Whether you’ve worked as a labor & delivery RN or volunteered as a doula, you’ll know in your heart when it’s time to step up to the DNP in nurse midwifery. If you’ve already done your DNP homework, feel free to skip ahead to our program listings. But if you’d like some practical advice on certification, degree choices, and DNP capstone projects, read on!
Becoming a Nurse Midwife
The Modern Nurse Midwife
Nurse midwives support women for their entire reproductive lives. From puberty and pregnancy to newborn care, sexual health, and menopause, nurse midwives often act as primary healthcare providers to families. They help healthy mothers with uncomplicated births and act as assistants to obstetricians and gynecologists in complex medical cases. As licensed APRNs, they have the ability to prescribe treatments, medications, therapies, and diagnostic measures.
DNP-trained nurse midwives focus on holistic care – the combination of expert clinical treatment with the unique needs of mothers, fathers, and babies. Whether they’re in rural outposts or massive urban hospitals, these savvy professionals have the skills to take on leadership roles and advocate for patient’s rights in a complicated healthcare system.
CNM Licensure & Certification Requirements
Many students pursue a DNP in order to become a Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM). Like other specialty titles (e.g. nurse anesthetist), this is an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) qualification. CNMs are allowed to practice in birth centers, private homes, physician practices, and hospitals.
In order to be certified as a CNM and licensed in your state, you may be required to:
- Earn an accredited bachelor’s degree in nursing.
- Pass the NCLEX exam to become a Registered Nurse (RN) in the state in which you intend to practice.
- Earn a post-baccalaureate degree (e.g. the DNP or the MSN) from a nurse-midwifery program that has been accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education (ACME).
- Pass the national American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB) exams.
- Maintain your certification & licensure through continuing education.
Please check with your school and your State Board of Nursing for more information. DNP programs should clearly state that they are ACME-accredited and able to prepare you for the AMCB exams.
Helpful Professional Organizations
- Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education (ACME)
- American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM)
- American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB)
- International Confederation of Midwives (ICM)
- Midwifery Education Accreditation Council (MEAC)
- Midwives Alliance of North America (MANA)
- National Association of Certified Professional Midwives (NACPM)
- North American Registry of Midwives (NARM)
The Nurse Midwife DNP
Typical Nurse Midwife DNP Curriculum
At the doctoral level, nurse midwifery programs focus on clinical competence, advanced medical science, leadership training, and cultural awareness. Some schools even have simulation facilities to complement your work in a real-world environment. Ask your program if it follows the ACNM Core Competencies, Standards for the Practice of Midwifery, and/or the ACNM Code of Ethics.
Good DNP programs will emphasize the “big picture.” In addition to courses such as epidemiology, reproductive endocrinology, and applied drug therapies, you may also be required to take classes in healthcare policy, social context, economics, and the primary care of women across their lifespan. While you’re planning your DNP capstone project, be prepared to show how you might apply your learning to system-wide changes within your environment.
Gaining Experience
Many applicants to DNP nurse midwifery programs have already worked as labor & delivery RNs. If you don’t have any experience of labor and delivery, you may wish to:
- Enroll in childbirth education classes
- Complete relevant training courses (e.g. fetal heart rate monitoring, neonatal resuscitation, etc.)
- Shadow a nurse midwife or labor & delivery RN
- Volunteer as a labor doula
- Attend “strip rounds” on an obstetric unit
Examples of Nurse Midwife DNP Capstone Projects
- Development of a Competency-Based Curriculum in the Active Management of the Third Stage of Labor for Skilled Birth Attendants (Ohio State University)
- Neonatal Resuscitation Training for the Home Birth and Birth Center Attendant: A Proposal for Improving Neonatal Outcomes (Frontier Nursing University)
- Postpartum Breastfeeding Support: Promoting Infant Health (University of Massachusetts Amherst)
DNP Programs with a Nurse Midwife Focus
19 schools
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Nurse Midwife DNP Programs in Colorado
University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus
Denver, Colorado
Accreditation: CCNE
The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus has a BSN to DNP in Nurse-Midwifery that students can complete in three or four years. The goal of the program is to educate the next generation of midwives who will serve Colorado and the Mountain West, so students may be able to arrange clinical placements in states bordering Colorado. However, most students begin their clinical rounds on-campus at the University of Colorado Hospital. Additionally, practices run by midwifery faculty also provide clinical education sites for DNP students. Graduates have the foundation necessary to take the Certified Nurse-Midwife exam, and the three-year pass-rate for the University of Colorado is 100%, with more than 90% of candidates passing on the first attempt.
