Nurse midwives as primary care providers for women

As we approach the 21st century, the prospect of a new healthcare system in the United States should prompt us to reopen the question of who can best meet the healthcare needs of women. Nurse midwives are advanced practice nurses educated in the field of primary health care for essentially normal women and newborns. Their focus is wellness and health education. Once patients are introduced to the concept of a nurse practitioner and the services provided, the majority are satisfied with the quality of the care received. Evidence suggests that women, if given a choice, prefer the ministrations of a female practitioner over that of a male for their intimate healthcare needs. As a predominantly female group, nurse midwives are an excellent source of qualified providers for women. In this article, the cost effectiveness of nurse practitioner care and the issue of provider gender are discussed. A case for the utilization of nurse midwives as primary healthcare providers for women is presented.