DNP Nurse Midwifery

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Where Experience Becomes Expertise

Fairfield University’s Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) in Midwifery is a degree that focuses on the assessment and application of existing evidence to improve practice. Taught as a cohort program, students are educated in the fundamental skills necessary to make a difference in the discipline of midwifery and in healthcare of women and newborns: population-level health care, organizational systems, leadership, business management, clinical scholarship, information technology, and policy-making. The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) in Nurse Midwifery concentration, is a full-time, partially front-loaded program, designed to meet the competencies for the practice doctorate in midwifery set forth by the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) and to meet the ACNM Core Competencies for Basic Midwifery Practice.

The program prepares students as expert nurse midwives for every stage and in every setting in which midwifery care is delivered to women. Because nurse midwives are responsible for direct patient care, students gain hands-on experience in providing gynecologic, antepartum, intrapartum, postpartum, newborn, and breastfeeding care under the supervision of Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM) faculty. Nurse midwifery students will attend births in a variety of settings with a heavy focus on normal physiological birth. They will also be prepared to recognize and co-manage high-risk obstetric and gynecologic cases within an interdisciplinary healthcare team. 

DNP Nurse Midwifery program receives a HRSA Maternity Care Nursing Workforce Expansion Grant | Egan School of Nursing

Fairfield Egan Fast Facts

Top 100
Best Grad Nursing Programs in Nation

- U.S. News & World Report

Top 2
Doctorate of Nursing Practice in Connecticut

- U.S. News & World Report

Top 5%
Best Nursing Schools in the Nation
- College Factual
#1
Best Nursing Practice Doctor's Degree Schools in the New England Region
- College Factual

Philosophy of the Nurse Midwifery Program

The faculty of the Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies DNP-NM program adopts the Philosophy of Care from the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM). The Egan School is committed to educating nurse midwives at the doctoral level who are prepared to provide excellent midwifery care and who will serve as leaders in the healthcare setting. Our graduates will have a deep commitment to social justice and will be invested in improving care for women and families.

The Egan School believes that nurse midwifery education should be rooted in the science and art of midwifery, teaching students how to provide holistic, individualized, family-centered care, with an emphasis on shared decision-making and practicing according to evidence-based guidelines. The Egan School believes that it is important for interprofessional healthcare education and trauma-informed care to be woven throughout the holistic nurse midwifery curriculum. Our graduates will appreciate aspects of palliative and supportive midwifery care during perinatal loss.

The Egan School also believes midwifery education should foster a deepening of one’s own commitment to caring for vulnerable populations. Our graduates will practice midwifery in effective and ethical ways in all settings, respecting the dignity of every person.

Requirements & Curriculum

Required Courses

Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Advanced Healthcare Policy
Research Methods for Evidenced-Based Practice
Advanced Nursing Roles and Reflective Practice
Population Health
Research Translation for Clinical Practice
Finance and Quality Management in Healthcare Organizations
Information Technology for Healthcare Improvement
Leadership and Interprofessional Collaboration
DNP Immersion
DNP Seminar I
DNP Seminar II
Advanced Health Assessment
Advanced Physiology and Pathophysiology
Advanced Pharmacology
Antepartum Care
Women's Primary Care and Gynecological Health I
Women's Primary Care and Gynecological Health II
Intrapartum Care
Advanced Midwifery Management: At-Risk Childbirth
Antepartum Clinical
Women's Primary Care and Gynecological Health Clinical
Intrapartum Clinical
Advanced Midwifery Clinical
Integration to Nurse-Midwifery Practice

A detailed list of course requirements, offerings, and more can be viewed in the University’s course catalog.

Accreditations

The midwifery program at Fairfield University is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education (ACME) c/o American College of Nurse-Midwives, 2000 Duke Street, Suite 300, Alexandria, Virginia 22314

For information about accreditation, please contact ACME directly. 

