The Nurse-Midwifery Option prepares the graduate to provide safe, competent,
and satisfying care to women and their families during the childbearing years,
as well as primary care health issues across the life span. This includes
prenatal care, attendance at births, well woman care, family planning, normal
newborn care, peri and menopausal care and treatment and diagnosis of common
health problems. This specialty is designed to meet the educational and
clinical competency requirements for professional certification by the American
Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB), as well as the requirements for a Master
of Science degree. Certified Nurse-Midwives are placed on the Advanced
Practice Registry in the State of Colorado.
The Master of Science program in nursing is designed to prepare
nurses for advanced practice roles. Advanced Practice Nurses (APNs) are
prepared to formulate clinical and administrative or policy decisions to
promote health with clients experiencing wellness, acute or chronic illness,
and to develop, manage, and evaluate the care within communities and health
care systems. Nurses in advanced practice roles are prepared to integrate
relevant knowledge from nursing and other disciplines in their practice and
participate in interdisciplinary relationships to create or influence the
health care environment. The program is structured to provide a foundation for
career paths for future leaders in advanced nursing practice, their specialty
option, as well as prepare lifelong learners who demonstrate expert knowledge
and skills, critical thinking and flexibility. The Master of Science degree
also provides the foundation for doctoral study.
The knowledge, skills and behaviors required for the practice of
nurse midwifery are best obtained within a graduate program in nursing.
Students bring a unique history, experiences, talents and skills to the
educational program. Learning may occur in a variety of ways but
each student must reach (and may exceed) a common core level of safe, competent
practice prior to completion of their program of study.
Learning occurs best in an environment of respect for the dignity
and worth of each individual. Learning is a life long process. The
nurse midwife uses foundational knowledge form the health, human and biological
sciences, the midwifery management process, and the therapeutic use of self to
provide safe, competent, satisfying care to women and their families during the
childbearing years and primary care to women across the life span.
Professional nurse- midwifery care is evidence based, relationship-centered,
culturally competent, and occurs within an interdisciplinary health care team
that provides for consultation, collaboration and referral as appropriate.
The practice of nurse midwifery is based on the Core Competencies for Basic Midwifery
Practice, the Standards for the Practice of Midwifery and the Code of Ethics as
promulgated by the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM).
Nurse-midwifery faculty must be expert not only in the subject they are
teaching but also in the art and science of adult professional education.
This requires specific preparation and continuing education to maintain skill
and competency in their craft. Beginning clinical education occurs best
within a faculty practice in which expert nurse midwifery practice can be
demonstrated and expert clinical faculty may nurture the novice practitioner
through their initial clinical experiences.
The Nurse-Midwifery Option was established in 1980 as a graduate
program to prepare nurses for advanced practice as a nurse-midwife. The scholarly
program of coursework and clinical experience is designed to prepare competent
graduate nurse-midwives to meet the primary care needs of women through
puberty, childbearing, menopause, and into the aging years, as well as to care
for the normal newborn through the first six weeks of life.
The Nurse-Midwifery Option is accredited by the American College of Nurse-Midwives, Division of Accreditation, 8403 Colesville Road, Suite 1150,
Silver Spring, MD, 20910, (240) 485-1500, through June, 2017.
The Option Coordinator for Nurse-Midwifery is Jennifer G. Hensley,
CNM, WHC-RNC, EdD, Assistant Professor.
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Faculty
Faculty are one of the cornerstones of any program.
They provide direction for the curriculum, incorporate their research endeavors
into their teaching, provide guidance to learners, serve as mentors and create
innovative learning opportunities. We are fortunate at the University of Colorado Denver, College of Nursing to have many faculty involved with our
program. We have a cadre of extremely well qualified faculty and associates who
teach, conduct research, and serve as preceptors and mentors for our students.
Our faculty are located in Colorado and across the United States. Our faculty
are extremely committed to the discipline of nurse midwifery and serve on many
national and international boards and are leaders in several professional
organizations. Please take a look at the experts in nurse midwifery that
are part of our Master’s Program.
The University Hospital has two nurse-midwifery faculty practices, the University Nurse-Midwives and the
Center for Midwifery. Both practices see patients and their families at the University of Colorado, on the Anschutz Medical Campus in the Anschutz Outpatient and
Inpatient Pavilions. For more information, visit the website: http://www.uch.edu/content/midwifery/content.asp?
index=WomensHealth&title=Midwifery
For bios on all clinical faculty, please visit the University of
Colorado Hospital Certified Nurse Midwifery site
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FAQs
How long will it take to
complete the Nurse Midwifery program? The
NMW program is a 48 semester hour program. Most students successfully complete
the program in 2 to 3 years by taking 6 to 9 credits in the fall and spring
semesters and 3 to 6 credits during the summer sessions. The program must be
completed in 5 years.
