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A Profile of Colorado Nurse–Midwives: Implications for Health Care

¹ University of Colorado, Denver
² Broomfield County Health Department
³ Oregon Health Sciences University
⁴ Kaiser Permanente, Denver
⁵ University of Colorado, Boulder
⁶ Colorado Springs Obstetrics and Gynecology
⁷ Denver Health Medical Center
⁸ Exempla Lutheran Medical Center

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: marie.hastings-tolsma{at}uchsc.edu.

	Abstract

Nurse–midwives provide significant health care to underserved and vulnerable women, yet there is limited information about the nature of nurse–midwifery practices and compensation for services. This study reports the results of a Colorado statewide survey of nurse–midwives (N = 217). Electronic survey was utilized to detail practice in seven areas: demographics, type of practice, compensation, leadership, legislative priorities, teaching involvement, and practice satisfaction. Responses (N = 114) were analyzed using SPSS 13.0. Results found wide variation in compensation and practice types. Respondents largely worked in urban settings, cared for low to moderate risk patients, and were generally older and White. Restriction from medical staff membership, prescriptive authority constraints, and liability issues were practice limitations. While teaching a wide variety of learners, nurse–midwives do limited mentoring of nurse–midwifery students, a finding which is concerning given the decreasing numbers of nurse–midwives. Findings are compared to known national data, with implications for the provision of health care services detailed.

First published on July 25, 2008, doi:10.1177/0193945908319989

Western Journal of Nursing Research 2009;31:24.

A more recent version of this article appeared on February 1, 2009


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