Certified Nurse-Midwives (CNMs)

A Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM) is an individual educated in the two disciplines of nursing and midwifery, who possesses evidence of certification according to the requirements of the American Midwifery Certification Board. CNMs practice in all settings (home, birth center, and hospital), and their scope of practice includes care for women across their lifespan.

Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs)

A Certified Professional Midwife is a knowledgeable, skilled, and professional independent midwifery practitioner who has met the standards for certification set by the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM) and is qualified to provide the midwifery model of care. The CPM is the only international credential that requires knowledge about and experience in out-of-hospital settings. They are also known as Licensed Midwives (LMs). CPM scope of practice is limited to care related to healthy pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and newborns.

Certified Midwives (CMs)

Certified Midwives have the same graduate level training as CNMs, but are not Registered Nurses. They possess evidence of certification according to the requirements of the American Midwifery Certification Board. Their scope of practice is identical to that of Certified Nurse-Midwives.

Direct Entry Midwives (DEMs)

A direct-entry midwife is an independent practitioner educated in the discipline of midwifery through self-study, apprenticeship, a midwifery school, or a college- or university-based program distinct from the discipline of nursing. A direct-entry midwife is trained to provide the Midwives Model of Care to healthy women and newborns throughout the childbearing cycle primarily in out-of-hospital settings. CPMs and CMs are types of DEMs, as are unlicensed midwives.