The nurse-midwifery option is rigorous,
challenging, and extremely rewarding. During the clinical courses, it is
strongly recommended that students do not work, or work as little as possible.
The ACNM’s Mission Statement, Philosophy, Code of Ethics, Standards
for the Practice of Midwifery and Core Competencies for Basic Midwifery
Practice can be found at www.midwife.org.The
program is designed to be competency-based.
Courses are designated MS Core, Advanced Core & Specialty.
Many courses are offered on-line for the MS Core and the Advanced
Core. The nurse-midwifery specialty courses are offered in-class or via
interactive TV, only within the State of Colorado.
The first year is dedicated to Master’s Core and Advanced Core
courses. The second year is dedicated to Specialty courses.
The second year, the clinical year, begins in the Fall
semester with antepartum, intrapartum and postpartum. It continues
into the Spring semester with gynecology, primary care, well woman and newborn.
The clinical year culminates in a 7-8 week clinical intensive during the
Summer, known as Integration. Integration is a minimum of 270 contact hours.
Will I be required to do any clinical experiences? Yes, 14
credits of practicum (a minimum of 630 contact hours) are required to
complete the nurse-midwifery option. During the Fall and Spring, students
enroll in specialty didactic courses, as well as clinical courses. The clinical
courses for midwifery begin in the Fall and continue through the Spring and
Summer. Four credits of clinical per semester equal one 12 hour shift on Labor
and Delivery per week,(which could be days, nights or weekends) and one 8 hour
shift in the clinic per week. All students begin their Fall rotations with the
University Nurse-Midwives.
Integration
is the opportunity to synthesize all knowledge of the midwifery management
process by following a Certified Nurse-Midwife’s schedule. Although students’
desires are considered, an Integration site in-state may not be possible.
Contracts with practices and facilities take a time to negotiate.
Integration sites out-of-state will be added expenses for students, i.e.,
travel, housing, nursing license, etc. If there are constraints, students
should let midwifery faculty know as soon as possible.
Is the NMW program offered completely on-line or in-class? Over two
thirds of the didactic courses are offered in both an online and in class
format which alternate semester to semester. Your academic advisor will work
with you to develop a program plan to meet your individual needs and learning
preferences. Students can also utilize face-to-face interactions and limit
travel time by attending classes in an intensive format involving 3-4 days
(usually between semesters) on campus, with online follow-up during the
semester. Online supervision may be available for students completing clinical
requirements located out of the Denver-metro area.
Will I have to do the clinical in Colorado? Clinical
courses are offered in-state, except for Integration. Students begin their
clinical experiences with one of the two faculty practices. Integration is the
only opportunity to do nurse-midwifery clinicals outside of Colorado.
Will this program prepare me to sit for the AMCB certification ? Yes, our
courses provide you with the knowledge and skills to take the American
Midwifery Certification Board examination (www.amcbmidwife.org).
Can I take a course before I apply? Yes, you may
take up to 12 semester credits as a non-degree student prior to being accepted
to the MS program. You must meet all prerequisite requirements of the course
you are taking. Non-degree students register on a space available basis during
open enrollment just prior to the beginning of the semester. Students enrolled
as non-degree seeking are not eligible for financial aid. Please see the Office of Professional Development for
more information.
Are there other options for persons who do not have a BS in Nursing
or BSN? Yes, for those who are RNs with a BS/BA degree in other field, or
who have significant coursework completed toward a bachelor’s degree, you
can find information about the RN to Master’s Program by going to the
College of Nursing RN to
Master of Science link. For students who are not RNs, but have
a previous BS/BA in another field, information about our accelerated BS program
is available at http://hschealth.uchsc.edu/son/undergrad/bs.htm
Are there any expectations outside of the classroom.
Yes. Pre-clinical competencies include (and documents must be in the Practice
Office):
- CPR
- Neonatal
Resuscitation Certification (NRP)
- Fetal Monitoring
course.
- STD Workshop
(generally in September for 2 days, a fee is attached)
- Advanced Life
Support in Obstetrics Course through the American Academy of Family (www.aafp.org)
- Practice
(generally in October for 2 day, ~ $200)
Can I talk to a graduate of your program? Yes.
Please email Jennifer.hensley@uchsc.edu and
indicate what you are interested in doing with your degree and you will be
matched with a graduate. The graduate will then email or call you to
discuss the program.
Where do graduates of your program work? Our
graduates work in hospitals, birth centers, private practices, educational
institutions and public health offices.
What type of jobs are currently available for a Certified Nurse
Midwives? Positions in Colorado are posted on www.nursemidwivesofcolorado.org.
Positions available nationally are posted on: http://www.midwife.org
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