ACNM strongly believes the profession of midwifery should reflect the same level of diversity that exists among the people in midwives’ care. ACNM partnered with Johnson & Johnson "Our Race to Health Equity" (ORTHE) to develop the Access to Equity in Midwifery Education and Care Program. This program focused on understanding the increasing midwifery education programs to increase the number of midwifery health care providers.
ACNM strongly believes that diversity within the profession of midwifery should reflect the same level of diversity that exists among the communities that we care for. To address disparities in health outcomes and structural racism, ACNM partnered with Johnson & Johnson's "Our Race to Health Equity" (ORTHE) fund to develop the Access to Equity in Midwifery Education and Care project.
One of the key initiatives taken was a multiyear in-depth, mixed-methods study that explored the current experiences, barriers, challenges, and supports that affect midwifery students, recent graduates, faculty, and preceptors of color in their respective roles in midwifery education. This study also explored the history of black midwifery in the US, the institutional capacity of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), and the historical challenges of establishing and maintaining midwifery education programs in these institutions. During this 8-month research, we surveyed and interviewed students, recent graduates, faculty, and preceptors to understand their experiences in their respective positions. Research was led by Alexis Dunn-Amore, PhD, CNM, FACNM, FAAN and Noelene K. Jeffers, PhD, CNM, and the project was guided by a steering committee of women of color midwifery leaders both in the clinical and academic settings.
Click below to view part 1 of the landscape analysis
Are you interested in starting the tough conversations with colleagues now about the state of midwifery education? Download the Equity Conversations to Spark Change Guide, launched as a prelude to the landscape analysis report. This document encourages faculty, students, and preceptors to discuss ways that they may perpetuate harm in clinical and classroom settings and ways to address these issues.Click the link below to gain access and start the necessary conversations!
Equity Conversations to Spark Change Guide
To download a copy of the infographic above as a PDF, click here: Access to Equity in Midwifery Education and Care - Infographic
To download shareable social media versions of the infographic, click the links below.
Access to Equity in Midwifery Education and Care - Social Infographic 1
Access to Equity in Midwifery Education and Care - Social Infographic 2
Access to Equity in Midwifery Education and Care - Social Infographic 3
Access to Equity in Midwifery Education and Care - Social Infographic 4
Access to Equity in Midwifery Education and Care - Social Infographic 5
Access to Equity in Midwifery Education and Care - Social Infographic 6
Systematic racism plays a central role in health disparities. Increasing diversity in midwifery is instrumental in reducing bias in maternal healthcare because midwifery is relationship-based care. The midwifery model of care focuses on intentional and intimate relationships between providers and patients to achieve the best possible health outcomes.
Black midwives make up only 7% of the total Certified Nurse-Midwives/Certified Midwives in the US. Increasing the number of Black midwives can help to dismantle the vices that lead to high maternal death rates and negative health outcomes in the Black community. HBCUs would enable Black student midwives to learn, grow, and develop in an educational culture that supports, understands, and positively positions future leaders in midwifery and maternal health for sustainable success. Ultimately, educating midwives of color at HBCUs to provide care to BIPOC communities can begin to improve maternal-child outcomes.
Hear more about the impact of Black midwifery in the US and ways to expand midwifery education by viewing our informational webinars on our online learning platform
Why We Need More Midwives of Color Informational Session 1
Starting a Midwifery Program at an HBCU Informational Session