Tel: (703) 835-4565; Email: support@theacme.org; Website: theacme.org

Egan Admission

This cohort program begins once each year in September. Qualified applicants will be invited to campus for an interview. Applications are reviewed by the Graduate Admission Committee and are accepted on a rolling basis until August 1.

Certification

The DNP Nurse Midwifery (DNP-NM) curriculum at the Egan School prepares students to be eligible for the Certification Examination of the American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB).

The first graduating class of 2020 had a 100% AMCB pass rate.
The second graduating class of 2021 had a 100% AMCB pass rate.
The third graduating class of 2023 had a 100% AMCB pass rate.

*The Egan School goal for American Midwifery Certification Board pass rates within one year of graduation is >85%.

Latest DNP Nurse Midwifery News

Fairfield Egan’s DNP Nurse Midwifery Program Awarded $1.22 Million HRSA Grant

The grant will be awarded over four years, through HRSA's Maternity Care Nursing Workforce Expansion (MatCARE) program.

Stag Spotlight

 Emily Baldwin headshot

Emily Baldwin

‘16, RN, DNP ‘20

Veterans Health Administration

Get to Know Emily

What were your reasons for choosing Fairfield University for your advanced degree?
I chose Fairfield University for my advanced degree because it’s close to home and ranked as a top graduate nursing school in the country. I loved my professors during undergrad and was excited to work with them again. I’m able to learn so much from the staff here at Fairfield and they are always in your court cheering you on!

What have you liked about your Fairfield education?
I like how invested the professors are in my studies and how they strive to make sure I reach my goals.

Please explain what you would tell someone considering an advanced degree at Fairfield.
I think Fairfield University is a great place to pursue an advanced degree. We have a beautiful state of the art new facility with top of line simulators, equipment, and the most qualified staff. Additionally, Fairfield has great relationships with local hospitals and preceptors are eager to take Fairfield students because they know how well we’re trained.

Please describe how working toward your advanced degree at Fairfield has affected your life.
Being in a full time doctorate program and working part time has definitely made me more conscious of my time management skills. I wanted to make sure I could pursue my degree, still work, and still have a life and being at Fairfield has allowed me to do so.

Please describe any interesting project or research opportunity you have had while at Fairfield.
As a doctoral student I’m conducting research into educating new parents on CPR and managing infant emergencies.

Grace Lessard

‘15, RN, DNP ‘20

Yale New Haven Hospital

Get to Know Grace

What were your reasons for choosing Fairfield University for your advanced degree?
I absolutely loved my time at Fairfield University as an undergraduate student. The engaging classroom environment, personal connections with professors, diverse clinical experiences, and lifetime friendships with my classmates all contributed to a wonderful experience. In seeking graduate programs, I wanted to have that same personalized experience that I feel is unique to Fairfield University.

What have you liked about your Fairfield education?
I am one of three women in the inaugural midwifery class. I love that we have small, intimate classes with our program faculty for our midwifery track classes, but we also have classes with other DNP tracks. Gaining the perspective of students in other tracks has been incredibly beneficial to my learning and professional development.

Please explain what you would tell someone considering an advanced degree at Fairfield.
If you are passionate about nursing, and want to make that next step forward in your career with a supportive, motivating community, become a stag!

Please describe how working toward your advanced degree at Fairfield has affected your life.
The midwifery program has strengthened my passion for women’s health, as well as my confidence in my ability to make a positive, lasting impact in my career.

Please describe any interesting project or research opportunity you have had while at Fairfield.
I am looking forward to working with my program director, Jenna LoGiudice, CNM, PhD, to complete a qualitative research DNP project.

More About Doctor of Nursing Practice - Nurse Midwifery

Enrollment, Graduation, and Attrition

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Enrollment, Graduation, and Attrition

Matriculation Year 2017 2018
Number of students matriculating in this cohort 4 4
Goal for On-Time Graduation 75% 75%
Attrition (%) who left the midwifery program 25% 0%
On-time Graduation Rate 75% Set to graduate in 2021
Final Graduation Rate 75% Set to graduate in 2021

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