Nurse Midwife DNP Programs in Connecticut
Fairfield University
Fairfield, Connecticut
DNP - Nurse Midwifery[BSN to DNP option]
Fairfield University's DNP concentration in Nurse Midwifery admits BSN registered nurses who hold BCLS certification and have worked at least a year as an RN. The program is full-time - and for the first year it's really full-on, before following a more traditional calendar for the final two years. That's when students begin their clinical experiences, in which they'll perform about 20 births across five semesters. Clinicals cover antepartum, intrapartum, and women's primary care. Enrollees need a Connecticut RN license, as they'll be working with practicing CNMs in the state. Outside of concentration-specific courses, participants are exposed to healthcare finance, IT, policy, and leadership. They also complete a generalized DNP immersion.
Nurse Midwife DNP Programs in District of Columbia
Georgetown University
Washington, District of Columbia
Accreditation: CCNE
Nurses who want to provide care to women across the lifespan and healthy newborns can earn a Doctor of Nursing Practice in the dual tracks of nurse-midwifery and Women's Health Nurse Practitioner at Georgetown University. With the dual background, graduates are ready to provide primary care to women along with specialized gynecological and obstetrical care. The DNP coursework also covers leadership skills, evidence-based practice, and health care informatics. Courses are online and include live streaming elements and interactive content. Students travel to the Georgetown campus in Washington, D.C., two or three times for intensives where they hone clinical skills through simulations and practice leadership techniques. The Nursing School arranges clinical placements that match a student's area of specialization. For their DNP project, students may choose to address a need that members of an underserved population face.
Nurse Midwife DNP Programs in Illinois
DePaul University
Chicago, Illinois
Accreditation: CCNE
DNP Completion - Nurse Midwife[MSN required]
DePaul University has a DNP program for MSN-prepared nurse-midwives. The curriculum requires 38 credits in the doctoral core, which covers everything from health care economics and leadership skills to evidence-based practice research. Candidates also complete two advanced practicum experiences that form the basis for their scholarly leadership project, in which they develop a program to improve health care delivery. The scholarly project allows students to integrate what they have learned in the doctoral program by translating evidence to practice. After implementing and evaluating the project, students are required to organize the information into a manuscript of publishable quality and make an oral presentation.
University of Illinois at Chicago
Chicago, Illinois
At UIC, aspiring nurse-midwives can concentrate purely on that specialty or pursue a dual program in Nurse-Midwifery/Women's Health Nurse Practitioner, which is slightly longer as it covers the lifespan more extensively. Everyone from APRNs to registered nurses without a BSN can get in, though the latter must take up to four additional classes. All course plans are individualized, with students able to craft full- or part-time schedules. The College of Nursing uses a hybrid format, meaning the program requires travel to Chicago or one of UIC's five satellite campuses in Illinois. Chicago-based students pursue practicums at UI Health. Students can add a concentration in Primary Care Mental Health or Rural Nursing. The latter may be particularly relevant to enrollees taking the program in Urbana, Peoria, Rockford, Springfield, or Quad Cities.
