $106,570
Ohio $106,830
Oregon $108,950
Pennsylvania $96,710
Rhode Island $107,700
South Carolina $89,150
Tennessee $85,040
Texas $85,900
Utah $106,590
Vermont $89,700
Virginia $89,870
Washington $102,670
West Virginia $113,720
Wisconsin $108,690

What Tools do Nurse Midwives Use?

Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Nurse Midwives:

  • Microsoft Office
  • GE Healthcare Centricity EMR
  • Bizmatics PrognoCIS EMR
  • eClinicalWorks
  • Allscripts Professional EHR
  • Greenway Medical Technologies PrimeSUITE
  • SOAPware EMR
  • e-MDs software
  • ChartWare EMR
  • NextGen Healthcare Information Systems EMR
  • Cerner Millennium
  • MicroFour PracticeStudio.NET EMR
  • SynaMed EMR
  • Texas Medical Software SpringCharts EMR
  • Amkai AmkaiCharts
  • Medscribbler Enterprise
  • StatCom Patient Flow Logistics Enterprise Suite
  • Practice Partner Total Practice Partner
  • Acrendo Medical Software Ob/Gyn EMR
  • digiChart OB-GYN

How to Become a Nurse Midwife

What education or degrees do I need to become a Nurse Midwife?

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How many years of work experience do I need?

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References:

Image Credit: Aleksahgabrielle via Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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