Our online nurse midwife program explores the complexities of providing primary care to women throughout the birthing process and focuses on cultivating nurses who are sensitive to the physical, psychosocial and spiritual needs of the women in their care.
Courses are taught by professors who are either practicing in the field or are accomplished researchers. All coursework adheres to our Nurse Midwifery Program Core Values, Mission, Philosophy, and Goals. UC’s Nurse-Midwifery MSN program has educated nurse midwives for over 20 years. The fully online program requires 1 remote clinical skills intensive and 1 on-campus visit for a clinical skills intensive, where students learn hands-on skills needed for gynecologic exams and attending births, including how to manage birth complications such as shoulder dystocia and postpartum hemorrhage through simulation.
Clinical Experiences:
The Office of Academic Affairs and Clinical Site Coordinators for the Nurse-Midwifery Program will work with students and program faculty to identify potential clinical sites in the student’s state, preferrable within or near their city/community. Clinical experiences are in a wide variety of ambulatory and community health care settings with patient populations and practices in urban and rural settings. Students work one-one-one in the clinical setting with Volunteer Clinical Faculty (preceptors). Potential clinical sites for students include: CNM/CM practices, OB/GYN practices, adult primary care practices, federally qualified health clinics, family planning clinics, health departments, public health or community clinics, and faculty practice offices. Potential clinical birth sites include hospitals (rural, community, urban or academic health centers), free standing birth centers, and home births. Occasionally, students may need to travel to get clinical experiences depending on their individual community resources.
To learn more about our course offerings, review a sample of our curriculum.
The focus of this course is the understanding of biostatistics for application to nursing and evidence-based health care practice. Emphasis is placed on the interpretation of, and appraisal of, data analyses for the selection and use of best evidence for making practical conclusions about empirical data with regard to patient care.
This course builds upon basic knowledge of human anatomy and physiology. It provides an in-depth consideration of molecular physiology while integrating examples of physiological principles most likely to be encountered by the advanced practice nurse. Basic and translational research into biochemical, molecular and organ system function will be emphasized. Current thought concerning age-related changes and theories of physiology across the patient’s lifespan will be included.
Explores the anatomical and physiological basis for advanced nursing practice in reproductive health care. Includes genetics and reproductive endocrinology in the adult female, male, fetus and neonate. Examines normal and abnormal fetal development from the perspective of maternal and environmental influences.
This course guides students in exploring political, economical, ethical and social forces that currently impact decision making in health care. Patterns of influence that drive current policy development are examined and proposal of advocacy behaviors is encouraged.
This course examines the theoretical underpinnings of evidence-based practice. Emphasis is placed on applying a range of theories from nursing and related fields for the provision of high-quality health care.
This course is designed to assist the graduate student to develop knowledge and skills needed for the application of research findings to evidence-based practice and advanced nursing practice. Emphasis is placed on the analysis and application of quantitative and qualitative research methods, directed at risk reduction and health promotion.
This course prepares nurses for professional roles in advanced nursing practice with knowledge of pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic principles of common drug categories used to prevent illness and to restore and maintain health for patients’ anatomical systems across their lifespans. Mechanisms of action, pharmacologic response, usual doses, adverse effects, indications, interactions, incompatibilities, contraindications and routes of pharmaceutical administration will be emphasized in acute and chronic conditions. Six hours of legal, ethical and financial content related to prescribing is addressed in this course as required by the Ohio Board of Nursing.
Introduces the professional role of the nurse midwife including the management process, the nursing process, use of wellness and health paradigms, and nurse midwife communication best practices.
Develops the knowledge and skills necessary for the performance of a comprehensive health assessment. Data synthesis including diagnostic study interpretation is emphasized.
This course provides students with the theoretical base to assess, diagnose and manage the care of patients’ anatomical systems across their lifespans with selected episodic health pattern alterations. Students will focus on the promotion, maintenance and restoration of patients’ anatomical systems’ health patterns. Culturally competent, holistic, ethical, age- and gender-specific and risk-stratified care will be discussed. Non-pharmacologic aspects of care such as teaching and coaching will be addressed as well as the pharmacologic management designed to help patients achieve desired health and wellness outcomes. Evidence-based practice will serve as the basis for care management. This course includes 0.5 credits (five clock hours) of pharmacology content.
This course is part of a series of sequential clinical courses in Women’s Health Care and prepares the student to provide primary care of episodic illnesses throughout patients’ lifespans. Students will engage in comprehensive assessment, diagnosis and women’s health-care management for women across their lifespans and assume professional practice roles and responsibilities in managing common health pattern variations pertaining to gynecological and primary care. Emphasis is on family-centered, community-based health care for diverse client systems.
This course, the first in a series of four sequential courses, lays the foundation for the nurse-midwifery management process and the care of the well woman across her lifespan. It prepares students to assume professional roles and responsibilities in the management of normal and common health pattern variations pertaining to gynecological care. Emphasis is on family-centered, community-based health care for diverse client systems. Included are at least 0.5 credits (five clock hours) of pharmacology content.
This course, the second in a sequence of four, prepares students to assume professional roles in the care of normal antepartum women and those with health pattern variations with an at-risk pregnancy. Emphasis is placed on the collaborative management of interventions to achieve desired outcomes during pregnancy. Included are at least 0.5 (five clock hours) of pharmacology content. Students use scholarly inquiry to further develop their practice knowledge. Research related to normal and at-risk client systems is applied. The course expands on the history of nurse-midwifery as it impacts on professional role issues.
This course, the third in a sequence of four, prepares the student to assume professional roles and responsibilities in the care of normal intra-partial and post-partial women and those with common health pattern variations pertaining to at-risk women in parturition and postpartum; normal and at-risk neonates. Included are at least 0.5 credits (five clock hours) of pharmacology content. Emphasis is placed on the collaborative management of interventions to achieve desired outcomes during the parturition and postpartum period and the neonate. Research related to normal and at-risk patient anatomical systems is applied.
This course, the fourth in a sequence of four, prepares the student for the fully integrated practice of nurse-midwifery. Included are at least 0.5 credits (five clock hours) of pharmacology content. The professional, social, political, legal, ethical, economic and financial factors that affect nurse-midwifery practice are analyzed.
Culminating experience in which one of three foci are selected: (1) integration of research findings into practice with evaluation of patient anatomical system outcomes; or (2) evaluation of current nursing practice through examination of relevant patient clinical outcomes; or (3) description of new knowledge with potential for enhancing nursing practice.
Most of our programs do not require onsite visits, but there is one exception. If you are interested in pursuing the Master of Science in Nursing-Nurse Midwifery, you will have 1 skills intensives that takes place on campus.
Each Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program can be done in as little as two years. There are additional options available for several programs that allow students to take these programs at a slower pace. Although these options extend the length of the selected program, they often make it a more feasible option for the student.
The Post-Master’s Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program is a part-time program built to be completed in as little as four semesters, or one year and four months. The Post-Master’s Family Nurse Practitioner program has no set time frame due to the extremely customizable nature of the curriculum.
Yes. The vast majority of our students work throughout their time in their academic program. It is important to assess course load and financial aid to understand how to balance school and work.
If possible, students may cut down on their work hours during a clinical portion of a program.
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