Nurse Midwife DNP Programs in Kansas
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas
KU School of Nursing looks for potential leaders in the field when filling spots for its DNP program. It also wants licensed RNs with a year of experience and prefers enrollees who earned a 3.5 in their BSN program. The Nurse-Midwife specialty is especially interested in applicants who want to work in underserved areas, though practicums are mostly at KU Medical Center in Kansas City. Most of the specialty's 76 credits come from online work, but two courses are held in KC, and students travel back several times each semester for other courses. Graduates should be able to provide primary care to women at all stages of life, not just during childbirth, so some find careers in family practice. In fact, one of the four practicums is dedicated to general women's health. All practicums, plus a clinical residency, are backloaded into the final two years of a five-year curriculum.
Nurse Midwife DNP Programs in Michigan
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Accreditation: CCNE
BSN to DNP - Nurse-Midwifery[BSN to DNP option]
BSN to DNP - Nurse-midwifery and Primary Care Family Nurse Practitioner[BSN to DNP option]
BSN to DNP - Nurse-Midwifery and Primary Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner[BSN to DNP option]
Nurses who enjoy caring for families during the childbearing process can concentrate solely on nurse-midwifery at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor or add a second population area to their degree. The School of Nursing offers a BSN to DNP program in Nurse-Midwifery and dual-concentrations that combine midwifery with Primary Care Family Nurse Practitioner or Primary Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner. The Nurse-Midwifery DNP is a 68-credit program that students can complete following a three-year or four-year plan. The combined NMW and FNP degree requires 94 credits and takes four years. The combined midwifery and pediatric NP curriculum uses a 91-credit, four-year plan of study. The University of Michigan's nurse-midwifery program is ranked #2 in the nation, according to the 2020 U.S. News & World Report list of Best Graduate Schools.
Wayne State University
Detroit, Michigan
Accreditation: CCNE
BSN to DNP - Nurse-Midwife (NMW)[BSN to DNP option]
The DNP program at Wayne State University prepares advanced-practice nurses, including Nurse-Midwives, who can use clinical research to improve the health care that urban residents receive. The BSN to DNP in Nurse-Midwifery is a 78-credit program that includes courses in the specialty and the DNP core. The curriculum breaks down into five areas: six credits in nursing theory, 18 credits in the DNP domain of knowledge, seven credits in research and statistics, 12 credits dedicated to the DNP project, and 35 credits in the nurse-midwife APRN coursework. Graduates are well-versed in providing primary care to women and newborns and have experience working collaboratively with other health care professionals.
Nurse Midwife DNP Programs in Minnesota
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Accreditation: CCNE
Nurse Midwifery[BSN to DNP option]
The big pull of Minnesota's DNP program in Nurse Midwifery may be the Bentson Scholarship, a $20,000 award that goes to 50 post-baccalaureate DNP students each year. Once admitted, winners and non-winners alike choose between a three- and four-year program comprising 81 credits. Depending on their chosen course plan, students begin working on their project and take their first practicum in either their second or third year. They take five practicums in all: one each in Women's Reproductive Healthcare, Women's Primary Care, Midwifery Care of the Childbearing Family, and Reproductive Healthcare for Women at Risk. A final clinical asks them to synthesize all their experience plus didactic work. Courses on teaching and research open up possibilities in academia, while classes in economics, holistic medicine, informatics, and innovation make it possible for graduates to fill clinical leadership positions.
Nurse Midwife DNP Programs in New Jersey
Rutgers University
Newark, New Jersey
Accreditation: CCNE
Post Baccalaureate DNP - Nurse Midwifery[BSN to DNP option]
The BSN to DNP program in nurse-midwifery at Rutgers University offers a choice of online and on-campus classwork. The curriculum includes 77 credits, 810 hours of precepted midwifery practice, and 500 mentored hours associated with the DNP project. Full-time students can complete the degree in eight semesters, with clinical experiences starting in the fourth semester. During various clinical classes, DNP candidates will focus on gynecological care, childbearing, primary care of women, and neonatal care and breastfeeding. Students who don't have experience in labor and delivery have to take a fetal monitoring course and complete 40 hours of L&D observation before taking the neonate course. Midwifery majors can add an HIV Care Specialization with one additional three-credit class. Rutgers also offers a dual concentration in nurse-midwifery and Women's Health Nurse Practitioner, which requires 78 credits.
