Apprenticeship Opportunities
Becoming a midwife through apprenticeship...
Estimating Blood Loss, @ a birth, July 2015Photo courtesy of Timeless Expressions Photography, LLC, Pikeville KY
Traditional midwifery is a time honored discipline that is customarily passed from mentor to student. Midwifery apprenticeships look different to different communities and different mentors. In our homebirth practice, we believe in each one teach one, and we offer work/study apprenticeships. This means you will not be charged for your apprenticeship training, nor will you be paid for your work within the midwifery practice. Apprentices attend prenatals with one or more practice midwife, learning all of the intricacies of caring for pregnant clients and their babies. They also attend births at home (and in the hospital when required), postpartum visits that occur both in the office and the home, and the care of the newborn in the first 6 weeks. Potential apprentices must have a commitment to holistic care, including a holistic approach in their own personal lives, so as to mentor our clients as we care for them.
There is no real way to accurately estimate the amount of time you may spend doing the work in your apprenticeship, or to accurately estimate the work hours, Some months you may work many more than the required clinical commitment, and some months fewer. In the end it all evens out, and always, excellence in client care is our primary focus.
All apprentices trained through the Confluence Midwifery program teaching midwifery practices learn under the CPM model of midwifery training, and will be eligible to take the NARM exam upon completion of the program, if desired. You are not required to attend nursing school, all of your training will be acquired during/through your apprenticeship and CPM specific workshops, as well as attending births and learning at the feet of birthing clients. Traditional Midwives and CPM's who practice in the homebirth and sometimes in birth centers settings are not Nurse Midwives. Certified Nurse Midwives are an entirely different type of credential. Although we all practice within the midwifery model of care, Nurse midwives typically practice in a more clinical environment and have hospital privileges. They must be a registered nurse, and take advanced practice nursing courses that equate to a Masters degree.
Understand that the CPM credential is not recognized in all 50 states. This training program currently operates in a both regulated and non-regulated states. Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia are non-regulated states. Virginia and Kentucky are regulated states. Students will be mentored by CPM's who are NARM preceptors in any instance, and within the scope of regulatory guidelines in the states where that is required. There are currently 35 states that regulate or license midwives with the CPM credential (as of November 2019). For more information, and to decide if the CPM credential is right for you, please visit websites for The Midwives Alliance of North America and and the National Association for the Certified Professional Midwife. Some of the current regulated states and many of the new regulations require midwives to have graduated from a MEAC accredited midwifery school. For more information about MEAC accredited programs please visit Midwifery Education Accreditation Council.
Finally, apprentices are never REQUIRED to apply for or test for the CPM credential. You MAY opt to follow your apprenticeship by practicing as a Direct Entry Midwife. The training process is the same. This credential is recognized in even fewer states, but is a perfectly respectable credential and may offer care options to clients in communities where other types of midwives are restricted or regulated away from caring for them. You have to follow your own heart with regards to how you wish to practice as a primary midwife. Apprenticeships with us can be flexible, but it must be understood that as a work study, there must be an equitable amount of work and study hours applied, or the apprenticeship may be terminated.
There is no real way to accurately estimate the amount of time you may spend doing the work in your apprenticeship, or to accurately estimate the work hours, Some months you may work many more than the required clinical commitment, and some months fewer. In the end it all evens out, and always, excellence in client care is our primary focus.
All apprentices trained through the Confluence Midwifery program teaching midwifery practices learn under the CPM model of midwifery training, and will be eligible to take the NARM exam upon completion of the program, if desired. You are not required to attend nursing school, all of your training will be acquired during/through your apprenticeship and CPM specific workshops, as well as attending births and learning at the feet of birthing clients. Traditional Midwives and CPM's who practice in the homebirth and sometimes in birth centers settings are not Nurse Midwives. Certified Nurse Midwives are an entirely different type of credential. Although we all practice within the midwifery model of care, Nurse midwives typically practice in a more clinical environment and have hospital privileges. They must be a registered nurse, and take advanced practice nursing courses that equate to a Masters degree.
Understand that the CPM credential is not recognized in all 50 states. This training program currently operates in a both regulated and non-regulated states. Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia are non-regulated states. Virginia and Kentucky are regulated states. Students will be mentored by CPM's who are NARM preceptors in any instance, and within the scope of regulatory guidelines in the states where that is required. There are currently 35 states that regulate or license midwives with the CPM credential (as of November 2019). For more information, and to decide if the CPM credential is right for you, please visit websites for The Midwives Alliance of North America and and the National Association for the Certified Professional Midwife. Some of the current regulated states and many of the new regulations require midwives to have graduated from a MEAC accredited midwifery school. For more information about MEAC accredited programs please visit Midwifery Education Accreditation Council.
