National Standards

ACME - Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education

The Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education is an agency established to advance and promote excellence in midwifery education. The aim of ACME is to ensure that programs are performing at the highest level of quality and providing learning experiences that will lead to optimal outcomes for students. ACME is a reliable authority regarding midwifery education. Since 1982, ACME has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (USED) as a nationally recognized programmatic accrediting agency for nurse-midwifery and midwifery education programs. In May 2018, ACME was awarded the maximum five-year recognition for remaining in full compliance with the USED requirements.

ACNM - American College of Nurse-Midwives

OUR VISION: Advancing the health and well-being of women and newborns by setting the standard for midwifery excellence.

OUR MISSION: ACNM works to establish midwifery as the standard of care for women. We lead the profession through education, clinical practice, research, and advocacy. 

EXCELLENCE: ACNM values excellence in midwifery education, clinical practice, and research. We are committed to upholding the highest clinical and ethical standards, professional responsibility, accountability, and integrity.

EVIDENCE-BASED CARE: ACNM evaluates, publishes, and showcases scientific evidence to improve professional practice. We are committed to upholding the most rigorous clinical practice standards in the midwifery profession and applying this knowledge and clinical expertise to help women make the best health decisions. We strongly support the use of quality measurement to improve care.

AMCB - American Midwifery Certification Board

The American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB), formerly the ACNM Certification Council, Inc. (ACC) is the national certifying body for Certified Nurse-Midwives (CNMs*) and Certified Midwives (CMs*). The certification function is a critical aspect of professional quality assurance in midwifery. Nurse-midwives have been certified by examination since 1971. At that time, certification rested within the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM), first within the Division of Examiners, and then within the Division of Competency Assessment. In 1991, in keeping with the professional standard that certification should be separated from the professional organization, the ACC was incorporated as a distinct organization charged with functions related to the midwifery certificate. These functions include initial certification, recertification (Certificate Maintenance Program) and discipline. In 1997, in addition to the CNM certificate, the ACC began to offer certification to professionally educated midwives who were not first educated as nurses. The CM certificate is offered to candidates from ACME accredited programs in midwifery. In 2005 the organization's name was changed to American Midwifery Certification Board but the goals of the organization have remained the same.

The AMCB consists of officers (President, Secretary and Treasurer), a Board of Directors, an office of full-time staff members and committees responsible for the creation of the national certification examination, certificate maintenance, and research and credentialing/reporting.

ICM - International Confederation of Midwives

ICM is an accredited non-governmental organization representing midwives and midwifery to organizations worldwide to achieve common goals in the care of mothers and newborns. ICM works closely with the WHO, UNFPA and other UN Agencies; global professional health care organisations including the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO), the International Pediatric Association (IPA), the International Council of Nurses (ICN), non-governmental organisations; bilateral and civil society groups. There are 143 ICM Member Associations  in 124 countries across 6 regions of the world, representing over 1 million midwives globally.

There is a need to help the consumer understand the landscape of healthcare options regarding well women care, pregnancy, birth and newborn care.  There is an imperative for definitions and consistency. There are specific definitions for all healthcare professionals. These definitions are governed by multi stakeholder groups that, by consensus, determine specific aptitudes and criteria for upholding the competencies of that profession. Within the practice of midwifery, the ICM represents that governance committee, and is the organization responsible for upholding the international definitions of midwife, midwifery scope of practice, and essential competencies. This ensures that the average consumer -- expecting parents -- can trust that any midwife that represents as such has met a universally recognized standard for the midwifery profession.

MANA - Midwives Alliance of North America

The Midwives Alliance of North America has also published practice guidelines, as reflected in the MANA Core Competencies for Basic Midwifery Practice.  This document details the guiding principles of practice; the general knowledge and skills a midwife must possess; care to be given to the woman during pregnancy, labor, birth, and postpartum; care to be given to the newborn infant; professional legal, and other aspects of midwifery; and well woman care and family planning.