Nurse Midwife DNP Programs in New York
Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, New York
Accreditation: AACN
BSN to DNP - Midwifery[BSN to DNP option]
Columbia University School of Nursing prepares DNP in Midwifery students to provide a full scope of care, from gynecological services to family planning, to birth and caring for the normal newborn. Before they begin clinical rotations, midwifery students get a solid foundation in health science and critical thinking skills. They also develop cultural sensitivity. BSN-prepared nurses can complete the 86 credits in a little over two years. Once they are ready for clinical experiences, Columbia assigns them to a variety of settings in the tri-state area, allowing future midwives to work with diverse patient populations and in different kinds of practices. Some clinical sites for midwifery students include Bellevue Hospital Center, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Navajo Indian Health Service, and several OB/GYN groups. Columbia grads have had a 100% pass rate on the midwifery certification exam for several years.
SUNY Downstate Medical Center
Brooklyn, New York
Accreditation: CCNE
Advanced Standing DNP - Nurse Midwife[BSN to DNP option]
BS to DNP - Nurse Midwife[BSN to DNP option]
Nurses with an MSN who are already Certified Nurse-Midwives can enter the Doctor of Nursing Practice program at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University with advanced standing and complete the doctoral degree in six semesters and 40 credits. The BSN to DNP in Nurse Midwifery is a 75-credit program that requires seven semesters, including the classes needed to become a Nurse-Midwife. Those classes cover topics such as pelvic assessment, complications of pregnancy, neonatology, and well-women gynecology. The program uses a hybrid format that combines online coursework with monthly seminars held at the Brooklyn campus. On seminar days, students take part in assessments, leadership development, and scholarly activities.
Nurse Midwife DNP Programs in Ohio
Ohio State University-Main Campus
Columbus, Ohio
Accreditation: CCNE
BSN to DNP - Nurse Midwifery[BSN to DNP option]
The Ohio State University School of Nursing teaches the specialty classes for the DNP in nurse-midwifery on campus, with the DNP core classes delivered online. Students benefit from the on-campus location near a comprehensive health sciences center, where students take part in interdisciplinary collaboration. Nurse-midwife students also benefit from the College of Nursing's partnerships with community-based clinics and the OSU Medical Center's teaching hospitals. The nurse-midwife DNP curriculum requires 96 credits, and full-time students can complete the degree in 11 semesters. Students enroll in masters- and doctoral-level courses in their first year. By the second year, they begin midwifery courses such as reproductive dynamics and labor and birth immersion. Graduates have had a 100% pass rate on the nurse-midwife certification exam for several years in a row.
Nurse Midwife DNP Programs in Oregon
Oregon Health & Science University
Portland, Oregon
OHSU School of Nursing runs a DNP Nurse-Midwifery program that partners with hospitals, clinics, and birth centers so that enrollees attend births in multiple settings. Still, many of the students' 1,000 practicum hours are spent at OHSU Hospital. The faculty, who are practicing midwives who accept patients throughout the Portland metropolitan area, prepare students to be practicing midwives or work in gynecological care. Most enrollees come into the program without a BSN, so the School of Nursing has created a pathway for them to first earn a bachelor's. Enrollees with a BSN enter a full-time program that takes three years to complete. The Carol Howe Endowed Scholarship, worth $5,000, is earmarked for Nurse Midwifery students. Should they need more, they can get all tuition and fees paid for through the Scholars for a Health Oregon program, which requires a commitment to work in a rural or underserved part of Oregon.
