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What education does a nurse need before becoming a nurse-midwife?

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Midwives assisting a birth while astrologers consult sky charts; woodcut relief print from Jakob Rueff's De conceptu et generatione hominis (1554; The Expert Midwife). — midwifery Midwives assisting a birth while astrologers consult sky charts; woodcut relief print from Jakob Rueff's *De conceptu et generatione hominis* (1554; *The Expert Midwife*).

To become a certified nurse-midwife (CNM), an individual must first be a registered nurse. Following this, they must pursue advanced education at the graduate level, as most programs today require the completion of a master’s or doctorate degree.12

This specialized training builds upon their nursing foundation to prepare them for providing comprehensive care, including prenatal and postpartum support, newborn care, and routine gynecological examinations. While historical traditions of midwifery focused on home births, modern nurse-midwives in the United States primarily attend births within hospitals and formal birthing centers, combining traditional care with the safety of modern medical technology.12