Midwifery is a good health care career with a decent remuneration. This article discusses the job profile and salary prospects of this profession in brief.
Midwives were very much in demand in the early twentieth century when, due to the lack of easy access to medical services, most pregnant women depended upon midwives for childbirth and postpartum care. Later on, medical services became cheaper and easily accessible to common people.
As a result, women chose to give birth in fully equipped hospitals, under the guidance of an OB/GYN. However, in the past decade, the demand for midwives has again seen a surge, as people have discovered the advantages of giving birth at home, under the care of a midwife.
Education and Job Description
Midwives are trained health care providers whose expertise lies in childbirth, postpartum care, and prenatal care. There are various ways of becoming a midwife. Many midwives are actually registered nurses with a certification in midwifery. A certified professional midwife (CPM) is a direct entry midwife who is certified by North American Registry of Midwives (NARM).
CPMs are trained through a competency based model of education and have an expertise in attending out of hospital deliveries. During labor in a home setting, a CPM is present throughout the process of the delivery. She assesses the risk of labor to decide if medical intervention is required or not. She is also trained for safely delivering babies when medical facilities in the present setting are limited.
Many women prefer CPMs against doctors for pre and post natal care, this is because CPMs provide more personal care and attention to each of their patients. As a result, they are well acquainted with the health conditions of their patients. This helps them while providing appropriate care for every one of their patients. Also, they support their patients emotionally, thereby establishing a comfortable relationship with them, which further eases processes such as childbirth.
Salary Prospects
The salary of a CPM depends upon several factors. Educational qualification, years of experience, and the setting in which the candidate works, are some of those factors. Generally, nurse midwives with a good amount of experience have a high earning potential. Certified midwives who practice on their own can earn as high as $80,000 in a year, while midwives with one to four years of experience can earn around $60,000 in a year.
The median salary for CPMs is $45,000 to $50,000 p.a, but with experience, they can earn much more than that. Over the years, a CPM attends and assists hundreds of deliveries. This adds to her experience and expertise which eventually results in higher remuneration.
A career of a midwife is a bit challenging, but it offers a good deal of emotional satisfaction. Interested candidates should try gaining entry into this profession by getting a degree in nursing. This will drastically increases your chances of getting a good starting salary.