Becoming a Midwife in the State of Texas
It's a scene everyone knows and has seen, at least, in movies. A woman is pregnant. Her water breaks, and she and her husband rush to the hospital where she is pumped full of drugs and hooked up to various machines. A few hours later, a baby is born, and the new family sits around in the hospital for a few days before starting their life at home. In this instance, the birth of a baby is treated as a medical emergency, but in most cases it is not. There is no need for a hospital, so more and more women are turning to birthing at home with the assistance of a certified nurse midwife or CNM. This article will educate you on the CNM: what she does, the history, the education required, and job out look.Now, some of you may be wondering, what exactly is a CNM? The answer is fairly simple. A CNM is a certified nurse who has taken a course and passed an exam on midwifery. Most people would think that all a CNM would do is deliver babies, but that's only a small portion of the job. They provide gynecological services, like annual exams, they educate about birth control and family planning, they provide mom with prenatal care: vitamins, eating tips and exercise tips, they provide emotional support. They can also do everything a regular CN can do. They can do regular medical exams, and even write prescriptions. Before going over how a person would become a midwife, here's a bit of history on midwifery in th state of Texas.Midwives have a long history. For as long as people have been born there have been midwives. In fact, according to The Handbook of Texas Online, indigenous people in this state used midwives, and in 1924 there were over 4000 midwives practicing in Texas. However, because of a push by the American Medical Association from 1950-1970 and their assertion that birth outside of a hospital was unsafe, fewer than 1 percent of births in Texas in 1970 were in the home. Thoughts are changing again, however. In 2003 between 4 and 6 percent of births in Texas were attended by a midwife. Now that you know a small portion of the history, we'll go over the educational requirements.The educational requirements to become a CNM differ by state. Currently, Baylor is the only university in Texas offering the program, so we'll go over their CNM program. To be admitted into the program one must first have a masters degree and be a registered nurse with a current license. Baylor's program is an 8 semester, 75 credit hour course. Once done with the coursework, a national certification exam given by the American Midwifery Certification board must be passed. Once certified, there are sever jobs available to a CNM.Most CNMs prefer to work in a regular hospital alongside doctors, however they are not limited to hospitals. Some work for birthing centers or have private practices. Often times those with private practices work inside a mothers home. This way the birth of a baby can take place in the home instead of the hospital, and the surroundings can be familiar and less stressful for the mother. Regardless of the setting, midwives can expect to make on average between fifty-five and eighty-seven thousand dollars per year. However, wages for midwives are increasing as the trend for home birthing grows. In fact , according to mshealthcareers.com, employment opportunities from CNMs are expected to grow by up to 35% by 2010.The above is just a brief overview of what a CNM does, the history of the profession, education required and the job outlook. So, when choosing an occupation, keep CNM open as an option. Not only will you be helping mothers and newborns, but you will have a rewarding, decent paying career.
It's a scene everyone knows and has seen, at least, in movies. A woman is pregnant. Her water breaks, and she and her husband rush to the hospital where she is pumped full of drugs and hooked up to various machines. A few hours later, a baby is born, and the new family sits around in the hospital for a few days before starting their life at home. In this instance, the birth of a baby is treated as a medical emergency, but in most cases it is not. There is no need for a hospital, so more and more women are turning to birthing at home with the assistance of a certified nurse midwife or CNM. This article will educate you on the CNM: what she does, the history, the education required, and job out look.
Now, some of you may be wondering, what exactly is a CNM? The answer is fairly simple. A CNM is a certified nurse who has taken a course and passed an exam on midwifery. Most people would think that all a CNM would do is deliver babies, but that's only a small portion of the job. They provide gynecological services, like annual exams, they educate about birth control and family planning, they provide mom with prenatal care: vitamins, eating tips and exercise tips, they provide emotional support. They can also do everything a regular CN can do. They can do regular medical exams, and even write prescriptions. Before going over how a person would become a midwife, here's a bit of history on midwifery in th state of Texas.
Midwives have a long history. For as long as people have been born there have been midwives. In fact, according to The Handbook of Texas Online, indigenous people in this state used midwives, and in 1924 there were over 4000 midwives practicing in Texas. However, because of a push by the American Medical Association from 1950-1970 and their assertion that birth outside of a hospital was unsafe, fewer than 1 percent of births in Texas in 1970 were in the home. Thoughts are changing again, however. In 2003 between 4 and 6 percent of births in Texas were attended by a midwife. Now that you know a small portion of the history, we'll go over the educational requirements.
The educational requirements to become a CNM differ by state. Currently, Baylor is the only university in Texas offering the program, so we'll go over their CNM program. To be admitted into the program one must first have a masters degree and be a registered nurse with a current license. Baylor's program is an 8 semester, 75 credit hour course. Once done with the coursework, a national certification exam given by the American Midwifery Certification board must be passed. Once certified, there are sever jobs available to a CNM.
Most CNMs prefer to work in a regular hospital alongside doctors, however they are not limited to hospitals. Some work for birthing centers or have private practices. Often times those with private practices work inside a mothers home. This way the birth of a baby can take place in the home instead of the hospital, and the surroundings can be familiar and less stressful for the mother. Regardless of the setting, midwives can expect to make on average between fifty-five and eighty-seven thousand dollars per year. However, wages for midwives are increasing as the trend for home birthing grows. In fact , according to mshealthcareers.com, employment opportunities from CNMs are expected to grow by up to 35% by 2010.
The above is just a brief overview of what a CNM does, the history of the profession, education required and the job outlook. So, when choosing an occupation, keep CNM open as an option. Not only will you be helping mothers and newborns, but you will have a rewarding, decent paying career.
