Labor and delivery is a common field for nurses to go into after graduation, which is why GC has expanded its already popular nursing program recently in its master’s programs. Three years ago, the School of Nursing at GC implemented its Nurse Midwifery master’s program, and it received pre-accreditation this year; it is now a fully accredited program.
There are many misconceptions about what a midwife is, with many believing that it is just about home-birthing babies, but in reality, there is so much more. Midwives will help with both prenatal and postpartum care as well as aiding in family planning and sexual-health screenings.
GC’s Nurse Midwifery master’s program is now the only one in the state of Georgia accepting applications and the only public Georgia university offering this program at all. It is still a competitive process, with only 10 spots available for the graduating classes. The program is almost completely online, with on-campus visits only being required twice throughout the program. The content is available to be taught online, as many of those who are a part of the program work at hospitals around the state. To apply, a prospective student must have at least one year’s worth of labor-and-delivery training in the field.
The addition of an accreditation allows for the program to now be recognized nationwide. The recognition of the degree helps those who complete the training to be more likely to find jobs within the field.
Many nurse-midwives prefer this route compared to typical labor and delivery nursing because they get to be more hands-on and connect with their patient more.
“Although birth is a big focus of our job, we also do annual physicals and contraception and prenatal care,” said Monica Ketchie, the head of GC’s Nurse Midwifery program. “I actually deliver the baby. I don’t work with a physician unless I specifically call them and need them for the case. I don’t do surgeries or anything like that.”
Among the nursing community here at GC, the word has spread that the midwife program is now accredited, leading to lots of excitement. The already popular and competitive nursing program now has another benefit to it with this new program being added.
“I do actually know about the midwife program and am interested in it,” said Ema Cole, a freshman nursing major.
For some, the thought of returning to school after being in the field for a year can seem daunting. Nursing degrees are known for allowing the graduate to be field-ready after just one four-year program. With this master’s degree, there would be one year in the field, minimum, as well as one more year of school added to the training.
“One of the things that drew me to nursing was that you could get a really good career in only four years,” said Haylee Kirkley, a third-semester nursing major. “As for now, grad school isn’t in the cards for me, but never say never.”
Nurse midwifery has a rigorous training program that will open a door to new possibilities in the nursing field — allowing for a more hands-on, one-on-one career, for example. At GC, the nursing program has already been highly awarded, but this new addition makes it even more impressive and draws more students into the program.