Finally, apprentices are never REQUIRED to apply for or test for the CPM credential. You MAY opt to follow your apprenticeship by practicing as a Direct Entry Midwife. The training process is the same. This credential is recognized in even fewer states, but is a perfectly respectable credential and may offer care options to clients in communities where other types of midwives are restricted or regulated away from caring for them. You have to follow your own heart with regards to how you wish to practice as a primary midwife. Apprenticeships with us can be flexible, but it must be understood that as a work study, there must be an equitable amount of work and study hours applied, or the apprenticeship may be terminated.
Apprenticeship applicants should meet the following pre-screening requirements;
- Not currently have a nursing baby under a year old
- Have family support for the duration of the apprenticeship
- Have 24/7 access to a working and insured vehicle
- Be healthy enough to endure the rigors of apprenticeship work
- Have access to the financial means to purchase supplies, books, and attend workshops
- Have the ability to travel to Marietta OH for training one weekend a quarter
- Have access to moments notice child care if you are on call and have children
- Not planning to become pregnant in the first phase of apprenticeship
- Be willing to commit to the academic hours, clinical hours and on call hours required for the type of apprenticeship you are seeking
- Have the ability to attend clinic days in the office on the day of the week required for your area
- Have the ability to be contacted 24/7 (cell phone/home phone coverage at all times)
- Have the ability to access the internet for studies, and to maintain a google calendar, and video meetings on a regular basis.
- Have the ability to become Neonatal Resuscitation and CPR for Providers certified, at your own expense, in the first few months of accepting the apprenticeship. Apprentices must be certified in BOTH disciplines in order to attend births
- Have the ability to initiate and follow through with doula training at your own expense (via which ever training entity you desire, with the exception of Intuitive Childbirth, which is only acceptable for those who have some experience or training in normal birth) within 6 months of initiating your apprenticeship
- Have the means to become a student member of the state midwifery organization in the area in which you will be working. and plan to attend those meetings quarterly as well.
Full Time Apprenticeship
Neonatal Resuscitation Workshop, September 2015
A full time apprenticeship is quite demanding, but offers the most training in the shortest time, and allows you to finish the program in 3-5 years. Full time apprentices contract for a minimum 20 hours of academic study monthly, and for entry level apprentices, 20 clinical hours as well. Clinical hours can consist of attending prenatal visits, postpartum visits, newborn checks, and other projects like teaching in the community, attending events that market or educate about the midwifery practice and the midwifery model of care. Workshops count toward the academic hours.
As your training advances your clinical time requirement increases. Phase two and phase three apprentices are required to have many more clinical hours than phase one apprentices.
There are many workshops that are required during the program (some with reduced fees, some at full price), so it is essential that you have good family or spousal support, allowing you to attend workshops as necessary. This is first and foremost a training program, that has a heavy work/study component.
There is no financial compensation for work during this apprenticeship.
Full time apprentices are expected to attend clinic day at least one full day a week and be on an on-call rotation for births 24/7, from the time a client is 37 weeks until the client delivers. This is only negotiable if you or a family member are sick. Full time apprentices are an assumed member of the birth team for their region and as so have a responsibility to the client to be as available as you can possibly be. As the size of the practice increases, the requirement for clinic days may change to 2 or even 3. Wiyama makes every effort to consider the many factors of everyone's schedule and lifestyles, but ultimately the client's needs must always come first.
There are many aspects to practicing midwifery which are learned during clinical and clerical work days. Charting, filing, inventory, sanitation, and so much more are a requirement. Because of this apprentices must be committed to arriving at least 30 minutes before the first appointment and leaving at least 30 minutes after the last appointment. During this time we will also be setting learning/training goals and having follow-up time at the end of the day, to keep everyone on the team communicating and moving forward. Quarterly reviews are scheduled and help stay on top of the paperwork, tracking of training and skills and constructive feedback for improvement.
As your training advances your clinical time requirement increases. Phase two and phase three apprentices are required to have many more clinical hours than phase one apprentices.
There are many workshops that are required during the program (some with reduced fees, some at full price), so it is essential that you have good family or spousal support, allowing you to attend workshops as necessary. This is first and foremost a training program, that has a heavy work/study component.
There is no financial compensation for work during this apprenticeship.
Full time apprentices are expected to attend clinic day at least one full day a week and be on an on-call rotation for births 24/7, from the time a client is 37 weeks until the client delivers. This is only negotiable if you or a family member are sick. Full time apprentices are an assumed member of the birth team for their region and as so have a responsibility to the client to be as available as you can possibly be. As the size of the practice increases, the requirement for clinic days may change to 2 or even 3. Wiyama makes every effort to consider the many factors of everyone's schedule and lifestyles, but ultimately the client's needs must always come first.
