Nurse-Midwifery Education Program

The Nurse-Midwifery Education Program is a post-baccalaureate certificate program leading to a Certificate in Midwifery.

The program is five semesters total, and we welcome a new class of students each September.

Welcome to the Nurse-Midwifery Education Program at UI Health Care. We are excited to train the next generation of midwives.

A distance learning articulation with the Midwifery Institute of Thomas Jefferson University allows you to complete a Master of Science in Midwifery concurrently with the midwifery certificate.

Join us for an upcoming open house to learn more about the Nurse Midwifery Education Program! We host a monthly virtual open house with our program faculty as well as one on one Q and A sessions during our application cycle. To register email UIHC-NMEP@uiowa.edu.

Degree Pathways

A masters degree is required to take the American Midwifery Certification Board Exam. Your pathway in our program depends on your prior education.

I do not have a graduate degree

Enroll at Thomas Jefferson University

Students who need a graduate degree are automatically accepted at Thomas Jefferson University when they are accepted into the UI Health Care Nurse Midwifery Education Program.

Complete both programs

Courses at Thomas Jefferson University start in your second semester. You will take one 3 semester hour course during each of your remaining semesters

Graduate

After successful completion of your courses at Thomas Jefferson University and the certificate courses in the UI Health Care Nurse Midwifery Education Program, a Masters in Midwifery is granted from Thomas Jefferson University and a Certificate in Nurse-Midwifery is granted from UI Health Care.

I have earned a qualifying* graduate degree

Complete the UI Health Care Nurse Midwifery Education Program Coursework

After successful completion of the program, you will receive a Certificate in Nurse-Midwifery. This allows you to sit for the American Midwifery Certification Board exam.

Licensure

Specific degree requirements vary by state, with all requiring a graduate-level degree to practice as an advanced practice nurse.

*Information regarding required degrees for American Midwifery Certification Board certification exam

The purpose of our program is to prepare you to be a competent clinician who:

is eligible to take the American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB) certification examination
is committed to providing care to all women, with a particular emphasis on meeting the health care needs of vulnerable populations
will contribute to improving the health care system for women and families through practice and involvement in quality improvement, community and professional activities.

Our program is currently pre-accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education

Mission Statement

To provide midwifery education to a diverse group of nurses focused on health disparities and rural populations that addresses the healthcare needs of people in Iowa.

Browse our program resources

About the program

What sets us apart
Program objectives
Program philosophy

About the courses

Application process

Application process, criteria, and financial aid

Additional resources

What sets our program apart?

Diverse Clinical Learning

We limit class size to 4 midwifery students per cohort, which allows us to provide individual attention while also encouraging strong group cohesion.

The majority of your basic clinical experience is supervised by UI Health Care faculty who guide you in your development of basic skills and help maximize the learning opportunities that occur with each patient encounter.

Our UI Health Care midwifery practice has over 10,000 outpatient encounters and over 600 births each year. Our collaborative relationships with other established midwifery practices across the state of Iowa mean you will have access to clinical sites in rural and urban settings.

The Right Environment for Learning

Long active in the education of graduate physicians, medical students, nurses, midwives and other health professionals, University of Iowa Health Care provides a multidisciplinary academic environment.

You will benefit from your interaction with various subspecialty areas in medicine, gynecology, pediatrics, and obstetrics, as well as from the Hardin Library for the Health Sciences, OBGYN Grand Rounds, regional seminars, and other educational resources.

University of Iowa Health Care serves as the tertiary referral center for both obstetrics and neonatology in the state of Iowa. We are also proud to offer patients and learners access to the midwifery model of care alongside the latest available technology and personnel for the high-risk patients and their babies.

Program Objectives

As a graduate of the Nurse-Midwifery Education Program at UI Health Care, you will be able to utilize a family-centered approach in accordance with the management framework process, principles, and skills to:

Manage the primary, reproductive and gynecologic health care of essentially healthy people
Collaboratively manage the primary, reproductive and gynecologic health care of people with obstetrical, gynecological, or medical complications
Manage the care of the normal newborn
Provide relevant patient education to foster health promotion and disease prevention in an understandable and culturally appropriate format
Assume responsibility for your own professional growth and for fostering the professional growth of other midwives
Work effectively with diverse racial, ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic populations
Develop and evaluate midwifery services targeted to improve health care delivery for people.
Achieve certification by the American Midwifery Certification Board

Program Philosophy

The University of Iowa Health Care Nurse-Midwifery Education Program believes in a fundamental respect for the dignity of every human being. We embrace the diversity of our students and faculty as well as the people we serve. Our goal is to teach future Nurse-Midwives how to provide holistic and evidence-based care that meets the needs of people in Iowa.

The program is committed to preparing nurse-midwifery students to have a positive impact on the healthcare outcomes of the people of Iowa with a focus on addressing the unique needs of rural Iowans. Additionally, this program will prepare students to address healthcare disparities in the population we serve.

In the process of preparing our students we encourage excellence, ethical awareness, personal integrity, and self-directed learning. We encourage promotion of equal human rights including sexual health and reproductive justice, especially for groups that are oppressed, marginalized and/or disenfranchised.

We educate our learners in full scope midwifery care. Students will be prepared for both independent practice and professional collaborative practice with other healthcare providers.

We promote the critical analysis and dissemination of current research, quality assurance and professional involvement as we strive to provide world class education.

We embrace the philosophy of the American College of Nurse Midwives, the Carver College of Medicine, as well as the University of Iowa College of Nursing.