Nationally accredited, NARM sets the standards
for the competency-based CPM credential.
Photo: Emily Weaver-Brown
A Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) is a knowledgeable, skilled and professional independent midwifery practitioner who has met the standards for certification set by the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM) and is qualified to provide the Midwives Model of Care. The CPM is the only midwifery credential that requires knowledge about and experience in out-of-hospital settings.
Most CPMs own or work in private home or birth center based practices throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Providing continuous care for women throughout their childbearing cycle, CPMs generally carry a relatively low client load (averaging 3-6 births per month) which allows for more personalized and comprehensive care than typical obstetrical practices. The scope of practice of the CPM is derived from the NARM Job Analysis, state laws and regulations, and individual practice guidelines developed by each midwife according to her skills and knowledge.
Based on the MANA Core Competencies, the guiding principles of the practice of CPMs are to work with women to promote a healthy pregnancy, and provide education to help her make informed decisions about her own care. In partnership with their clients they carefully monitor the progress of the pregnancy, labor, birth, and postpartum period and recommend appropriate management if complications arise, collaborating with other healthcare providers when necessary. The key elements of this education, monitoring, and decision making process are based on Evidence-Based Practice refers to a thoughtful integration of the best available evidence, coupled with clinical expertise. As such it enables midwives and their clients to address healthcare questions with an evaluative and qualitative approach. Evidence based decisions flow from a process that includes the assessment of current and past research, clinical guidelines, and other information resources in order to determine the best course of care.Evidenced-Based Practice and Informed Consent refers to the rights of healthcare consumers to be fully informed about testing or treatment options so that they can then make an educated “choice” among those options.Informed Consent.
Subcribe to NARM email alerts for the specific news that you want to know. We will send you only the information on topics that interest you, like professional development, state updates, and new policies. Sign up and select your topics.
Sign Up Today
In the NewsWe are very pleased to present our updated Website to our community. We hope you find this new site easy to navigate and find what you are looking for regarding Certified Professional Midwives. What’s New?
Read more »
Visit the NARM Forum to discover more about midwifery and the CPM. Find answers to your questions or participate in dicusssions about all things related to CPMs and the women they serve. Topics include Advocacy, Testing, Applications, Looking For: Preceptors/Apprentices/Partners, Miscellaneous Musings, and Student Alley. Come comment or start your own thread on any of these topics. We want to hear from you!
Debbie Pulley
5257 Rosestone Dr.
Lilburn, GA 30047
770-381-9051 or 888-842-4784
info@narm.org
Shannon Anton
PO Box 128
Bristol, VT 05443
accountability@narm.org
Sharon Wells
PO Box 420
Summertown, TN 38483
931-964-4234 or 888-426-1280
applications@narm.org
Ida Darragh
PO Box 7703
Little Rock, AR 72217
501-296-9769 or 888-353-7089
testing@narm.org
Click the icons for our updates on Facebook and Twitter.
