A model for the future. Certified nurse-midwives replace residents and house staff in hospitals

Abstract

In one model of the future, certified nurse-midwives (CNMs) replace most obstetric residents and house staff in hospitals. This model offers numerous benefits, such as cost containment and quality outcomes. Furthermore, its application could open opportunities for educating CNMs and residents in a truly collaborative model in an educational setting and begin to balance the ratio of physicians to CNMs in the care of low-risk populations. This model was used with some success in the late 1980s to early 1990s at an inner-city Midwestern medical center. By definition, CNMs are educated in the two disciplines of nursing and midwifery and possess evidence of certification according to the requirements of the American College of Nurse Midwives (ACNM, 1978). Nurse-midwifery practice is the independent management of care of normal newborns and women, antepartally, intrapartally, postpartally, and/or gynecologically. Certified Nurse Midwifery practice occurs within a health care system that provides for medical consultation, collaborative management, and referral (ACNM, 1978). Physician and CNM roles differ. Certified nurse-midwives focus on supporting the process of normal birth, whereas physicians focus more on the management of complications. There are data that suggest that CNM outcomes are equivalent to those of physicians (American Nurses Association, 1992; Thompson, 1986; Wilson, 1989); that CNM costs are less than those of physicians (Bell & Mills, 1989; Cherry & Foster, 1982; Gravely & Littlefield, 1992; Rooks, 1986); and that the cost of educating CNMs is much less than the cost of educating physicians (Safriet, 1992). Within an environment of health care reform and cost containment, CNMs can replace residents and house staff in hospitals in the care of low-risk clients and work in consultation with physicians for the care of high-risk clients. This article compares medical education and nurse-midwifery education, reviews nurse-midwifery outcome data, and discusses the pros and cons of a practice model for the future.