Doctor vs. Certified Nurse Midwife vs. Nurse Practitioner - What’s the Difference?

While each has a different level of education, Doctors, Certified Nurse Midwives and Nurse Practitioners are all dedicated caring for patients and making a difference in people’s lives.

We outlined the similarities and main differences in these roles in healthcare to help you decide which care provider is right for you.

Similarities

• Commitment to patient safety and comfort. Certified Nurse Midwives (CNM)
• and Certified Nurse Practitioners (CNP) often work together with doctors.
• Highly trained, licensed, and regulated by the state in which they practice.
• All provide a broad range of women’s health services that includes annual check-ups, birth control
• and menopausal care as well as family planning, pre-conception and postpartum care.
• All prescribe medication when needed.
• All collaborate within the office to ensure all of your needs are met without having to visit another facility.

Important Differences

Doctor:

• Education: Four years of medical school followed by four years of residency and an additional three years of specialized training.
• High and Low-Risk Pregnancies: Trained to manage high-risk pregnancies and provide care for any complications that may arise during delivery.
• Delivery: Deliver babies in a hospital and have surgical training to perform scheduled and unplanned emergency C-sections.

Certified Nurse Midwife

• Education: Bachelor of Science in Nursing followed by a graduate program in midwifery and several hundred clock hours working with a preceptor in a clinical setting.
• Low-Risk Pregnancies: Trained to manage low-risk pregnancies and births.
• Delivery: Deliver babies in hospitals, private practices, or birthing centers. Often, midwives will also offer alternative deliveries such as water births.

Nurse Practitioner

• Education: Bachelor and Master of Science in Nursing, including several hundred clock hours working with a preceptor in a clinical setting.
• Low-Risk Pregnancies: Trained to manage low-risk pregnancies, routine visits, and testing.
• Delivery: Do not deliver babies but work alongside doctors in a physician’s office.