If You Are an NP, Can You Deliver Babies?

Yes, you can.

Nurse Practitioners can treat any patient and not be supervised by physicians because NP has a regulation that specifically determines which procedures NP can do.

NPs are involved in many care activities, including helping women during labor.

Every NP goes through some sort of training which teaches them how to help the patient in need on all possible occasions.

Therefore, NPs are prepared to help during a delivery.

Sometimes, a registered nurse who is in-charge during labor can deliver the baby, but only if the doctor isn’t in the room or cannot make it on time.

Those are special circumstances, but only nurses who are attended special training are legally allowed to deliver babies.

Those nurses are Certified Nurse-Midwives or CNMs.

According to the American College of Nurse-Midwives help in 8% of all deliveries in the USA.

Midwife advocates for birth choices that are more client-driven and contain the minimal required medical intervention.

Education

To become a CNM, you will have to obtain additional postgraduate training and education, to support your bachelor’s degree in nursing.

Before you start a CNM training, you will need to pass the board exam to get your Registered Nurse license.

However, it common for RNs to work in labor before they complete their master studies to become certified for Midwife.

The last step after graduation is passing the American Midwifery Certification Board examination.

Only after you successfully finish the exam, you are qualified as CNM.

Working Environment

CNMs usually work in hospitals or birthing centers.

However, some of them help with home deliveries in those states where home deliveries are allowed.

Delivers are happening in different work settings such as public health systems, private offices, ambulatory care clinics, etc.

Job Responsibilities

However, CNMs don’t deliver babies during the entire shift.

There is plenty of other work to be done.

Sometimes CNMs work in group practices and divide their shift on caring for other patients and being on-call for the birth center.

It is not unusual for an experienced CNM to start and open her own practice to help with home births, aftercare, regular check-ups, and provide consultations.

CNMs are in charge of check-up, Pap tests, breast exams, and plenty of other gynecological care.

In the USA, CNMs are allowed to write prescriptions.

The work of a CNM is highly important for counseling, prevention, and health promotion, etc.

Limitations

However, CNMs are not legally allowed to perform surgeries, for example, Cesarean delivers.

If a patient needs such surgery, a CNM must contact and transfer the patient to the physician.

CNMs can do small surgical procedures.

Those can include repairing vaginal tears, episiotomy after birth.

Generally, CNMs specialize in caring for women with low-risk pregnancies.

Those with high-risk pregnancies need the care of a physician.

Sometimes, in these situations, a Certified Nurse Midwife needs a physician’s approval to continue with the procedures.

Women Health Nurse Practitioner – (WHNP)

A WHNP focuses specifically on caring for women of all ages.

Thus, WHNP went to special education and is different from CNM.

While CNM focuses on everything related to childbearing, starting with conception and delivery, a WHNP focuses on the entire lifespan of women’s health.

The education for WHNP is similar to the CNM.

However, WHNP doesn’t need a post bachelor’s degree and certification.

Both specialties are significant because WHNP and CNM provide care for women in important moments.

The common issues both NP deal with are infertility, pregnancy complications, delivery, child loss, etc.

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