ABOUT THE ACNM CORE COMPETENCIES FOR BASIC MIDWIFERY PRACTICE

The American College of Nurse-Midwives' (ACNM) Core Competencies for Basic Midwifery Practice are the basis for entry into practice for certified nurse-midwives (CNMs) and certified midwives (CMs) who graduate from an ACNM Division of Accreditation (DOA) accredited education program. Core competencies for midwifery practice in the United States were first developed in 1978. They were revised in 1985, 1992, 1997 and 2002. The most recent core competencies were approved in June 2007.

DETERMINATION OF CORE COMPETENCIES

The core competencies are defined by the ACNM, the professional association for CNMs and CMs. The core competencies go through a rigorous review approximately every five years and are revised to reflect the current practice expectations for individuals entering the profession. This review process is coordinated by members of the association on the Basic Competency Section of the ACNM Division of Education. The process takes a full year and involves an opportunity for input from every member of the profession. The final core competencies are then ratified by the ACNM Board of Directors (BOD).

CORE COMPETENCIES AND ACCREDITATION

The Core Competencies for Basic Midwifery Practice identify the content that must be offered in education programs or institutions seeking preaccreditation and accreditation from the ACNM Division of Accreditation (DOA). The Core Competencies for Basic Midwifery Practice do not identify requirements for clinical experience. Guidelines for overall clinical program or institution resources are part of the Criteria for Programmatic Preaccreditation of Education Programs in Nurse-Midwifery and Midwifery, Criteria for Programmatic Accreditation of Education Programs in Nurse-Midwifery and Midwifery and Criteria for Institutional Accreditation for Freestanding Institutions of Higher Education with Nurse-Midwifery/Midwifery Education and related Health Education Programs.

Preaccreditation and accreditation by the DOA is a voluntary process between the education program or institution and the DOA. If a program seeks accreditation, it must be granted preaccreditation status before students are admitted. After preaccreditation status is granted, a program goes through an initial accreditation review within six months after graduating its first class. The initial accreditation status can be granted for a maximum of five years. Accreditation status granted after the initial accreditation can be granted for a maximum of ten years. Accreditation review is an ongoing requirement by the DOA and includes a self evaluation report written by the education program or institution, a site visit by a team of DOA qualified site visitors, and a review and decision by the DOA Board of Review. An annual monitoring report tracks the programs/institutions between full reviews.

During the six months after the revised core competencies receive approval by the ACNM BOD, education programs/institutions scheduled for review by the DOA are given the choice of demonstrating that either the new core competencies or the core competencies immediately previous to the new ones are fully incorporated into the curriculum. Six months after the new core competencies receive approval, all education programs seeking preaccreditation or accreditation by the DOA must demonstrate that the new core competencies are fully incorporated into the curriculum.

CORE COMPETENCIES AND NATIONAL CERTIFICATION

To ensure that graduates of DOA accredited education programs/institutions meet the minimum requirements for entry into practice, they must pass a national certification examination. This exam was developed and administered by the ACNM until 1992 when a contract was established with a separate organization, the American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB) (formerly known as ACNM Certification Council, Inc. (ACC)), to provide a national certification exam for graduates of DOA accredited education programs. After the ACNM approves new core competencies, the AMCB conducts a task analysis that includes development of draft research forms, a pilot study to test the validity of the forms, followed by data collection and analysis. The results of the analysis become a blueprint used by the AMCB Exam Committee in development of test questions.

PRACTICE THAT GOES BEYOND CORE COMPETENCIES

The Core Competencies for Basic Midwifery Practice describe the entry point into the profession, but do not necessarily reflect the scope of practice by individual CNMs or CMs. The scope of midwifery practice may be expanded beyond the core competencies to incorporate additional skills and procedures that improve care for women and their families. Following basic midwifery education, midwives may choose to expand their practice following the guidelines outlined in Standard VIII of the Standards for the Practice of Midwifery. The ACNM also encourages midwives to participate in the Continuing Competency Assessment (CCA) Program or other formal continuing education programs to remain current in knowledge and practice skills.

CERTIFICATION MAINTENANCE

CNMs who received certification before January 1996 have no time limitation on their initial certification. CNMs and CMs who were certified after January 1996 are certified for a maximum of eight years and must demonstrate certification maintenance as determined by the AMCB in order to renew their certification for another eight year period. For more information on the Certification Maintenance Program requirements, please contact the AMCB at 410/694-9424.