Nurse-midwives, or "certified nurse-midwives" (CNMs), are masters-prepared or doctorally-prepared nurses who have first completed training in nursing and have taken the registered nursing license exam.
In addition to training as a nurse, the nurse-midwife has completed a higher education program (either a master's or doctoral degree focusing on midwifery) and performed hundreds to thousands of additional clinical hours both managing primary care patients and attending births during their training. After completing a higher education program, Certified Nurse-Midwives sit for an additional national certification exam and can also take the Women's Health Nurse Practitioner exam.
Certified Nurse-Midwives have an increased scope of practice that allows them to diagnose and treat patients within their area of expertise, including independently managing the birth of a baby. The area of expertise for a nurse-midwife includes both primary care and maternity care for healthy women across the lifespan and their families.
California's Nurse-Midwifery Scope of Practice
The CA nurse-midwife provides the necessary supervision, care, and advice in various settings to women during pregnancy, labor, and postpartum periods, conducts deliveries on his or her own responsibility, and cares for the newborn and the infant. This includes preventive measures and the detection of abnormal conditions in mother and child and procurement of physician assistance and consultation when indicated, and execution of emergency care until physician assistance can be obtained. The nurse-midwife also provides well-woman care, including interconceptional periods, and family planning needs. The CNM utilizes standardized procedures described in Section 2725 of the Code for any activities outside this scope. (CCR § 1463)
The Benefits of Midwife-led Care
Research has proven that in comparison to the traditional medical model, Nurse-midwives have better birth outcomes including; lower cesarean birth rates, higher successful vaginal birth after a past cesarean delivery, fewer episiotomies, less narcotic use, fewer medical interventions during labor, less perineal trauma, higher rates of breastfeeding, and better outcomes for patients facing racial disparities
Reference: https://www.cnma.org/whatisanursemidwife