23 tasks, each one witnessed by the sources that watched the job — and behind every one, a prompt you can use tonight.
You usually start by reviewing patient charts in Epic or Cerner Millennium to see who’s scheduled for prenatal visits, inductions, or births. Morning tasks: prenatal exams, updating histories, and answering phone triage about contractions or bleeding.
Afternoon and night cover labor and delivery shifts: assessing labor progress, monitoring fetal development, assisting births, documenting findings in the EMR (Epic, eClinicalWorks, or digiChart OB-GYN), and handing off care with clear notes in Microsoft Office/Excel if needed. You also consult physicians for high-risk cases.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports about 7,920 employed midwives with a 2025 median annual wage of $134,040. The lowest tenth earned $93,620 and the top tenth $188,320, per BLS.
Pay varies by setting (hospital vs. birth center), state scope-of-practice (who can prescribe), and experience. Hospitals with integrated EMRs like Epic may offer higher pay and more consistent shifts.
Most jobs ask for Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM) credential or certified midwife (CM) plus state licensure. That means an accredited master’s or doctoral program in midwifery, supervised clinical hours, and board certification.
You’ll also need hospital privileging and often training on local systems: Epic or Cerner Millennium for charting, plus competencies in emergency measures (neonatal resuscitation, shoulder dystocia protocols) and breastfeeding support.
Midwives focus on normal pregnancy, labor, and birth with low‑intervention care, prenatal exams, contraception, and well-woman visits. OB/GYNs are physicians who manage surgical and high-risk care. Midwives still consult or refer to physicians for high-risk pregnancies.
In practice you’ll collaborate: midwives use EMRs like Epic or Allscripts and call physicians for complications, cesarean needs, or conditions beyond the midwife’s scope. Hospitals define which births midwives can lead.
Learn Epic and Cerner Millennium first — they’re common in hospitals for labor and delivery. Also know digiChart OB-GYN and Acrendo Ob/Gyn EMR for specialty clinics, and eClinicalWorks or Allscripts in outpatient settings.
Comfort with Microsoft Office and Excel helps for audit reports, staffing spreadsheets, and research data. Documentation skills for charts, fetal monitoring entries, and care plans are essential.
Yes, but use AI cautiously. You can draft patient education handouts or summarize research, then check facts against trusted sources and your institution’s policies. Never paste identifiable patient data into a public AI service without HIPAA-approved tools.
For charting, some hospitals are piloting AI inside Epic or Cerner that’s HIPAA-compliant; follow local governance, review and correct AI drafts, and never rely on AI for clinical decisions like detecting complications or prescribing.
Managing complications early: recognizing fetal distress, abnormal labor progress, preeclampsia signs, or postpartum hemorrhage. That means quick fetal monitoring interpretation and hands-on emergency measures (uterine massage, IV meds, neonatal resuscitation).
You must also document everything clearly in the EMR (Epic, Cerner, or clinic-specific software) and know when to consult or refer to an OB/GYN. Practice these emergencies in simulation and on-shift under supervision until you’re confident.