The Florida School of Traditional Midwifery, Inc. curriculum was developed by a committee comprised of Licensed Midwives, Certified Nurse Midwives, midwives trained through apprenticeship, consumers and Childbirth Educators. Input was also received from a variety of midwifery educators across the country.
Our curriculum adheres to the Core Competencies developed by both the Midwives Alliance of North America and the American College of Nurse Midwives. These Core Competencies identify the essential knowledge-base required of an entry-level midwife. Our curriculum is also consistent with the Curriculum Framework developed by the Florida Department of Education and the requirements of Florida law.
We have worked to blend our strong academic curriculum with the invaluable direct learning experiences that can only be provided by working with seasoned midwives. We feel that it is essential that experienced midwives be intimately involved with the education of future midwives. In our view, this sharing of the art of midwifery is one of the most vital components of a student s education.
In addition to technical skills and academic knowledge, our programs also cultivate the essential qualities of nurturing, intuition, compassion and strength. We have learned from and borrowed from the experiences of generations of midwives and wise women. At FSTM, we have developed a special environment to nurture students as they become part of the next generation of midwives.
Our Faculty is comprised of Licensed Midwives, Certified Nurse Midwives, and other professionals who are not only highly qualified in their fields, but were largely motivated to join us through their own experiences with midwifery and a desire to give something back to the midwifery community.
Our academic environment is geared to the adult-learner. Our process is both dynamic and interactive involving a format of tutorial, discussion and lectures. Research is facilitated and encouraged, opinions are shared and insights are validated. Clinical experience is concurrent with academic coursework, giving relevance to factual material and evidence based practice.
Our Preceptors include Licensed Midwives, Certified Nurse Midwives and physicians who are licensed in Florida. We feel it is very important that students rotate through all types of practice settings and that they work with a variety of maternity care providers.
Our clinical sites are located throughout Florida and will provide students with experience in home birth practices, birth centers, clinics and hospitals
PROGRAM OBJECTIVES
IT IS THE GOAL OF THIS SCHOOL TO PROVIDE AN ENVIRONMENT AND AN EDUCATION THATÂ WILL PREPARE THE STUDENT TO:
- Practice independently as a Florida Licensed Midwife for women considered to have low risk pregnancy.
- Provide comprehensive and holistic maternity care for the women of her community.
- “Provide collaborative prenatal and postpartum care to pregnant women not at low risk in their pregnancy, labor, and delivery, within a written protocol of a physician currently licensed under chapter 458 or chapter 459″ [F.S.467.015(2)].
- Pass the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM) National Examination (utilized by Florida as the state licensing examination.)
- Meet criteria for becoming a Certified Professional Midwife (CPM).
- Establish a midwifery practice in a setting that will meet the needs of the community and the midwife.
- Affect change in their community by educating the public, media, legislators and policy-makers on the benefits and cost effectiveness of midwifery care.
These goals will be reached by providing the student with an education based on a combination of the art of traditional midwifery and today’s knowledge of medical science. Our programs are designed to help students develop and refine the clinical and communication skills that are essential components of midwifery care. Emphasis is placed on differentiating between low-risk and high-risk pregnancies, the art of out-of-hospital birth, and preparing students to organize and operate their practices after licensing.