THE EVOLUTION OF THE CORE COMPETENCIES FOR BASIC MIDWIFERY PRACTICE

Abstract

The Core Competencies for Basic Midwifery Practice, as promulgated by the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM), was first published in 1978 to provide a standard approach to nurse-midwifery education. Since then, it has been revised three times, most recently in 1997, and now serve as the curricular template for ACNM-accredited education programs. This paper discusses the historic evolution of the core competencies and the document's use in midwifery education and practice.