Nurse Midwifery
Use your expertise to provide primary health care to individuals of all ages, focusing on family planning, prenatal care, childbirth and postpartum care, including newborn care.
Program overview
A Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM) is an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) who provides comprehensive, person-centered care to individuals seeking midwifery services, inclusive of all gender identities and sexual orientations. CNMs deliver a full scope of midwifery practice, including pregnancy, labor and birth, postpartum care, sexual and reproductive health, gynecologic care, and family planning services, including preconception counseling. They also provide primary care beginning in adolescence and care for healthy newborns during the first 28 days of life. CNMs practice independently and collaboratively across diverse settings such as ambulatory care clinics, private offices, telehealth, community and public health environments, homes, hospitals and birth centers.
At Ohio State, you’ll be part of one of the nation’s most comprehensive health sciences centers—where innovation, research and collaboration thrive. Guided by world-class faculty and dedicated mentors, you’ll gain clinically rigorous, evidence-based training that prepares you to lead in today’s healthcare environment. You will build skills across varied settings—from community-based primary care agencies to The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center’s renowned teaching hospitals. Along the way, you’ll benefit from hands-on experiences, interdisciplinary collaboration with healthcare professionals, and the support of expert preceptors committed to your growth.
Take the next step
Join an information session to learn more about your program of interest, hosted by our recruitment coordinator.
This specialty can be completed on-campus only and offers flexible pathways to suit a variety of educational and career goals.
- Graduate Entry Master of Science in Nursing (for non-nurses)
- Traditional Master of Science in Nursing
- Post-Master's Study
- BSN to DNP
- BSN to PhD
Admission and application requirements vary by degree program. Visit the degree program page to learn more about eligibility and how to apply.
Students will develop advanced knowledge and clinical expertise through specialty-focused coursework and immersive, supervised clinical practicum experiences. Clinical rotations allow students to apply these competencies in real-world settings under the guidance of expert preceptors. Clinical experiences meet the requirements for national certification in this specialty and are completed in approved sites across Ohio and other authorized states (as applicable). Students typically complete 16 to 32 hours per week of precepted clinical practice during their clinical courses.
The Nurse Midwifery curriculum is aligned with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education and the American College of Nurse Midwives (ACNM) Core Competencies for Basic Midwifery Practice. Graduates are eligible for national board certification as a Certified Nurse Midwife through the American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB).
- Nursing 7410 Advanced Health Assessment
- Nursing 7415 Clinical Reasoning with Diagnostic Methods for Advanced Nursing Practice
- Nursing 7450 Pathophysiology of Altered Health States
- Nursing 7470 Advanced Pharmacology in Nursing
- Nursing 7280 Conceptual Framework for Nurse-Midwifery
- Nursing 7281 Advanced Reproductive Dynamics
- Nursing 7282 Labor & Birth Clinical Immersion (course waived for L&D Nursing experience)
- Nursing 7288.01 Nurse-Midwifery Clinical Practicum I
- Nursing 7288.02 Nurse-Midwifery Clinical Practicum II
- Nursing 7288.03 Nurse-Midwifery Clinical Practicum III
- Nursing 7288.04 Nurse-Midwifery Clinical Practicum IV
- Nursing 8895 Advanced Practice Nursing: Final Professional Seminar
- Provide comprehensive midwifery care to individuals and newborns during pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum and across the lifespan.
- Apply theory and evidence to support individuals, infants and families in diverse settings.
- Design, implement, and evaluate strategies that optimize health outcomes for childbearing and reproductive populations. Lead and advocate for ethical, person-centered care and influence policy at local, regional and national levels.
- Engage in evidence-based practice by identifying clinical problems, evaluating evidence, and applying it to patient care.
- Demonstrate adaptability within dynamic healthcare systems.
- Contribute to the advancement of midwifery and reproductive health care.
The nurse-midwifery specialty track aims for more than 85% of graduates to pass the national certification exam within 12 months of graduation. The three-year (2022–2024) cumulative pass rate within 12 months of graduation is 97%.
Recent certification pass rates:
- August 2022 graduates: 100%
- August 2023 graduates: 92%
- August 2024 graduates: 100%
Contact
FAQ
Visit the American College of Nurse Midwives to learn more.
The nurse-midwifery specialty track at The Ohio State University College of Nursing is fully accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education (ACME), 2000 Duke Street, Suite 300 Alexandria, Virginia 22314; For information about accreditation please contact ACME directly. 240-485-1803, support@theacme.org, midwife.org/acme.