Certified Nurse Midwife: A Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM) is a registered nurse with additional training in delivering babies and providing prenatal and postpartum care to women. Nurse midwives work with the mother the whole way through labor and delivery. They monitor both the mother’s and baby’s vital signs and escalate any anomalies to a physician if a complication should arise. In some states Nurse Midwives are qualified to administer medications and perform certain medical procedures.
Main duties of a Certified Nurse Midwife Include:
Assisting pregnant women throughout their pregnancy and child birth.
Providing family planning support.
Counseling and educating the public on birth control methods.
Prescribing medications (in most states).
Parental and Postpartum care for mothers and babies.
Administering gynecological services (breast exams, pap smears).
Where they work: Certified Nurse Midwives work in hospitals but can also work in patient’s homes, clinics, birthing centers, schools and community centers.