MEAC - Midwifery Education Accreditation Council

The Midwifery Education Accreditation Council’s mission is to promote excellence in midwifery education through accreditation. It creates standards and criteria for the education of midwives. MEAC standards incorporate the nationally recognized core competencies and guiding principles set by the Midwives Alliance of North America (MANA), The International Confederation of Midwives (ICM), and the requirements for national certification of the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM). MEAC’s accreditation criteria for midwifery education programs reflect the unique components and philosophy of the Midwives Model of Care.

The purpose of MEAC is to establish standards for the education of competent midwives, and to provide a process for self-evaluation and peer evaluation for diverse educational programs. MEAC is a non-profit organization approved by the U.S. Secretary of Education as a nationally recognized accrediting agency.

Midwives Model of Care™

The Midwives Model of Care™ is based on the fact that pregnancy and birth are normal life events.

The Midwives Model of Care includes:

• Monitoring the physical, psychological and social well-being of the mother throughout the childbearing cycle

• Providing the mother with individualized education, counseling, and prenatal care, continuous hands-on assistance during labor and delivery, and postpartum support

• Minimizing technological interventions and;

• Identifying and referring women who require obstetrical attention

The application of this woman centered model of care has been proven to reduce the incidence of birth injury, trauma, and cesarean section.

NACPM Standards for Practice

The NACPM member works in partnership with each woman she serves.

Midwifery actions are prioritized to optimize well-being and minimize risk, with attention to the individual needs of each woman and baby.

The midwife supports each woman's right to plan her care according to her needs and desires.

The midwife concludes the caregiving partnership with each woman responsibly.

The NACPM member collects and records the woman’s and baby's health data, problems, decisions and plans comprehensively throughout the caregiving partnership.

The midwife continuously evaluates and improves her knowledge, skills and practice in her endeavor to provide the best possible care.

NARM - North American Registry of Midwives

A Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) is a knowledgeable, skilled and professional independent midwifery practitioner who has met the standards for certification set by the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM) and is qualified to provide the Midwives Model of Care. The CPM is the only midwifery credential that requires knowledge about and experience in out-of-hospital settings.

The scope of practice of the CPM is derived from the NARM Job Analysis, state laws and regulations, and individual practice guidelines developed by each midwife according to her skills and knowledge.

Based on the MANA Core Competencies, the guiding principles of the practice of CPMs are to work with women to promote a healthy pregnancy, and provide education to help her make informed decisions about her own care. In partnership with their clients they carefully monitor the progress of the pregnancy, labor, birth, and postpartum period and recommend appropriate management if complications arise, collaborating with other healthcare providers when necessary. The key elements of this education, monitoring, and decision making process are based on Evidence-Based Practice and Informed Consent.

NARM supports a health care system where every family in North America has access to skilled and responsible midwives. The individualized attention provided by the CPM in practice is of critical importance to her role as guardian of normal birth, and to the value of her compassionate maternity care. NARM sets standards for competency-based certification that allow a midwife to support a woman’s right to choose her birth attendants and place of birth and to involve those she identifies as her family in the birth experience. CPMs practice as autonomous health professionals working within a network of relationships with other maternity care professionals who can provide consultation and collaboration when needed.

US MERA - US Midwifery Education, Regulation & Association

US MERA formed in the US to determine how to implement the ICM definitions and standards for midwifery. US MERA is a coalition comprised of representatives of national midwifery associations, certifying bodies and education accreditation agencies including: Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education (ACME), American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB), American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM), North American Registry of Midwives (NARM), Midwifery Education Accreditation Council (MEAC), National Association of CPMs (NACPM), Midwives Alliance of North America (MANA); and the International Center for Traditional Childbearing.

Through a consensus process US MERA produced two documents based on the ICM definitions and standards. These two documents: model legislation and regulatory language regarding certified professional midwives were utilized in recommending language for Hawaii’s midwife licensure law.

US MERA’s vision is an integrative US healthcare system where everyone has access to midwives and midwifery care that improves health. Their mission is to bring together leadership and expertise to identify priorities and to be a unified, credible, recognized voice for issues that affect midwifery education, certification, accreditation, regulation, association and practice. The goal is to increase access to high quality and culturally relevant midwifery care.