Baystate earns accreditation for nurse/midwives
SPRINGFIELD Recognizing its outstanding success and academic excellence in preparing registered nurses to become credentialed nurse-midwives, Baystate Medical Center's Midwifery Education Program has been granted 10-year accreditation from the American College of Nurse-Midwives.
The Baystate Medical Center Midwifery Education Program, established in 1992, is a post-baccalaureate certificate program that prepares graduates to provide primary women's care as certified nurse-midwives (CNMs). Through classroom learning and clinical components, the program prepares students for full scope midwifery practice including the delivery of babies and providing health care for women before and after pregnancy, as well as research and education.
Located within the hospital's Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in the Division of Midwifery and Community Health, program faculty are affiliated with Tufts University School of Medicine for which Baystate Medical Center serves as their Western Campus. Students also benefit from an established midwifery practice at Baystate which provides opportunities for extensive clinical experience. And, through collaboration with the School of Nursing at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, students have opportunities for other degree programs.
Nurse-midwives have been on the staff at Baystate Medical Center since 1980. The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Baystate established a nurse-midwifery clinical service, Baystate Midwifery Associates, in 1984. In 1992, the nurse-midwives opened the Baystate Nurse Midwifery Education Program which has attracted students nationwide and whose graduates have enjoyed a 100% first-time pass rate on the national qualifying exam.
The American College of Nurse-Midwives is the oldest women's health care association in the country dating back to 1929. ACNM's mission is to promote the health and well-being of women and newborns within their families and communities through the development and support of the profession of midwifery as practiced by certified nurse-midwives and certified midwives. Midwives believe every individual has the right to safe, satisfying health care with respect for human dignity and cultural variations. More information about ACNM can be found at www.midwife.org
For more information about the Nurse Midwifery Education Program at Baystate Medical Center, visit www.academics.bhs.org/Midwifery or call 413-794-4448.
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