Are you tired of hearing myths associated with midwifery? Even though an increasing number of women are turning to nurse-midwives for their care, many myths still exist around the profession and what the care and birth experience entails. Help us bust these top midwifery myths by downloading the graphics below. Feel free to use our suggested social media captions, tag Frontier Nursing University and use the hashtag #MidwiferyMyths.
What is a Certified Nurse-Midwife? A Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM) is a primary health care provider to women of all ages throughout their lives. CNMs focus on gynecologic and family planning services, as well as preconception, pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum and newborn care. They also provide primary care such as conducting annual exams, writing prescriptions, and offering basic nutrition counseling. Learn more about CNMs by clicking the button below.
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Suggested Social Media Caption: Did you know certified nurse-midwives must have extensive education and are required to pass a national certification exam? The majority of certified nurse-midwives earn their bachelor’s degrees, begin working as registered nurses, and then go back to school for two to three more years to complete their master’s degree in nurse-midwifery. Some go on to earn a doctoral degree, the highest degree in clinical nursing practice.
Suggested Social Media Caption: While nurse-midwives are the leading experts on coping with labor pain naturally, they can also prescribe medication or an epidural. Nurse-midwives work with the patient to come up with the best plan for pain relief, depending on their preferences.
Suggested Social Media Caption: Nurse-midwives work with women and families throughout all stages of life, NOT just during pregnancy and birth as many believe. They have a variety of expert knowledge and skills including pregnancy, birth, the postpartum experience, menopause, and so much more!
Suggested Social Media Caption: Did you know you actually do not have to choose between a nurse-midwife or an OBGYN. You can have both! Creating a team with your nurse-midwife and an OBGYN allows them to work together to meet all of your needs, and gives you a highly effective plan for care.
Suggested Social Media Caption: Some people think nurse-midwives only perform home births and use natural remedies. The truth is, nurse-midwives practice in various settings and most have prescriptive authority to use both natural remedies and medications. From the privacy of your own home to hospitals, medical offices, free-standing birth centers, and clinics, certified nurse-midwives may practice in multiple environments to ensure patients have access to the wide range of services they desire.
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Boston Midwife Prepares to Open Alabama’s First Birth Center
To the casual observer, opening Birth Sanctuary Gainesville might not make a lot of sense. First, Gainesville is a rural town in Alabama with a population of less than 200. Second, because of state regulations that severely restrict the scope of care nurse-midwives can provide, there are no birth centers in the entire state. That is about to change because FNU alumni Dr. Stephanie Mitchell, DNP, CNM, CPM, plans to open Birth Sanctuary Gainesville later this year. While the uncertainties are … [Read More...]
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Dr. Francis Aho receives 2024 Distinguished Service to Society Award
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2024 Lifetime Service Award Recipient Janice Bovée
You could say that Janice Bovée, MSN, CNM (Class 22), was born to be a nurse. After all, when she was just four years old, she was drawing pictures of nurses, doctors, pregnant women, and babies. “I would dress up with a paper white nurse cap, a bathrobe worn backward as a hospital gown, collect all my dolls in my imaginary nursery, and look at my pediatrician and his nurse with deep respect and seriousness when my siblings or I had office visits,” Bovée said. Born in Mesa, Arizona, Bovée … [Read More...]
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Frontier Nursing University Releases Maternal Health Documentary
Frontier Nursing University has produced a documentary about maternal health care and the role of nurse-midwives. The documentary Nurse-Midwives: Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis will premiere on August 15 at 6 p.m. at the Speed Art Museum in Louisville. Register for the premiere at this link. “The United States has the highest maternal mortality rate among wealthy nations, and 2022 data from the CDC shows that over 80% of pregnancy-related deaths in the U. S. from 2017-2019 were … [Read More...]
FNU All-Access Podcast Episode 6: What’s So Special About Birth Centers?
Episode 6 of the Frontier Nursing University (FNU) All-Access Podcast features an in-depth look at birth centers and their place in the healthcare system.
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An important objective for Frontier Nursing University is to define the role of the certified nurse-midwife so the public understands the broad scope of services these professionals provide.