Preceptor Appointment Requirements

National Midwifery Institute is an equal opportunity employer and educational institution. There shall be no discrimination against any employee, applicant for employment, preceptor, or any student on any basis including actual or perceived sex, gender identity, race, color, marital status, ethnic origin, religion, age, sexual orientation, or disability. This non-discrimination policy applies to all educational policies and programs and to all terms and conditions of employment, which include (but are not limited to): recruitment, hiring, training, compensation, benefits, promotions, disciplinary actions and termination.

While NMI preceptors do not need to apply or register as NARM Precepting Faculty, they must complete the NMI Preceptor application process and must meet the following minimum qualifications: 

  • Must be a credentialed health professional - a midwife (LM, RM, CPM, CNM), family practice physician, or other care provider authorized to providing primary care for pregnancy and birth in an out-of-hospital setting, as well as postpartum care, newborn care, and reproductive health family planning care.

  • Must have an additional three years of experience after credentialing or fifty primary/co-primary births beyond entry-level CPM requirements.

  • Must have ten continuity of care births beyond entry-level CPM requirements.

  • Must have attended a minimum of ten out-of-hospital births in the last three years.

All precepting faculty must:

  • Agree to uphold NMI program goals, the Philosophy and Purpose Statement, and the Mission Statement;

  • Demonstrate an effective teaching style, incorporating student input and feedback;

  • Work cooperatively with other faculty;

  • Maintain updated course content meeting current program goals;

  • Complete cultural sensitivity/diversity training or course work;

  • Evaluate student progress according to the required schedule;

  • Complete and document 30 hours of continuing education every three years (consistent with NARM CEU policy);

  • Maintain a professional ethic (as defined by the MANA Statement of Values and Ethics) upholding student confidentiality at all times;

  • Agree to participate in conflict resolution, utilizing the program’s Grievance Mechanism as necessary;

  • Respond appropriately to the suggestions arising from the annual NMI program review.

  • Be in active practice in an out-of-hospital setting;

  • Be certified, licensed , or registered by a mechanism recognized in their jurisdiction, or maintain the CPM credential where midwifery is not regulated and not prohibited by enforcement of existing law;

  • Periodically attend peer review. Preceptors are encouraged to include students in routine peer review, if acceptable within the local midwifery community.

    Contact NMI today to discuss your qualifications!

Preceptor Payment

Most preceptors realize adequate exchange with an apprentice via assistance with the practice. However, it is possible that a preceptor will charge a student additional fees. Students are responsible for this as a separate agreement.

Preceptor Rights and Responsibilities

Precepting faculty maintain or participate in primary practices, providing prenatal, intrapartum, postpartum, newborn care, and reproductive health family planning care, upholding: 1) NMI Program Goals; 2) the Midwives Model of Care; 3) professional standards of practice; and 4) the MANA Statement of Values and Ethics.

Preceptors attend clients in the out-of-hospital setting of their choice. Students are introduced to their preceptor’s clients as members of the care team, but clients must be fully informed of the student’s status and must give consent for the student’s participation in their care. The precepting midwife’s first responsibility is to uphold parameters of safety while providing quality care to clients; within that context, the student shall be given every opportunity to acquire clinical experience and skill required for timely program completion.

Once a preceptor and student agree to work together, they complete and sign the NMI Apprentice/Preceptor Work Agreement and Informed Consent Worksheet. This document must include the following information regarding preceptor’s practice:

  • philosophy

  • experience and training

  • certification/licensure/registration status

  • malpractice insurance status

  • numbers of clients both for the previous year and current year

  • number of students the preceptor has trained

  • number of students the preceptor takes into the practice at a time (with breakdown of learning opportunities for each student)

The Informed Consent Worksheet may also include a list of the apprentice’s expectations of training; however, it is the preceptor’s responsibility to formulate and file this document. The preceptor/student relationship is formalized when this document has been signed and a copy is filed with the NMI office.

Precepting faculty are also responsible for updating their teaching methods and clinical practice in keeping with current standards of care. On the basis of student evaluation and NMI annual review, they are also expected to incorporate student input in their method and style of precepting.

All faculty are responsible for documenting continuing education consistent with current NARM requirements (as of 7/2018, 30 contact hours of continuing education every three years).

  • Faculty are also encouraged to serve on midwifery boards and actively participate in professional organizations such as CAM, MANA, NARM, MEAC and ACNM, as a means of keeping program curriculum current. We strongly encourage faculty to participate in community education by:

  • lecturing at local universities and community colleges on midwifery, childbirth and related subjects;

  • providing in-service training at local hospitals and EMS services;

  • teaching childbirth classes to expectant parents and leading support groups for pregnant women and pregnant people, and new parents;

  • making presentations to the aspiring midwifery community at state and local midwifery meetings.

Faculty are also responsible for participation in annual program review by completing the online survey each year that is initiated by May 5th (International Midwives Day). Incorporating student input, faculty are asked to make recommendations on admissions policy, curriculum revision, references, methods of student assessment, the advisability and selection of new faculty, teaching methodologies and effectiveness, administrative performance and facilities, fees, resources and services.

Evaluation Protocols

During clinical training, preceptor and student jointly evaluate student progress regarding skills successfully acquired and those requiring further development. Students and preceptors meet to present and discuss their evaluations on the following schedule: at the close of the initial three-month period, and then every three months UNTIL the student has begun student-primary care under preceptor supervision. Once the student has begun student-primary care under preceptor supervision, these evaluations occur after every five births. Completing a formal skills evaluation after every 5 births as student-primary midwife under preceptor supervision documents continued progress in the attainment of skills. It also provides opportunity for student-preceptor pairs to identify strengths as well as areas where growth and improvement are needed as students move forward in their training. The preceptor completes a final summative skills evaluation when a student is competent to receive a rating of 4 on all required skills.

All NMI faculty are encouraged to suggest revisions in mechanisms for evaluating students when completing the annual NMI program review, provided as an online survey each year by May 5th (International Midwives Day).

Preceptors may recommend specific course work modules for the student to complete to enhance knowledge and competency as they progress toward mastery of the skills and knowledge necessary for entry-level midwifery practice: these recommendations are shared with the student and the student’s course work instructor during each evaluation cycle. Preceptors and course work instructors may also discuss student progress with each other at any time, as requested by the preceptor and/or course work instructor in order to best support each student’s learning.

Apprenticing students submit self and preceptor evaluations on the following schedule: at the close of the initial three month period, and then every three months UNTIL the student has begun student-primary care under preceptor supervision. Once the student has begun student-primary care under preceptor supervision, these evaluations occur after every five births.

Student evaluation of faculty is integral to assessing faculty performance and facilitating an egalitarian learning experience. Faculty are expected to demonstrate responsiveness to the feedback and individual learning needs of their students. Should a serious disagreement develop between a student and instructor, both will participate in conflict resolution, either through mediation or the program’s Grievance Mechanism.