New York Midwife Schools - NY
Midwives provide basic gynecological, prenatal and postnatal care to women of all ages and may care for newborns following birth. They may also examine patients, prescribe and administer medications, and order laboratory tests. Before midwives can do any of these things in New York, however, they must be educated, trained and licensed.
Midwifery school in New York: what to expect
Midwife school in New York should strive to teach students how to practice their craft in a way that complies with New York midwifery standards. According to the New York State Education Department (NYSED), all midwives must be licensed to practice in New York, a process that requires at least a master's-level midwifery degree. By law these programs must include the following courses, among others:
- Biology
- Embryology, human development and genetics
- Chemistry
- Microbiology
- Human anatomy and physiology, including pathophysiology
- Psychology
- Sociology and cultural anthropology
- Pharmacology
The NYSED notes that completion of a three-semester hour course in pharmacology is now an absolute requirement for licensure in the state of New York. This training teaches midwifery students how to prescribe and administer medications -- tasks midwives in many other states are not permitted to do.
New York midwife licensing requirements
Midwives must be licensed to practice in the state of New York. The NYSED reports that all licensing candidates must be of good moral character, be at least 21 years of age, and hold at least a master's degree from an accredited midwifery school in New York. They must also pass the national licensing exam administered by the American Midwifery Certification Board. Once licensed, candidates and assume the title of licensed midwife, or L.M. Licensed midwives who are also registered nurses are called certified nurse midwives, or CNMs.
Key career and salary trends for New York midwives
The Mayo Clinic reports that demand for nurse midwives has grown in the last two decades. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of May, 2013, New York was home to more midwives than any other state besides Indiana. Though the BLS projects that demand for midwives will grow by 29 percent nationally between 2012 and 2022, it is difficult to predict demand for midwives in New York. According to Career OneStop, the New York Labor Department classifies midwives as registered nurses when calculating employment data. The Department projects that RN employment will grow by 14 percent statewide between 2010 and 2020, the most recent data available. According to the BLS, midwives in New York earned a mean annual salary of $97,750 in May, 2013, more than the $92,230 mean reported nationally (BLS.gov).
Sources:
American Midwifery Certification Board, http://www.amcbmidwife.org
"License Requirements," Midwifery, Office of the Professions, New York State Education Department, http://www.op.nysed.gov/prof/midwife/midwifelic.htm
May 2013 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates: New York, Bureau of Labor Statistics, http://www.bls.gov/oes/2013/may/oes291161.htm
May 2013 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, United States, Bureau of Labor Statistics, http://www.bls.gov/oes/2013/may/oes_nat.htm
Nurse Anesthetists, Nurse Midwives, and Nurse Practitioners, Bureau of Labor Statistics, May, 2012, http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/nurse-anesthetists-nurse-midwives-and-nurse-practitioners.htm
"Nurse-Midwifery," Mayo School of Health Sciences, The Mayo Clinic, http://www.mayo.edu/mshs/careers/nurse-midwifery
Nurse Midwives, Occupational Employment and Wages, Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2012, http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes291161.htm
"Occupational Profile: Nurse Midwives," New York, Career OneStop, U.S. Department of Labor, May, 2012, http://www.careerinfonet.org/occ_rep.asp?next=occ_rep&Level=&optstatus=111111111&jobfam=29&id=1&nodeid=2&soccode=291161&menuMode=&stfips=36&x=61&y=15