I have begun the last leg of this academic tour in life, I am in my second quarter of a three year doctorate program in nurse-midwifery. And no mom, I will not be doctor-nurse Jane, but I do appreciate the humor.
To everyone who is confused by this title, I will help you out. But just so you know, I was confused too until after I had been accepted into the program, and finally decided I better learn what all this alphabet soup really means for fear of an extended family member asking and me not having any idea of how to respond.
Currently I have a degree in nursing, a bachelors degree, and a nursing license to practice: alphabet soup = BSN, RN. This translates to "a Bachelors of Science degree in Nursing and licensed by the state of Washington as a Registered Nurse."
Now I am pursuing a higher ed degree in nursing, specializing in midwifery. The degree is a DNP, or Doctorate of Nursing Practice, and the license is CNM, or Certified Nurse-Midwife. It is a doctorate of practice not a doctorate of philosophy (PhD). The DNP is replacing the masters in nursing, MN. It is simply a new level of education for all those familiar ARNPs or Nurse-Practitioners out there who we know we all see for our primary care because family physicians are becoming fewer and farther between.
It'll be a journey, but it's surreal to be studying birth, officially, finally, gloriously. Bottom line, I will be a midwife.
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