Nurse Midwifery
MSN/Postmaster's DNP
Why study to be a Nurse Midwife at the University of Florida ?
Nurse-midwifery care focuses on the well childbirth needs of the individual and family. Nurse-midwives provide physical care, emotional and social support, and interact with others according to the patients' cultural values and personal preferences. The practice of nurse-midwifery encourages continuity of care; emphasizes safe, competent patient care; focuses on non-intervention in normal processes; and promotes health education for women throughout the childbearing cycle. Nurse-midwives practice in hospitals, birth centers and homes, and are affiliated with physicians for consultation and referral
Nurse-midwives have been recognized for their contributions to reducing infant and maternal mortality, premature births, and low birth weight rates. These facts are made more impressive when considering that 70% of women who receive care from nurse-midwives are considered vulnerable to poor health outcomes by virtue of age, socioeconomic status, education, ethnicity or location of residence.
As part of a world-class Health Science Center , the UF College of Nursing offers nurse midwifery students access to a unique variety of clinical experiences in health care settings such as hospitals, community health care centers, a naval air station, county health departments, as well as a wealth of expert nurse midwifery faculty members. Students at UF have excellent opportunities to explore nursing research and science, be professionally involved with student and professional governance, and have access to clinical experiences with patients across the life and cultural span.
Program Description
The Nurse-midwifery clinical track prepares students to be professional practitionersof nurse-midwifery prepared to help childbearing women and their families meet their health needs in a variety of ways and settings. The UF midwifery faculty believe that the goal of nurse-midwifery is to help women achieve and maintain health and to help the childbearing woman and her family experience a safe and satisfying childbirth in which a healthy baby is born to a healthy mother. This goal is achieved through the application of the nurse-midwifery management process, which utilizes an organized body of knowledge and skills drawn from nursing, medicine, public health and other related health fields. Continuity of care, which has as its purpose the development of meaningful, sustained client/provider relationships, is central to the nurse-midwife's care.
The UF Nurse-midwifery track prepares nurses for careers focused on promoting a safe and satisfying childbirth, in which a healthy baby is born to a healthy mother. The program emphasizes caring for women throughout the life span and offers a unique blend of traditional and community-based nurse midwifery education. Content areas include well-woman gynecology, family planning, antepartum, intrapartum, and postpartum care, primary health care and care of the normal newborn.
Because of the nature of nurse midwifery, clinical experiences occur during days, evening, nights and weekend, and in a variety of geographical locations. These purposes are accomplished through a curriculum which includes research, theory, clinical practice, and scholarly learning. Graduates will be prepared to practice nurse-midwifery according to the American College of Nurse Midwives (ACNM) Core Competencies, the ACNM Standards of Practice, and the ACNM Code of Ethics.
The Nurse-midwifery clinical track is fully accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education (ACME).
Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education
8403 Colesville Road, Suite 1550,
Silver Spring, MD 20910-6374, USA.
Phone 240-485-1802; Fax 240-485-1818
Master of Science in Nursing sample full-time and part-time curriculum plans
Postmaster's DNP sample full-time and part-time curriculum plans
Cooperative Master's of Science in Nursing
A cooperative Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree exists between Florida State University (FSU) in Tallahassee and the University of Florida (UF) for students in the Nurse-midwifery clinical track. The cooperative degree program is an approved mechanism through which students transfer more than the usual number of semester credit hours (9 vs. 24) from FSU to UF. On completion of the curriculum students are awarded a MSN degree from UF. Students meet admissions requirements for both universities and take the majority of core graduate and primary care courses at FSU and on completion of these courses, credits are transferred to UF and students enroll in the UF Midwifery clinical track courses.
The guidebook for the Nurse Midwifery Student contains comprehensive information on the admissions, advisement and progression process for the traditional and cooperative degree student, as well as information on clinical placements.
It is available on the College of Nursing's Web site here.
Application deadline for all MSN clinical tracks is March 15. (See below for more details)*
*Note: The March 15 deadline for the MSN program indicate the earliest date when the College will begin accepting students. After March 15, applications to the MSN program will be accepted until May 31st and students will be accepted on a space available basis.
Nurse midwifery track applicants should refer to the Master of Science in Nursing page for admission criteria and application process information.
Contact information:
All general MSN program inquiries should be directed to
Cecile Kiley
Coordinator, Academic Support Services
UF College of Nursing
PO Box 100197
Gainesville, FL 32610-0197
(352) 273-6331
For specific information regarding this clinical track, contact:
Dr. Alice Poe
Clinical Coordinator
Nurse Midwifery Track
poeah@ufl.edu
(904) 244-5174