Life As a Nurse Midwife
Position 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.
What Do Nurse Midwives Do On a Daily Basis?
- Provide patients with direct family planning services, such as inserting intrauterine devices, dispensing oral contraceptives, and fitting cervical barriers, including cervical caps or diaphragms.
- Order and interpret diagnostic or laboratory tests.
- Develop and implement individualized plans for health care management.
- Manage newborn care during the first weeks of life.
- Explain procedures to patients, family members, staff members or others.
- Educate patients and family members regarding prenatal, intrapartum, postpartum, newborn, or interconception care.
Nurse Midwife Required Skills
Nurse Midwives state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.
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.
Types of Nurse Midwife Jobs
- Staff Midwife
- Certified Nurse-Midwife
- Staff Nurse-Midwife
- Registered Nurse Midwife
- Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM)
Job Opportunities for Nurse Midwives
There were about 6,500 jobs for Nurse Midwife in 2016 (in the United States). 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.
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.
How Much Does a Nurse Midwife Make?
The salary for Nurse Midwives ranges between about $70,100 and $151,070 a year.
Nurse Midwives who work in California, Massachusetts, or New Jersey, make the highest salaries.
Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Nurse Midwives in different U.S. states.
| 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 |
Tools & Technologies Used by Nurse Midwives
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Nurse Midwives may use on a daily basis:
- 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 do I Become a Nurse Midwife?
Learn what Nurse Midwife education requirements there are.
How many years of work experience do I need?
Where do Nurse Midwives Work?
Below are examples of industries where Nurse Midwives work:
Other Jobs You May be Interested In
Those thinking about becoming a Nurse Midwife might also be interested in the following careers:
References:
Image Credit: Aleksahgabrielle via Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International
More about our data sources and methodologies.