Through Bethel’s M.S. in Nurse-Midwifery program, you’ll earn the credentials to provide sexual and reproductive healthcare, primary care, care during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum, and newborn care. Our nurse-midwifery graduates practice in clinics, hospitals, free-standing birth centers, and home settings in underserved communities, in rural and urban settings, and around the world.

Total credits

57

Finish in as few as

2-3 years

Courses

• Midwifery Perspectives (NURS602)

  Analysis of both historical perspectives and current societal influences with consideration of how each have impacted the development of nurse-midwifery and the midwifery profession.

  3 credits

• Advanced Health Assessment (NURS606)

  Use of comprehensive and systematic health history to identify patient health status and health promotion needs. Demonstration of the ability to conduct a systematic physical examination with a caring presence and in a proficient manner. Use of evidence based standards to develop relevant diagnoses and plans of care across the lifespan.

  4 credits

• Advanced Pharmacology (NURS611)

  Application of the principles of pharmacotherapy to promote health and manage illness from a client-centered perspective for diverse populations across the lifespan. Consideration of both ethical and legal implications in relation to the process of drug use from development through distribution and administration. Inclusion of complementary and alternative therapies that are evidence-based.

  3 credits

• Sexual and Reproductive Health for Advanced Practice Nurses (NURS614)

  Integration of theory and evidence related to sexual and reproductive healthcare for holistic management and support of health throughout the lifespan.

  4 credits

• Antepartal Care (NURS616)

  Management of antepartal care using evidence-based practice guidelines as well as laboratory and diagnostic studies. Determination of health promotion needs and plan of care including deviations from normal during pregnancy. Consideration of the impact of personal and professional ethics and beliefs while providing advanced practice nursing care.

  3 credits

  Corequisite Course: NURS715

• Intrapartum and Postpartum Care (NURS617)

  Integration of theory and evidence related to intrapartum and postpartum care.

  4 credits

• Newborn Care (NURS618)

  Integration of theory and evidence related to the provision of care by nurse-midwives for healthy newborns.

  2 credits

• Fetal Evaluation (NURS619)

  Integrates theory and evidence related to evaluation of antepartal and intrapartal fetal status.

  1 credits

• Reproductive Physiology for Advanced Practice Nurses (NURS620)

  Analysis of reproductive physiology in humans that serves as the foundation for clinical assessment, decision making, and holistic management for advanced practice nurses.

  3 credits

• Primary Care for Advanced Practice Nurses (NURS622)

  Presentation of the concepts of person-centered primary care from adolescence through the lifespan. Use of evidence-based resources to detect and prevent common health problems, and to compare management options from a holistic perspective within the context of family and community. Incorporation of inclusiveness and respect of diverse backgrounds, identities, and patient’s personal belief systems.

  3 credits

• Evidence Translation for Practice (NURS626)

  Analysis of the research process, including critical appraisal of literature, to address questions related to advanced practice nursing. Application of an evidence-based model to problems in advanced practice nursing. Consideration of the role of ethical principles and Christian faith perspectives as they relate to theoretical perspectives, research methods, and evidence dissemination strategies.

  3 credits

• Advanced Pathophysiology (NURS673)

  Analysis of the physiologic basis for manifestations of altered structure and function from an advanced practice nursing perspective. Consideration of differences in physiologic responses to health and illness in diverse populations across the lifespan. Use of primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention to evaluate management of homeostasis disruptions.

  3 credits

• Nurse-Midwifery I: Clinic Practicum (NURS715)

  Application of the nurse-midwifery management process, theory, and evidence to provide holistic prenatal, gynecological, and primary care for individuals throughout the lifespan. Prerequisites: NURS 606, NURS 620, NURS 622, NURS 673.

  4 credits

  Corequisite Course: NURS616

• Nurse-Midwifery II: Intrapartum Practicum (NURS719)

  Applies the midwifery management process, theory, and evidence to provide holistic care during labor, birth, and the postpartum period. Applies the midwifery management process, theory, and evidence to provide holistic care to the healthy newborn.

  4 credits

• Professional Issues for Nurse-Midwives (NURS753)

  Understand the political and economic bases of nurse-midwifery practice. Enhance knowledge of professional issues that impact the practicing APN.

  4 credits

• Nurse-Midwifery III: Clinical Integration for Nurse-Midwives (NURS754)

  Integration, application, and reflection upon the midwifery management process, theory, and evidence to provide holistic care to women across the lifespan and the healthy newborn in a variety of settings.

  7 credits

• Capstone: Methodological Reviews (NURS793)

  Application of key components of the research process with a focus on critical review of the literature exploring nurse-midwifery problems defined in collaboration with clinical partners. Format: Seminar.

  2 credits

The Nurse-Midwifery program is offered in both a 2-year and 3-year schedule (pdf).

Time Commitment

The M.S. in Nurse-Midwifery is a rigorous program with summers off. It is recommended that nurse-midwifery students not work full time while enrolled in this program.

Certification

Upon successful completion of this program, you will earn a Master of Science degree and be eligible to take the national certification board examination offered through the American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB). Our graduates have a 97% overall pass rate on the certification exam.

Licensure 

Bethel University cannot confirm whether courses or programs meet requirements for professional licensure in states outside of Minnesota. Students should contact their program's licensing bureau to determine whether Bethel's program meets requirements for licensure in their state.

The master's degree program in nursing at Bethel University is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (http://www.ccneaccreditation.org).

The Master of Science in Nurse-Midwifery program is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education, 8403 Colesville Road, Suite 1550, Silver Spring, MD 20190, www.midwife.org/acme.

For information about accreditation please contact the Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education (ACME) directly. 

Phone: 240.485.1803, acme@acnm.org, www.midwife.org/acme. 
8403 Colesville Road, Suite 1230
Silver Spring, MD 20910-6374

Goals, Outcomes, and Performance

Learn more about the Midwifery program's goals, outcomes, and graduate performance on certification exams.