What are the qualifications to be a midwife?

Make sure the nursing schools you apply to are accredited institutions. The degree you aim for and how long it will take you to earn it depends on what field of nursing you want to get into.

In certain states, registered nurses only need an associate's nursing degree in order to practice. This might fit your needs, but consider getting a bachelor's degree or higher if you want to advance in your nursing career.

Most BSN programs not only give you the knowledge you need but also expose you to hands-on experience as a nurse. This is invaluable because the profession of nursing can be stressful and unpredictable at times. Any real-world preparation is going to benefit you greatly.

• Complete and pass the NCLEX exam. After you've obtained your degree, this is the required next step. The National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses, also known as NCLEX or NCLEX-RN.

This exam is designed to test your knowledge in all the critical areas of the nursing field. To obtain state licensure and become a registered nurse, you must pass this exam. If you do not pass the exam, you then have to wait 45 days before you are eligible to take it again.

• Obtain a master's degree in a Board-approved nurse-midwifery program. In order to make the transition from Registered Nurse to Certified Nurse-Midwife, you must earn a graduate degree from a midwifery program accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education (ACME).

Most certified midwives earn a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), which generally takes 18 to 24 months to complete. A Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) is another common degree type for midwives and usually takes three to four years of full-time study to complete.

While in your midwifery program, you will take advanced courses such as prenatal and postnatal care, family planning, preconception health, gynecology, reproductive physiology, and pathophysiology. During this time, you will also typically complete a clinical internship in a birth center, labor, and delivery unit, or women's health clinic.

• Get State Licensure. This is another mandatory step. You need to get a nursing license and be certified to be a practicing nurse-midwife in the state in which you want to practice.

If you want to become a traveling nurse-midwife, you then need to obtain state licensure in every state you plan to practice in.

Certain regions have licenses that can be utilized in multiple states but do your research, as this is the exception, not the rule. Each state also has its own unique requirements for obtaining a nursing license.