What is the difference between a CNM and CPM?
This is something that confused me a great deal when I was first investigating the route of education I wanted to take. In the US right now there is not one single national standard for certifying and credentialing midwives, but rather, two seperate credentials for licensed midwives: CNM/CM and CPM. CNMs/CMs are certified and credentialed through the ACNM. CNMs are midwives who possess a nursing education and nursing degree first and then go on to obtain a midwifery education—usually through a Masters degree or post–baccalaureate certificate program. CMs are also credentialed through the ACNM, but are direct-entry midwives, i.e. they become midwives directly, without first having a nursing education. In terms of education and credential, CNM and CM are synonymous. CNMs/CMs usually practice in hospitals and Birth Centers, but are not limited to those venues. CPMs are direct entry midwives who are credentialed through NARM upon completion of their midwifery education—usually through a ce
