History

The word midwife is an Old English expression which means “with woman.” The term was used as early as 1303. The profession of nurse-midwifery was brought to the United States from England in the 1920s so that Frontier Nursing Services could provide care to women in rural eastern Kentucky. The project was extremely successful, and during the next 50 years nurse-midwives established a growing reputation for safe and affordable maternal and infant care.

In the early 1970s, interest in natural childbirth and shared health decision-making brought about a special interest in nurse-midwifery. Childbearing families began to actively seek the individualized care of nurse-midwives. Today over 9,000 certified nurse-midwives (CNM) practice throughout the United States; and over 50 CNM education programs are affiliated with a university or an accredited distance education program.

In Kansas, the first nurse-midwifery attended birth, registered by State Vitals Records, took place in the mid-1970s at Fort Riley. In 1979, state regulations describing the role of advanced practice nursing, which includes nurse-midwifery, created opportunity for collaborative practice with physicians. Therefore, in 1980, The Holistic Birth and Growth Center (now known as the Birth and Women’s Center) in Topeka employed the first nurse-midwife to practice in Kansas. This center was the first free-standing urban birth center in Kansas.

In 1999, The Kansas Collaborative Bi-State Nurse-Midwifery Education Program was established at The University of Kansas School of Nursing. This master’s level educational program is fully accredited by The American College of Nurse Midwives Division of Accreditation, 8403 Colesville Rd, Suite 1550, Silver Springs, MD 20910-6374. Phone 240-485-1800.

Nurse-midwives practice throughout Kansas and Missouri under advanced practice nursing acts; hold state and national leadership positions; and publish widely in professional journals.