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NARM Certification and Recertification

The Certified Professional Midwife credential, issued by NARM, is accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA), the accrediting body of the Institute for Credentialing Excellence (ICE, formerly NOCA). The mission of ICE is to promote excellence in credentialing for practitioners in all occupations and professions. The NCCA accredits many healthcare credentials, including the Certified Nurse-Midwife. NCCA encourages their accredited certification programs to have an education evaluation process so candidates who have been educated outside of established pathways may have their qualifications evaluated for credentialing. The NARM Portfolio Evaluation Process (PEP) meets this recommendation. The CPM is the only NCCA-accredited midwifery credential that includes a requirement for out-of-hospital experience.

The main purpose of a certification program is to establish entry-level knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to practice competently. A Certified Professional Midwife’s (CPM) competency is established through training, education and supervised clinical experience, followed by successful completion of a written examination. The goal is to increase public safety by setting standards for midwives who practice “The Midwives Model of Care” predominately in out-of-hospital settings.

Document your education . . . .

Certification Pathways

If you are interested in becoming a Certified Professional Midwife (CPM), it’s very important you carefully read the Candidate Information Booklet (CIB). NARM accepts applicants from the following educational backgrounds—

Entry Level (PEP) Applicant

NARM’s Portfolio Evaluation Process (PEP) is an educational evaluation process that includes verification of knowledge and skills by qualified preceptors. Completion of this process qualifies applicants to sit for the NARM skills and written examinations.

MEAC Graduate

MEAC accreditation requires that midwifery schools incorporate the Core Competencies adopted by MANA and the clinical experience requirements and essential knowledge and skills identified by NARM.

State Licensed
Midwife

U.S. state licensed midwives may apply for certification.

CNM or
CM

CNMs or CMs certified by the AMCB may apply for certification.

UK Registered
Midwife

United Kingdom Registered Midwives may apply for certification.

Continue your education . . . .

Recertification

The purpose of recertification is to encourage CPMs to advance and enhance their knowledge and skills and/or to promote continued competence by requiring CPMs to demonstrate current levels of knowledge and skills.

Recertify

Each CPM must recertify every three years.

Recertify after Expiration

There is a process to recertify after a CPM has expired.

Inactive

CPMs taking up to six years off from midwifery practice may apply for Inactive Status.

Retirement

CPMs who are retired from midwifery practice may "retire" their CPM.

Apply online . . . .

Using Certemy

NARM has contracted with Certemy for an on-line application process to streamline your application, recertification, and preceptor registration needs.

Extend your certification  . . . .

Midwifery Bridge Certificate

NARM, in collaboration with the US Department of Education (USDE) accredited education programs and US MERA professional organizations will administer and award the Midwifery Bridge Certificate to CPMs based on completion of 50 accredited approved continuing education contact hours (CEUs/CMEs/CNEs) within the five-year period prior to application. Required continuing education will be based upon identified areas to address emergency skills and the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) competencies. The list of approved continuing education in the following three categories will be maintained by NARM and regularly evaluated and updated.

Bridge Certificate FAQs

Application pdf

Category 1

Emergency skills in pregnancy, birth, and the immediate postpartum

Category 2

Emergency skills for newborn care

Category 3

Specific Topics Relevant to Midwifery Care based upon identified areas to address emergency skills and the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) competencies.

NARM Examination

The NARM Examination is the conclusion of the application process.

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Professional Education Resources

NARM recognizes that the professionalization of midwifery can be supported by practitioners working together to develop standards for practice, charting, continuing education, marketing materials, and most importantly: a healthy midwifery community.

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All linked here . . . .

Forms

Certification

Recertification

Midwifery Bridge Certificate

Information Release Forms

  • Use this form if you want NARM to release your name for referrals or verification.
  • Use this form if you want NARM to send a report of your test scores or certification status to a state licensing agency or to a midwifery school.

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