Nurse Midwife DNP Programs in Pennsylvania
University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Accreditation: CCNE
Post-BSN Doctor of Nursing Practice - Nurse-Midwife[BSN to DNP option]
Students in the Nurse-Midwifery DNP program at the University of Pittsburgh complete more than 1,400 clinical hours, allowing them to perform practicum experiences that involve managing women's health, neonates, labor and birth, and acute and chronic illnesses. DNP students in the midwifery major must attend their courses onsite in Pittsburgh, and full-time students can earn a degree in three years. Candidates can also select a part-time plan of study. Nurse-midwife students complete clinical rotations around the Pittsburgh area, potentially performing rounds at the Midwife Center for Birth & Women's Health, Magee-Women's Hospital, and the Allegheny County Health Department. The University of Pittsburgh has several minors available to DNP students who want to increase their marketability. Options include health care genetics, nursing informatics, and nursing research.
Nurse Midwife DNP Programs in Texas
Baylor University
Waco, Texas
Accreditation: CCNE
Baylor University ensures that most students entering its DNP nurse-midwifery track know what they are getting into. It requires applicants to have at least a year of full-time experience in labor and delivery, an OB/GYN setting, or a mother-baby unit. Two DNP pathways are available: a 75-credit program for nurses with a BSN and a 31- to 37-credit program for post-master's nurses. Baylor's Louise Herrington School of Nursing takes care of arranging all clinical rotations and preceptors, freeing students to concentrate on coursework. Candidates gain skills in the broad category of women's health, including birth, gynecological care, and preventive care. Baylor integrates a Christian outlook into the coursework, which also emphasizes cultural competency and serving vulnerable populations. Three of the last four midwifery classes achieved a 100% first-time pass rate on the certification exam.
Nurse Midwife DNP Programs in Utah
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
Accreditation: CCNE
At the University of Utah, nurses can earn a DNP in Nurse-Midwifery or choose a dual focus on women's health and nurse-midwifery. The nurse-midwifery degree requires 79 credits, and full-time students can earn a degree in three years. The dual-track program requires 94 credits and takes one semester more than the midwifery track. With either concentration, students begin taking classes related directly to women's health in the second semester, and they work their first clinical practicum in the third semester. During the final three semesters, students complete a DNP project that shows they have synthesized course content and can perform scholarly inquiry. Graduates are prepared to take the Certified Nurse-Midwife exam, and women's health grads are also eligible for the WHNP certification exam.
Nurse Midwife DNP Programs in Washington
Seattle University
Seattle, Washington
Accreditation: CCNE
Certified Nurse Midwifery[BSN to DNP option]
The Certified Nurse-Midwifery DNP at Seattle University has a focus on global nurse-midwifery that prepares midwives to work around the world. Students can even take an optional course called Global Health for Clinicians. With the global health focus, graduates are ready to work in rural and urban clinics, First Nation settings, governmental agencies, hospitals, and birth centers. The program uses a cohort format so that midwifery students can develop strong bonds with fellow students. Candidates take part in evidence-based simulations and perform their clinical rounds in well-equipped hospitals. The curriculum spans three years, with students entering the program in the summer quarter. Seattle University boasts a 100% graduation rate for nurse-midwifery majors and a 100% overall pass rate on the Certified Nurse-Midwife exam.
University of Washington-Seattle Campus
Seattle, Washington
Accreditation: CCNE
DNP - Nurse-Midwifery[MSN required]
Nurse Midwifery[BSN to DNP option]
The DNP program at UW School of Nursing is for active Washington RNs who can commit to three years of full-time study to become a nurse-midwife. Year 1 takes place half in the classroom and half online. In students' second year, they begin incorporating clinical work at one of two dozen sites in the Evergreen State. Finally, in Year 3, with their didactic work over, enrollees juggle clinical practicums and a final project. Alongside their cohort, they take online or on-campus classes designed to cover the totality of women's health, including perinatal care, pediatric health, newborn conditions, and childbearing. With other DNP students, they take courses covering healthcare leadership, economics, policy, and equity. Graduates who complete all 93 quarter credits of the program can sit for the AMCB exam.