CNM study guide
CNM · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM) credential is awarded by the American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB) to graduates of ACME-accredited nurse-midwifery programs who meet eligibility requirements and pass the national certification examination. AMCB describes the program's purpose as setting a national standard for midwifery and protecting the public by ensuring certified individuals meet pre-determined criteria for safe advanced practice. The CNM study guide has 7 sections and about 1,958 words.
01Antepartum Care
Accurate dating anchors every antepartum decision. Naegele's rule (first day of the last menstrual period + 7 days − 3 months) assumes a 28-day cycle; a first-trimester crown–rump length or an early second-trimester ultrasound supersedes an uncertain LMP.
311 words, about 2 min02Intrapartum Care
Labor is staged by cervical change and fetal descent, not by clock time alone. Contemporary definitions place the active phase at 6 cm; active-phase arrest requires ≥6 cm with ruptured membranes and either ≥4 hours of adequate contractions or ≥6 hours of inadequate contractions.
299 words, about 1 min03Postpartum Care
The postpartum period carries most of the catastrophic maternal events, so prioritize hemorrhage, hypertension, infection, and thromboembolism. Quantitative blood loss of ≥1000 mL, or bleeding with hypovolemic signs within 24 hours, defines postpartum hemorrhage; visual estimation underestimates loss.
274 words, about 1 min04Newborn Care
Focus on transition, thermoregulation, feeding, jaundice, and screening. Apgar scores summarize tone, respiratory effort, heart rate, reflexes, and color at 1 and 5 minutes; they describe status and response to resuscitation and must never dictate resuscitation or be used to diagnose asphyxia.
288 words, about 1 min05Primary Care
Midwives provide primary care across the lifespan, so know health maintenance intervals, immunization schedules, and screening thresholds. Cervical cancer screening starts at 21 (cytology every 3 years) with co-testing or primary HPV testing from 30 to 65; mammography is recommended biennially from 40 to 74; colorectal screening runs 45–75; osteoporosis screening starts at 65 for women or earlier with risk factors.
258 words, about 1 min06Gynecologic and Reproductive Health Care
Contraceptive counseling requires distinguishing perfect-use from typical-use failure and matching method to medical eligibility. Long-acting reversible methods are most effective; combined hormonal contraception is contraindicated with migraine with aura, uncontrolled hypertension, smoking at age ≥35 (≥15 cigarettes/day), prior VTE, and known thrombophilia.
260 words, about 1 min07Professional Practice, Ethics, and Health Policy
Practice is bounded by state scope-of-practice law, collaborative agreements, facility bylaws, and licensure-not by certification alone. Know the difference between mandated collaboration and independent practice, and how to document consultations and referrals.
268 words, about 1 min