The Midwifery Workforce: ACNM 2012 and AMCB 2013 Core Data

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Workforce Studies
• Maternal and Child Health
• Demographic Analysis

Background:

• Accurate data on the US midwifery workforce is essential for understanding healthcare delivery.
• The American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) and American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB) are collaborating with the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).
• This collaboration aims to develop the Midwifery MasterFile for demographic and practice profiling of certified nurse-midwives (CNMs) and certified midwives (CMs).

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine and compare two independent datasets to determine key workforce information for US midwives.
• To establish a foundational dataset for the Midwifery MasterFile initiative.
• To inform government reports and marketing efforts regarding the role of CNMs/CMs.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of two datasets: ACNM's 2012 Core Data Survey and AMCB's 2013 certification and recertification data.
• ACNM data collected from online surveys of its members.
• AMCB data extracted from online submissions of initial and recertification applicants.

Main Results:

• The ACNM 2012 survey achieved a 36% response rate (n=2185).
• AMCB data included 100% of new certificants (N=539) and 1323 recertification applicants.
• Midwives are predominantly white, female, and older, working clinically in hospitals, with dataset differences noted in certifications, full-time status, and birth/newborn care.

Conclusions:

• The Midwifery MasterFile collaboration offers a distinct profile of CNMs/CMs, separate from other advanced practice registered nurses.
• This comprehensive data is vital for government reporting on the healthcare workforce.
• Understanding the midwifery workforce profile is key to promoting their role in primary and reproductive healthcare.