Nurse midwifery is one of four formally-recognized advanced practice nursing roles. Graduate education prepares the certified nurse midwife (CNM) to become a licensed, independent health care provider with prescriptive authority. The CNM provides general primary health care services for women from adolescence throughout their lifetimes, with the primary focus being gynecological and pregnancy services including, but not limited to:
- Gynecological and family planning services
- Pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum care
- Healthy newborn baby care for the first 28 days of life
- Patient/parenting education
- Treatment of male partners for sexually transmitted diseases
While many CNM's attend in-home births, the American College of Nurse Midwives reports that most (94%) are employed by hospitals and physician practice groups, or are affiliated with free-standing birthing centers.
Completion of a graduate nursing program that prepares students to take the Certified Nurse-Midwife examination offered by the American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB) is necessary to become state-licensed.
Shenandoah Partnership
The MSN with specialization in nurse midwifery is offered jointly with Shenandoah University in northern Virginia. All ODU courses for this program, are online, distant learning courses.The program includes advanced practice nursing content offered by Old Dominion University in the Hampton Roads region and at distance sites in Virginia during the first year. The second year in the midwifery program is offered through Shenandoah University. There is an in-person requirement at SU where students will meet on campus for two immersion weeks (5 days in September and January). Upon completion of the first year of courses at ODU the MSN degree will be awarded followed by completion of the post masters portion of the program at SU. A Post-Master's Certificate in Nurse-Midwifery will be awarded by SU. Students may continue on to the DNP Postmaster's Advanced Practice program with ODU. Students will be eligible to take the national nurse-midwifery certification examination offered by the American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB) to become a Certified Nurse-Midwife after completion of the MSN portion of the program, if not continuing on to the DNP.
ODU School of Nursing is fully accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. The Shenandoah University Nurse-Midwifery Program is fully accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education of the American College of Nurse-Midwives. Please visit Shenandoah University Nurse-Midwifery page for more information.
Program Contacts
MSN Midwifery Program Director:
Alyssa Weiss, PhD, NNP-BC
(757) 330-5176
abweiss@odu.edu
Graduate Program Coordinator:
Nicole Pomazanski
757-683-4298
npomazan@odu.edu