As we begin this year, we would like to take a moment to look back at 2020—
When we reflect on where we were a year ago, we could never have imagined the world we now inhabit. Many of us started the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife with anticipation that 2020 would be a year of clear vision. By the Spring, most of us felt like we were driving with mud spattered windshields, searching for clarity, our own personal and professional North Star, and sometimes just a seatbelt as the road took unexpected rough turns.
Hopefully, as we continue to heal from the challenges and adapt to the changes, 2020 will ultimately become a year that offered fresh perspectives and opportunities for resilience in the face of the unimaginable.
In a year of unprecedented changes, we offer a small snapshot of some of the ways midwives met these challenges, looked to the future, and mourned our losses.
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February: The midwifery community, and the world for that matter, lost one of our greats. Claudia Booker passed away February 19, 2020 at the age of 71.
“Give your heart to strangers and give it in such a way that only joy comes back” ~ Claudia Booker Read more about her life and legacy here. |
March: With shifts in the way midwives provide care such as telemedicine, NARM announced policy change to permit some virtual Continuity of Care Visits for CPM applicants during the COVID-19 pandemic. This policy continues to be in effect through June 1, 2021.
April: In response to shelter-in-place orders and testing sites closure in March, NARM and PROV received permission to deliver the NARM Exam via Live Remote Proctoring (LRP). LRP uses home computers with a web camera in place to administer exams under the visual oversight of a remote proctor.
May: The first candidates to use this Live Remote Proctoring process tested on May 4, 2020. From May 4 – December 31, 2020, 178 candidates tested via Live Remote Proctoring. Overall, total of 285 candidates tested in 2020.
| June: NARM updated the policy for CPR and NRP requirements due to the ongoing challenges in obtaining hands on skills assessment courses due to COVID-19. This policy went into effect June 1, 2020 and has been extended through June 1, 2021. |  |
October: What began as a small group of just three midwives earning a CPM credential in 1994 has grown to 3850 CPM credentials issued by October 2020. With several hundred more midwives added to the registry every year, we look forward to nearly 4000 CPMs by the end of 2021.
November: NARM updated the Cultural Awareness requirement for CPMs and Registered Preceptors. NARM will require all CPMs and Preceptors to complete a workshop, module, or course on Cultural Awareness every three years as part of the application for Recertification and Preceptor Registration. A newly expanded list of Cultural Awareness courses is available here.
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December: NARM announced a new software system that allows CPMs to manage their Recertification, Preceptor Registration, Midwifery Bridge Certificate, and so much more online! This updated system has been in the works for many months, and it was exciting to finally unveil it!
Read more about the Certemy system here. |
Congratulations to Oklahoma and the District of Columbia!
We are pleased to announce that Oklahoma became the 35th state and the District of Columbia (D.C.) is the 36th “state” to pass legislation to regulate CPMs in 2020!
SPECIAL NOTICE regarding New York: New York has a special pandemic Executive Order in place that allows any health care practitioner who holds a license in another state to work legally in New York. This allows CPMs who hold licenses in another state to work in New York. We all hope this will eventually pave the way for licensure.
These are wins not only for the midwives ability to practice, but more importantly for families’ access to midwifery care. Several states have been working on CPM legislation, and we hope to be able to announce many more in 2021!
If you are curious when your state passed legislation, go to The Big Push for Midwives.
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Wishing you a New Year filled with Resilience, Restoration, and many New Beginnings!eBlast emailed January 19, 2021 |