There are many aspects to practicing midwifery which are learned during clinical and clerical work days. Charting, filing, inventory, sanitation, and so much more are a requirement. Because of this apprentices must be committed to arriving at least 30 minutes before the first appointment and leaving at least 30 minutes after the last appointment. During this time we will also be setting learning/training goals and having follow-up time at the end of the day, to keep everyone on the team communicating and moving forward. Quarterly reviews are scheduled and help stay on top of the paperwork, tracking of training and skills and constructive feedback for improvement.
Part Time Apprenticeships...
Apprentice performing initial newborn examSeptember 2015
The major difference between full time and part time apprenticeships is the requirement for clinical days and the requirement to be on call 24/7. This allows apprentices who must also work to still participate, but have set hours that they are on call for births.
Part time apprentices are required to attend 1 clinical day a a month for a at least 4 hours. The rest of the time may be spend doing other clinical/clerical things that keep the practice running. The apprentice is required to attend at least 3 prenatal visits with a client in order to be on call for that birth. The clients needs with regards to building relationships with the birth team are essential, and a priority for good care. Every effort is made to group appointments together and to keep them on the same day of the week for ease of scheduling work hours. The clinical hours remains at 20 for part time apprentices and does not go up as exponentially as you advance your training until phase 3, at which time the apprentice must move into full time status. Understand that you will share a call schedule with another part time student. If you are not available when a client goes into labor, another student will get credit and clinical training for that birth. Full time apprentices ALWAYS have first priority when births occur. If you must leave a birth to go to your job, you will get credit for clinical hours but not for the birth, unless you actually attend the birth. Attendance at a birth includes at least 2 hours of labor and at least 1 hour postpartum.
Finally, part time apprentices are still required to maintain the same academic hours as all other apprentices (20 hours monthly). We meet once a month, in either online or in person for study/clinical training. This will be scheduled at least a month in advance and is not negotiable.
Part time apprentices are required to attend 1 clinical day a a month for a at least 4 hours. The rest of the time may be spend doing other clinical/clerical things that keep the practice running. The apprentice is required to attend at least 3 prenatal visits with a client in order to be on call for that birth. The clients needs with regards to building relationships with the birth team are essential, and a priority for good care. Every effort is made to group appointments together and to keep them on the same day of the week for ease of scheduling work hours. The clinical hours remains at 20 for part time apprentices and does not go up as exponentially as you advance your training until phase 3, at which time the apprentice must move into full time status. Understand that you will share a call schedule with another part time student. If you are not available when a client goes into labor, another student will get credit and clinical training for that birth. Full time apprentices ALWAYS have first priority when births occur. If you must leave a birth to go to your job, you will get credit for clinical hours but not for the birth, unless you actually attend the birth. Attendance at a birth includes at least 2 hours of labor and at least 1 hour postpartum.
Finally, part time apprentices are still required to maintain the same academic hours as all other apprentices (20 hours monthly). We meet once a month, in either online or in person for study/clinical training. This will be scheduled at least a month in advance and is not negotiable.
Contract Midwifery Interns...
Weighing In! March 2015
There is the possibility of apprentices from other areas or practices acquiring clinical requirements by attending clinic/births with us. As long as there is no conflict with committed apprentices or our clients, we are open to having phase 3 and 4 CPM candidates as well as other clinical interns attend prenatals, births, postpartum, lactation and newborn clinical visits. There will be a fee for this type of training, to be discussed on a case by case basis.
We are also open to having apprentices, birth assistants, doulas, nurses and other clinical care providers attend clinical training days and workshops, for inclusion on the NARM application, and may use clinical time with our practice as a second verification of skills for NARM certification. Please contact us for more information on any of these options.
If you are interested in applying for an apprenticeship position, please fill out the form below.
Someone will contact you by phone to set up an interview.
Interviews will ONLY be conducted on clinic days in the Richmond area on Mondays, or via Video Conference.
Apprenticeships are currently offered only in the Richmond VA area, and you must live a reasonable distance from Richmond in order to attend prenatal days and births.
We are also open to having apprentices, birth assistants, doulas, nurses and other clinical care providers attend clinical training days and workshops, for inclusion on the NARM application, and may use clinical time with our practice as a second verification of skills for NARM certification. Please contact us for more information on any of these options.
If you are interested in applying for an apprenticeship position, please fill out the form below.
Someone will contact you by phone to set up an interview.
Interviews will ONLY be conducted on clinic days in the Richmond area on Mondays, or via Video Conference.
Apprenticeships are currently offered only in the Richmond VA area, and you must live a reasonable distance from Richmond in order to attend prenatal days and births.